First, we need to find the area of the path surrounding the temple.
The length of the temple plus twice the width of the path will give us the length of the rectangle formed by the outer boundary of the path:
Length = 30m + 2(2m) = 34m
Similarly, the width of the temple plus twice the width of the path will give us the width of the rectangle formed by the outer boundary of the path:
Width = 16m + 2(2m) = 20m
The area of the path is then:
Area = Length × Width = 34m × 20m = 680m²
Now, we need to find the area covered with cement.
Given that 15% of the total area of the path is covered with cement, we can calculate the area covered with cement:
Area covered with cement = 15/100 × 680m² = 102m²
The remaining area is covered with marble slabs:
Area covered with marble slabs = Total area of the path - Area covered with cement
= 680m² - 102m² = 578m²
To find the number of marble slabs required, we need to convert the area from square meters to square centimeters.
1 square meter = 10000 square centimeters
Area covered with marble slabs in square centimeters = 578m² × 10000 = 5780000 cm²
Now, we can find the number of marble slabs required:
Number of marble slabs = Area covered with marble slabs / Area of one marble slab
Area of one marble slab = 400 cm²
Number of marble slabs = 5780000 cm² / 400 cm² = 14450
Finally, we can calculate the cost of covering the path with marble slabs:
Cost of one marble slab = Rs. 18.50
Total cost of covering the path = Number of marble slabs × Cost of one marble slab
Total cost = 14450 × Rs. 18.50 = Rs. 267,325