For more information, visit gujarattourism.comTHEMUSEUM
Whiletheparkhasbeenaroundfor
years,itwasrecentlysupplemented
byamuseumandvisitorcentre.
InJunethisyear,GujaratChief
MinisterVijayRupaniinauguratedthe
DinosaurMuseuminRaiyoli.Thenew
establishmentfeatures 10 sprawling
galleriesandisastate-of-the-artvenue
tolearnaboutthehistoryoftheland
anditsgiantresidents.Thefeatures
includea3Dfilmontheindigenous
rajasaurusnarmadensis,exhibitsonthe
dinosaursofIndia,andparticularly,
thestateofGujarat,interactivekiosks,
virtualrealityshows,asimulatedtimeFrom top: The museum
is equipped with 3D
projection; panels
deliver all the
information on the
dinosaurs found in India
and their timelines.
machine, an interactive dino play area
for kids, a display representing the
Mesozoic era, and a souvenir shop. The
museum also flaunts around 50 life-size
sculptures of different dinosaur species.
The central atrium of the museum is
designed to transport visitors 65 million
years back in time. A nearly life-size
model of rajasaurus is the star attraction.
The museum is open from Tuesday
to Sunday, 10 am to 6 pm. A child’s
ticket costs `20 while an adult’s costs
`50. The museum is maintained by the
Fossil Park Development Society, and
is set to bring curious visitors to a lesser
explored region of Gujarat.Balasinorcanbe accessed
from Vadodara (98 kms),
Ahmedabad (90 kms), or
Gandhinagar (102 kms).
It’s a good idea to club your
daytrip to the fossil park
and museum with an
itinerary around at least
one of these cities.
Vadodara: Long known as
an artistic haven, this city
is home to architectural
gems like the grand Lakshmi
Vilas Palace, the neatly
manicured Sayaji Baug and
Ajwa Nimeta Garden, and
the beautiful Sursagar Lake.
For history buffs, there’s
also the UNESCO-listed
Champaner-Pavagadh
Archaeological Park located
about 50 kms away.
Ahmedabad: Sabarmati
Ashram tops the list of
things to do here, closely
followed by the Jhulta
Minar--part of the Siddi
Bashir Mosque, Vintage Car
Museum, and Swaminarayan
Temple. The banks of
Kankaria Lake offer avenues
for relaxation while Law
Garden’s night market is a
nice place to shop.
Gandhinagar: Visitors
should not miss the
alluring Adalaj Stepwell,
Akshardham Temple, and
Punit Van botanical garden.
For another tryst with
dinosaurs, set some time
aside for Indroda Dinosaur
and Fossil Park.NEARBY
PLACES