Gujarat’shistorygoeswaybacktotheMesozoicerawhendinosaursinhabited
a region in what is today the Mahisagar district. A fossil park and a museum
in Balasinor take you back 65 million years in time.In the Footsteps of Giants
PROMOTION
T
hewesternIndianstateof
Gujaratisknowntobethe
homeofmanyhistoricalsites,
colourfulfestivals,andgrandpalaces
drapedinlegends.Asifthislistwasn’t
longenough,theregionhasanother
surpriseupitssleeve—onethat’ssure
todelightboth,youngandold.Deep
intheariddesert-likelandscapeof
Mahisagardistrict,about 90 kilometres
fromAhmedabad,liesthetownof
Balasinor.Here,atinyvillagecalled
Raiyoliholdswithinitsecretslocked
insand.Itisinthisnondescriptpartof
Gujaratthatsomeuniquefossilised
remainsofdinosaurshavebeenfound.
Sorichisthesubterraneaninventory,
infact,thattheareaisconsideredto
bethethird-largestexcavationsiteof
dinosaurfossilsintheworldandthe
second-largestknownnestingsite.A life-size replica of the indigenous
rajasaurus greets you at the entrance.The Dinosaur Museum, launched in June, harks back to your favouriteJurassic Park movies.