Sacred site in India revealed as 65-million-year-old fossilized coral

Ancient fossilized shrine found in India

According to НВ — Техно: A stone sanctuary in India’s Dindori district has turned out to be a fossilized coral about 65 million years old. Announced on August 12, the discovery places the site at the boundary between the Cretaceous and Paleogene periods - a pivotal moment in Earth’s history, marked by the extinction of the dinosaurs. The sacred stone had been cared for over generations by the Baiga, an Indigenous community. According to archaeological commissioner Madan Kumar Nagargoje, they were unaware of the specimen’s exact geological age, yet their protection kept it available for scientific study.

Tradition meets science

Archaeologist Manoj Kumar Kurmi believes the practice of worshipping such natural formations could go back 8,000 to 10,000 years. Nearby, in the Narmada valley, communities treated fossilized dinosaur eggs as holy charms. Laboratory analysis confirmed the object is an ancient marine coral, and researchers also noticed that photos of the forest shrine showed stonework resembling older masonry.

The fossilized coral is now being prepared for transfer to the State Museum in Bhopal, where it can be preserved and displayed for future research and public education.

This discovery highlights why natural and cultural landmarks with historical value deserve protection. It also shows how ancestral traditions can align with modern science and open up new ways of understanding the planet’s past.

• Finds like this may lay the groundwork for further research.
• They are likely to advance geological and archaeological work in the region.