JOIN USWhile sipping coffee with a friend in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, I was asked whether I had seen a fossil, and my immediate reply was that I had only seen them in my school history textbooks.
When my friend asked me if I was interested in seeing some, my curiosity was heightened and I enthusiastically replied in the affirmative. He said that the second largest fossil park in Asia, and the only such park in India, was situated just 75 km away in Ghughua. We decided to visit the park immediately.
After an uneventful two hour journey, we reached the Ghughua Fossil Park. The park was virtually deserted, probably because not many know about its existence. We went to the facilitation centre in the premises and began exploring the museum. Our guide informed us that the park came into being in 1983 and the discovery of fossils in that area was purely by chance. It all began when Dr Dharmendra Prasad, the then statistical officer at Mandla district in Madhya Pradesh, who was also the secretary of the local archeological society, found some fossilised plants while travelling in the area. With the help of experts Dr S R Ingle of Jabalpur and Dr M B Bande of Lucknow, Dr Prasad conducted a systematic study of the fossils found in Ghughua. The team was surprised to discover fossils of plants, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds. While fossils of palm trees were found in plenty, they also unearthed fossils of neem, jamun, plantain, rudraksh, and many other trees, which are not native to that province.
Studies have revealed that the fossils found at Ghughua are approximately 65 million years old, and at that time, the area of Madhya Pradesh appeared to have a humid equatorial climate, recording an average annual rainfall of about 2,000 mm. It also indicated that millions of years ago, India, Australia and Africa must have formed a single land mass with common vegetation. The Ghughua National Fossil Park covers an area of 27 hectare. A fossil of an egg, which is thought to be that of a dinosaur, is also on display. This fascinating park can be covered in half a day. Most fossils are spread on the ground or around trees or on platform in groups.