PROMOTION
to this land, called the rahiolisaurus
gujaratensis, has been named after the
Raiyoli village. The eggs excavated
from the region include small
teardrop-shaped theropod eggs and
bigger, rotund sauropod eggs.THE PARK
While the remains of rajasaurus
found a home at the Indian Museum
in Kolkata, the presence of fossils
in Balasinor led to dinosaur tourism
in Gujarat. Encouraged by this
possibility, a fossil-rich piece of land,
under the protection of the forest
department, has been designated as
the Dinosaur Fossil Park. It is located
at the site where the first set of eggs
was discovered and spans 72 acres.
The terrain is marked by vegetation
typical to the arid habitat, particularly
the invasive prosopis juliflora. Popularly
referred to as the ‘Jurassic Park of
India’, the park greets visitors with
a gate flanked by sculptures of a
pterodactyl (flying reptile) and a
sauropod (quadrupedal herbivorous
dinosaur). It’s an apt introductionto the wondrous fossils in the park.
Marked by dry rocks jutting out of the
ground, the park would be difficult to
navigate for its fossils if it weren’t for
the rectangular barricades erected
around the fossils. There are also
gazebos to provide some respite from
the scorching heat of the Gujarat sun,
but it’s advisabe to carry a high-spf
sunscreen and hats and glasses,
besides plenty of water.
For the uninitiated, it can be
difficult to distinguish a fossil from
the average rock partially buried
in the ground. The surface of the
fossils, peeking out of the land, has
a whitish-pink speckled appearance.
The remains are easily 65 million years
old. A femur bone of a theropod,
which is essentially a meat-eating
bipedal dinosaur, a razor-sharp claw,
a set of vertebrae, a set of white rings
suggesting the existence of a nest, a
very evident layer of skin covering a
rock that has defied the test of time,
multiple eggs—these are just some
of the fossils that can be seen at the
Dinosaur Fossil Park.From top: A bunch of theropod eggs on display;
the central atrium recreates the environment of the
past and takes you 65 million years back in time.