The formation, protected for generations at a forest shrine, has reportedly been traced to the final phase of the dinosaur era.

A stone formation worshipped and protected by the Baiga tribal community in Madhya Pradesh’s Dindori district has been identified as a rare coral fossil estimated to be approximately 65 million years old.

A team documenting Dindori’s geological heritage noticed photographs of the unusual layered formation at a forest shrine. Its coral-like appearance led to a field inspection and subsequent examination.

The Madhya Pradesh Directorate of Archaeology, Archives and Museums reportedly identified the formation as a fossil dating to the closing phase of the dinosaur era.

Traditional Belief Helped Preserve Fossil

The discovery highlights how the Baiga community’s religious and cultural traditions helped protect an object of considerable scientific value.

Archaeologist Dr Manoj Kumar Kurmi said the tradition surrounding the shrine could be between 8,000 and 10,000 years old, although human presence in the wider region may be considerably older.

Officials cautioned that the age of the worship tradition and the geological age of the fossil are separate assessments.

Dindori’s Rich Geological Heritage

Dindori is already known for the Ghughwa National Fossil Park, where fossils estimated to be between 40 million and 150 million years old have been documented.

Selected geological and archaeological discoveries from Dindori are expected to be displayed at a proposed gallery in the State Museum in Bhopal.