The world’s first 3D-printed Hindu temple will reportedly be built in Telangana. The temple will be situated in Burugupally village under Siddipet municipality in Charvitha Meadows, a gated villa community. This temple will be a three-part structure constructed on an area of 3800 square feet and 30 feet tall.
The Hyderabad-based construction company Apsuja Infratech will construct this 3D-printed temple in collaboration with Mumbai-based 3D-printed construction company Simpliforge Creations. The company claims to have India’s first robotics construction 3D printing facility. The facility is also believed to be the largest in South Asia also.
Simpliforge provides manufacturing solutions to Apsuja to facilitate the construction of this temple by providing 3D printing. Simpliforge prints the structure using an internal system, locally produced materials, and software. Construction 3D printing is a method for manufacturing construction elements or entire buildings by means of a 3D printer printing concrete, polymer, metal, or other materials, layer-by-layer.
The MD of Apsuja Infratech, Hari Krishna Jeedipalli, said, “The three sanctums, or garbhas, within the structure represent a ‘modak’, dedicated to Lord Ganesha; a Shivalay, a square abode devoted to Lord Shankar; and a Lotus shaped home for Goddess Parvati”.
He added, “Completely printed on-site, the temple’s dome-shaped structures presented formidable challenges that required the team to employ bespoke design techniques, meticulous analysis, and innovative construction methods while following the principles of temple architecture resulting in this awe-inspiring architectural marvel”.
The construction of this temple is expected to be finished in July. From start to finish, the 3D structure is anticipated to take 2-3 months, whereas the conventional building would have required more than double the time.
Simpliforge Creations and the Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, constructed India’s first prototype bridge in just under two hours in March.
While discussing the 3D-printed temple, the CEO of Simpliforge Creations, Dhruv Gandhi, said, “This was also assembled on-site at Charvitha Meadows, Siddipet. The concept and design were developed and evaluated by Prof K V L Subramaniam and his research group from the civil engineering department of IIT Hyderabad. After undergoing load testing and evaluation for functional use, it is now being used as a pedestrian bridge in the garden around the temple”.
Gandhi stated, “This structure demonstrates Simpliforge’s ability to print 51° and 32° in outward and inward cantilever, respectively while printing in-situ catering to the architectural and aesthetic requirements. This construction takes care of the structural requirements, principles of temple design, 3d printing requirements while dealing with the challenges of in-situ construction”.
The team is now constructing a temple for Goddess Parvati that is designed like a lotus. Jeedipalli stated, “With the Shivalay and the modak completed, phase II comprising the Lotus and the tall spires (gopurams) are underway”.
According to Gandhi, the dome-shaped modak was challenging to print, but the team accomplished it in six hours over ten days. He added, “We are hoping that what we learned from the ‘modak’ will let us finish the ‘lotus’ earlier than that”.
Gandhi further said, “But we have already proved with our Ganesha temple that shapes that are almost impossible to attain with conventional techniques can be done easily using 3D technology. Now, lotus will prove again to the world the edge that 3D-printing will offer to the construction industry when it comes to free-form structures”.
He added, “This proof of concept also sets the stage for future applications of Simpliforge’s robust systems in inaccessible areas like frontiers, high altitude areas, deserts and snowy regions with applications in challenging terrain, disaster-hit areas and defence applications. The enclosed dome-shaped structures eliminating the need for flat slab roofs paves the way for extra-terrestrial applications”.
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