Minerals
Diamonds: Diamonds found in Panna district
constitute Bundelkhand's most well known mineral wealth and were highly prized
in medieval times, when the stone was found only in
Granite: Geologically,
Bundelkhand presents a mixture from different areas, from the earliest days of
the formation of the earth, when its upper crust cooled and solidified, till
recent times. From the earliest period, older than 2500 million years, are
granite-like formations called gneiss and so-called Bundelkhand Granite.
Massive blocks of medium to coarse-grained varieties of pink, red and grey
granite are found in
Sandstone: White, buff, cream,
pink and red sandstone (flagstone) varieties are found in different layers in
the Vindhyan hills; the most extensive deposits are in Panna and Sagar
districts. The lowest layer sandstone is an excellent building material, with
uniform colour and texture. It can be chiselled easily and in great detail. The
temples of Khajurao and its famous sculptures, in Chhatarpur district, are made
from locally sourced Kaimur sandstone. Lalitpur is known for sandstone
varieties called Lalitpur Grey and Lalitpur Yellow. Other less known varieties
of sandstone are mined found in considerable quantities in Chhatarpur.
Pyrophillite: Large reserves of
pyrophyllite, a soft, light-coloured stone, are found in
Limestone: Stone of lower
value, used in crushed form in road and building construction, is available in
large quantities in Bundelkhand Intermediate and Bundelkhand Upland
sub-regions. The Vindhyan hills provide, in Sagar, Damoh and Panna districts,
large quantities of limestone.
Silica
Sand:
UP's main mineral belt lies in Bundelkhand and other southern districts of the
state like
Rock
Phosphate: It is Used in the fertilizer
industry and found in Lalitpur; it is also mined in Chhatarpur. Large reserves
of low grade iron ore (25-30% iron) are found in Lalitpur. Other minerals
available in less valuable quantities include feldspar, used in ceramics
industry, found in
Clay: Used in lime and
cement industries, is found in Datia, Panna and Tikamgarh. Ken river are used
for making objects’d art.
Dolomite:
It is found in Sagar and
Banda districts.
Alluvium: The most recent
geological deposits are alluvium, in the form of sand, silt or clay, brought
down by north-flowing rivers.
Rocky Ridges: In Bundelkhand a striking feature is the
presence of long and narrow rocky ridges, known as quarts reefs and dolerite
dykes. Often, these wall-like natural features intercept the course of streams,
leading to formation of water bodies and enabling the creation of large
artificial lakes.
