They say magnificence catches the eye; architectural wonders are such masterpieces that leave us speechless by their mere look. Located in Florida, the Coral Castle boasts of its mysterious yet rich story. Previously called the Rock Gate, the Coral Castle continues to captivate the people. It opened in 1920 and is a pretty recent monument. It is an oolite limestone structure. The name suggests the monument to be a castle however it is more of a garden. What’s so great about it? When one is posed with the question ‘’name a monument made for love’’ and Taj Mahal, the 8th wonder comes to mind. However, the Coral Castle too was built in the name of love. It is true; love can move people but in this case love helped move tons of rocks!
The marvel is claimed to have been built sing-handedly by Edward Leedskalnin. After being rejected by his 16-year old fiancée in Latvia Edward left for United States where he entered with terminal tuberculosis. The original location of the Coral Castle differs from the current one. It took a total of 28 years to build but how? How did a man of 5’0 weighing just about 90 pounds carry tons of rock, displace them? On being asked how he made it he would vaguely say ‘’ It’s not difficult if you know how’’. He often mentioned to have figured out the secret behind the Pyramids. The people who interacted with him say that he was a polite man waiting for his ‘’sweet sixteen’’ to come one day and see the castle he created. The identity however remains unconfirmed and Latvian accounts say that the woman may have a different name. In Leedskalnin’s own publication it is presumed that sweet sixteen is an ideal, maybe far from reality.
The construction material is mistaken to be coral, however the sedimentary rock may contain concentration of coral and fossil remains. Surprisingly the stones are held together without mortar. Leedskalnin was so fine and worked with keeping smallest of details in mind. The stones are fastened together according to their weights. Even the tiniest amount of light can’t seep through the joints. No wonder many calamities could have hit the area, but the structure remains unaffected and unmoved. The castle houses 1100 tons of stones with carvings, walls, furniture and a tower. Some structures hold meaning while some are a total mystery. The main attractions of the castle are mainly astronomical apparatus, the Polar Telescope and the Sun Dial. Adding up to beauty is the heart shaped furniture, rocking chairs, bathtub and a throne. There are stone made celestial objects like stars and planets. Barbecue, water well and a fountain too glorify its architecture. Another feature that makes the structure stand out of the crowd is the megalithic rocks. It is hence regarded as the only modern megalithic structure to exist.
Edward was a private man when it came to his work. He wouldn’t let him be seen by anyone and preferred working alone. Mischievous teens would say he made stones float like hydrogen balloons and local civilians would come up with various theories trying to justify the ‘’magic’’ Edward brewing with the stones. Some say he used supernatural abilities while some support the side of science and believe magnetism aided. Stories of him singing to the stones and applying psychic powers were also common. He had a friend Irvin who was concerned about the absurd theories linked with Edwards name and would pour cold water over them. He was deeply proud of Edwards’s knowledge just like Edward would say that he was insightful about the laws of weights and leverage. The attraction’s site states that “Coral Castle has baffled scientists, engineers and scholars since its opening in 1923.” Many studies have been carried out in order to demystify the legend behind the Stone Castle. Built without any modern machinery the castle is an ode to the lost love of Leedskalnin. He used nothing but a tripod and a few chains to lift over 30 tons. The interesting story behind it is said to have begin with a broken heart. Edward would work in solitary at night. He would stop working at the site of visitors. An unfortunate event made Edward relocate the masterpiece. He wanted his privacy to be respected. Localities say the trucks moving but never did they view Edward unload the rocks. Scholars feel a certain black box visible in the pictures of the tripod was responsible. The lost ancient secret of Anti-Gravity is thought to have been found by Edward. Researchers in 2000s believe that the technique used must be levitation since that’s the only way large stones could be made into weightless objects. Levitation is possible with strong magnetic field which sprouts the possibility of the chosen land to be at a-natural harmonic grid.
Love gave us mystery whose breakthrough can revolutionaries ideas. Coral Castle near Miami remains a site one must see in their lifetime.
By Manya Arora
