293 million years old marine fossils-Gondwana Marine Fossils Park

 

293 million years old marine fossils-Gondwana Marine Fossils Park

 Gondwana Marine Fossil Park reveals the secret of 293 million years old marine fossils

The natural joy and beauty of Chhattisgarh is incomparable in itself, this state surrounded by mountains, waterfalls and forests has its own story. This state full of immense possibilities of tourism has many such wonderful spots to visit full of natural beauty, which have not been properly introduced yet, but now the time has come that apart from the traditional tourist places, we should get acquainted with some such places here which are important to know.

Why is it important to know?

In this sequence, in today's article we will talk about Gondwana Marine Fossil Park, a priceless treasure of the state. Koriya district is a district full of natural beauty of the state. This park is located in this district i.e. Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur district, which is the largest marine fossil park in Asia. Here you can see a glimpse of the 293million year old history of the Earth. In the past, it tells the story of that period when today's land was submerged under a cold sea. Not only this, this fossil park not only tells the story of the past, but also provides opportunities to get the geological heritage of the country recognized at the global level, gives us a new pride. Gondwana Fossil Park is a unique display of fossilized marine Permian rocks (240 - 280 Ma) of Talchir Formation belonging to the Gondwana Supergroup. It is exposed in a length of about one km till the confluence of Hasdeo River and Hasia Nala. Apart from bryozoans, crinoids and foraminifera, the marine fauna is represented by a rich variety of pelecypods/planchnodonts such as Eurydesma and Aviculopecten.

The Government of Chhattisgarh has made efforts in this direction and has shown its commitment to bring this priceless heritage to the world. The Government has the will to see this place develop as a major hub on the map of scientific tourism.

History of the park

In 2010, fossils of marine creatures were found on the banks of the Hasdeo river. Later, a team of experts confirmed the presence of millions of years old marine fossils in Amakherwa. Also, it was advised to develop the entire area as a Geo Heritage Center. The fossils of Manendragarh were also named Gondwana Marine Fossils Park, but before this, if we look at the history of the park, we find that this park was discovered in 1954 by geologist S.K. Ghosh during coal mining, in the year 2015, scientists of Birbal Sahni Institute of Paleo Sciences, Lucknow also confirmed this. Its specialty is not only its huge area, but it is the only marine fossil park in India that has the status of a National Geological Monument. Fossils of marine creatures like bivalves, gastropods, brachiopods, crinoids and bryozoa have been found here. These fossils belong to the Talchir Formation, which represents the early period of the Permian era. Very few people would know that such an old history is located in this state of Chhattisgarh.

How it would have been formed

Researchers have made an estimate on this from their own estimation and they believe that this area was submerged in the sea due to a sudden rise in the sea level. The sea level rose due to the melting of glaciers and marine life accumulated in this area. Later when the water level decreased, these marine creatures got buried in the rocks and would have turned into fossils over millions of years, some such events and activities have brought this wonderful structure in front of us.

Importance of the park

The Gondwana Marine Fossil Park is an important geological site not only for Chhattisgarh or India, but for the whole world. Similar fossils have also been found in the Parana Basin of Brazil, New South Wales of Australia, Alexander Island of Antarctica and Karoo Basin of South Africa. This park plays an important role in understanding the geological history of the Gondwana continent.

This fossil park is in danger of being damaged due to changing weather and human activities. The Chhattisgarh government has taken concrete steps to preserve it. In August 2021, scientists from the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Chhattisgarh State Biodiversity Board and Forest Department officials inspected the area. In March 2022, the Chhattisgarh Forest Department declared it the state's first marine fossil park.

Serious efforts are being made for the development of this fossil park. Rs 41.99 lakh has been sanctioned for its beautification. Plans are being made to improve the infrastructure of the park and make it more convenient for tourism and research. If you ever plan a tour of this area, then definitely visit this place.

How to reach

The area can be reached by road from Nagpur via Jabalpur (National Highway-7), Katni, Shahdol, Burhar, Anupur and Kotma (SH-14). The area is located on the right bank of the Hasdeo River, near the railway bridge between 937 and 938 mile-stones of the Anupur - Chirmiri branch of the South Eastern Railway and is about 2.5 km south east of Manendragarh railway station near Ammakherwa village.

The distance of Manendragarh from Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh, is about 300 km. Train and taxi facilities are available from Raipur, the nearest station for this is Manendragarh, although you can also come here via Chirmiri.

When to go

This fossil park can be visited throughout the year except the rainy season, because during the rainy season this fossil site is filled with the water of Hasdeo river.