Geologists and palaeontologists are working together to make a dossier for UNESCO for the tag of a global geopark for Madhya Pradesh’s (MP) Bagh.This is done to protect the site, increase tourism, involve the local communities and raise awareness to protect the area’s history of millions of years.
If Bagh gets the recognition from UNESCO, it will become India’s first UNESCO Global Geopark. Bagh’s geological history is rich and abundant, so much so that for the longest time, the locals didn’t even pay any attention to the fossils that are literally strewn all over the town.
Bagh Caves date back to the late 4th to 6th century. These caves are popular among history lovers because of the Buddhist murals in its rock-cut chambers.
Surprisingly, apart from that, from a tourism point of view, Bagh doesn’t usually feature on people's travel plans, but this may change very soon.
Bagh contains fossils of dinosaurs, prehistoric sharks and giant gymnosperms, and is a treasure trove of fossils as old as 100.5 - 60 million years old.
Bagh fulfils every requirement needed to qualify for the UNESCO tag and hopefully, by next year, India will get its first UNESCO Global Geopark.
From perfectly preserved dinosaur eggs and fossilised remains of both carnivorous and herbivorous dinosaurs to basaltic columns and fossilised remains of several feet-long sharks and other rare marine animals. Owing to all these findings, in 2011, a large section of Bagh was declared as Dinosaur Fossil National Park.
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