Seashells to lime: swotting of a vernacular method and needs for revival

Abstract

Lime is the versatile mineral. Various forms of lime are used in environmental, metallurgical, construction, chemical/industrial applications, and more. It has been used for masonry mortars and plastering for centuries. Lime is usually obtained from lime stone. Places like Kerala where lime stone is scarce, lime is majorly obtained from seashells so they developed their own traditional method to extract lime. Shell lime was one of the major components in construction of most of the houses, temples, bridges, dams etc. in Kerala during the earlier days. People used shell lime not only as a replacement to cement but also as a plastering agent which helps to reduce temperature in the interiors. This dissertation is retrospection into the vernacular method of making lime mortar from seashells by visiting the workspace. The study also intends to analyse the challenges faced by this method and provide with necessary recommendations.