On Friday the fourth grade classes toured the GEMS granite company as part of its study on the economy of the Tamil Nadu state. This Chennai-based company has over 150 different quarries with unique granite colors throughout India, as well as importing some other types from a few countries. Using modern equipment, the massive blocks are transformed into monuments, memorials & mausoleums for export. GEM also produces modular tiles, vanity and counter tops, tabletops, sculptures, and structural building slabs out of their high-quality granite.
Walking through the large buildings with their massive, noisy machines, a row of Christian gravestone markers were ready for export. In a Hindu-dominated country where it’s common practice to cremate the dead, it was a bit strange seeing so many gravestones, their shiny sides blank and ready for engraving of the deceased’s names when it reaches the destination. In fact, over 80% of the world’s gravestones being produced in Asia. Europe, the US, and Japan were some of the biggest
customers of Indian granite gravestones. However, in recent years, the Chinese market has begun to undercut Indian-based companies, taking granite from India (as well as some quarried in China) and using their own machines to produce cheaper gravestones. Currently Indian-based granite companies still seem to have the edge due to high quality and the large variety of beautiful granite types present in the subcontinent.
1 comment:
That is very intriguing. I had no idea that something like gravestones were exported; they're so heavy, you wouldn't think it would pay.
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