May 17, 2016

Surabhi Nijhawan

Did you know that a small town called Balasinor in Gujarat is home to the one of the largest dinosaur fossils sites in the world? No, you don’t.

At Balasinor, there’s a fossilised dinosaur nesting ground and a prehistoric burial ground. But, no one knows because no one talks about it. Moreover, no one thought that this could become a UNESCO Geo park.

Previously in 2003, they also discovered a new species here, which belonged to the Tyrannosaurus Rex family. It was named Rajasaurus narmandensis which means a princely reptile from the Narmada.

This site was discovered accidentally in 1981, when geologists were conducting a mineral survey of the area. Since then, these place has attracted scientists and tourists from around the world.

Thankfully there’s one person who sees potential in this place. Aaliya Sultana Babi, the former princess of Balasinor, is the promoter and protector of the dinosaur legacy.

At Balasinor, you can spot a part of a limb embedded in a rock, alleged fossil remains of skin and other bones and egg rings.
In fact, you can even see a real dinosaur egg fossil here.

Unfortunately, this site hasn’t been developed as a tourist attraction. It took over five years to build a museum next to it. This place seems pretty much abandoned. It is sad that the fossils were discovered three decades ago, yet they have not received due attention. Sadly, most of us don’t even know of the existence of the site.
How to get to Balasinor?

Balasinor is about one and a half hours drive from Ahmedabad. One can travel to Ahemdabad on flights or by train. There’s Garden Palace, a heritage hotel property run by the former rulers of Balasinor, the Babi family, where you can stay. In fact it used to be their royal family home.

http://www.indiatimes.com/culture/who-we-are/balasinor-in-gujarat-is-the-largest-dinosaur-fossil-site-in-the-world-but-no-one-knows-about-it-255113.html