We all were taught about earth’s gravitational force in our school days. The simple rule is whatever we throw up or is on a slope eventually falls down. But in Tamil Nadu, a 250 tonne boulder which is resting on a steep slope has remained unmoved. The 250 tonne boulder which is also known as Krishna’s Butterball in Tamil Nadu’s Mahabalipuram has remained unmoved for 1200 years now. Keep reading to know more.
250 Tonne Krishna’s Butterball in Tamil Nadu
In Tamil Nadu’s Mahabalipuram, there is a geographical wonder which weighs 250 tonnes. This massive boulder measuring 20 feet high and 5 metres broad rests atop a slippery slope with a base of less than 4 feet. When you first look at it, you will feel that the rock is just about to roll down the slope but that is not the case. The boulder has not moved since 1200 years despite earthquakes, tsunamis and cyclones. The boulder is named Krishna’s butterball because it is known that Lord Krishna used to love butterballs and it is said that it fell from heaven. The boulder is also called ‘Vanarai Kal’ which translates into Stone of Sky God in Tamil.
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Krishna’s Butterball Failed Science
We all have learnt, seen and believed in gravitational force and science, but this boulder known as Krishna’s butterball seems like a miracle that has failed science. There is a small story about the butterball which states that in the year 1908, Arthur Lawley who was the then Governor of Madras had ordered the stone to be removed. He sent seven elephants in order to move the boulder fearing people’s safety. But the boulder did not even move an inch. Nobody knows why the rock’s weathering caused a portion of it to split off, giving the area a half-circle appearance. Scientists have hypothesised that the rock is just a natural formation, contrary to geologists’ claims that natural corrosion is unlikely to have generated such an irregular shape.
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