National Geological Monuments of India

National Geological Monuments are geological areas of national importance as notified by the Geological Survey of India. These geoheritage sites are notified in an effort to improve their maintenance, protection, promotion and enhancement of geotourism.[1][2] The Geological Survey of India and the respective state governments are responsible for taking necessary measures to protect these sites.[2]

As of 2026, there are 35 notified National Geological Monuments.[2][3][4] The National Fossil Wood Parks at Tiruvakkarai and Sathanur in Tamil Nadu were the first to be declared as National Geological Monuments in 1951.[4] With 12 sites, Rajasthan has the most such monuments, followed by Karnataka (5) and Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu (4 each).[2][4]

List of National Geological Monuments

List of National Geological Monuments[2][4]
Year Name Image Location State Notes
1951 National Fossil Wood Park, Tiruvakkarai
Thiruvakkarai, Viluppuram district Tamil Nadu Fossil remains of conifer and palm trees from the Miocene–Pliocene epochs, transported by rivers and later fossilised after the wood was replaced by silica from the sediments.[4]: 114-115 
1951 National Fossil Wood Park, Sathanur
Sathanur, Perambalur district Tamil Nadu Petrified gymnosperms from the Late Cretaceous (100.5–66 Ma), formed on eroded granulite rocks.[4]: 116-117 
1974 Shivalik Fossil Park
Suketi, Sirmaur district Himachal Pradesh Fossils of vertebrates dating to 1 to 1.5 Ma found in the Sivalik Hills of the Himalayas.[4]: 39-42 
1975 Charnockite, St. Thomas Mount Chennai, Chennai district Tamil Nadu A type of Charnockite bearing quartz–feldspar–hypersthene, formed at high temperature and pressure by the metamorphism of igneous rock.[4]: 112-113 
1975 Pillow lavas, Maradihalli
Hiriyur, Chitradurga district Karnataka Pillow lavas occurring on a schist rock hillock, dating to the Precambrian period (2.5 Ga).[4]: 55-56 
1975 Peninsular Gneiss of Lalbagh
Bengaluru, Bengaluru Urban district Karnataka Peninsular Gneiss rock occurring on an exposed small hillock located in the Lal Bagh gardens, dating to 2.5 to 3.4 Ga.[4]: 45-57 
1975 Columnar Basalt, Coconut Islands
St. Mary's Islands, Udupi district Karnataka Basalt columns developed by the rapid cooling of lava flows, found on flat-topped hills in four islands off the coast of Malpe in the Deccan Traps region, dating to the Cretaceous–Eocene (about 60 Ma).[4]: 50-52 
1976 Bhojunda Stromatolite Park Bhojunda, Chittaurgarh district Rajasthan Stromatolites, layered sedimentary formations created by blue-green algae through the bonding of carbonate particles, occurring on limestone rocks and dating to 900 Ma, when the sea levels were higher and the region was covered by shallow water.[4]: 98-100 
1976 Eparchaean Unconformity
Sapthagiri, Tirupati district Andhra Pradesh A significant stratigraphic discontinuity in the Earth's geological history, where gneisses formed during the Archean (4 to 2.5 Ga) meet the sedimentary rocks of the Proterozoic (2.5 to 0.54 Ma) of the Kadapa sub-group.[5]
1976 Sedimentary Structures – Eddy Markings, Kadana Dam Kadana, Mahisagar district Gujarat Fossilised markings on sandstone and quartzite rocks formed during the orogeny of the Aravalli Range, when soft sedimentary rocks from the Proterozoic were metamorphosed.[4]: 36-37 
1976 Great Boundary Fault at Satur Satur, Bundi district Rajasthan Faults in the region between the Aravalli and the Vindhya Ranges that separate the younger sedimentary rocks of the Vindhyas, formed about 900 Ma, from the older pre-Aravalli rocks.[4]: 95-96 
1976 Jodhpur Group – Malani Igneous Suite Contact
Jodhpur, Jodhpur district Rajasthan Igneous suite formed during the Precambrian period and overlain by sedimentary rocks in the Proterozoic and early Cambrian (540 Ma). The hillock on which the Mehrangarh fort stands displays a visible nonconformity between the rock layers.[4]: 84-85 
1976 Pillow Lava in Iron ore belt at Nomira Nomira, Kendujhar district Odisha Pillow lavas and tuffs formed from submarine volcanic activity during the Archean. These were later overlain by shale, hematite, jasper, and quartzite, and are now part of an exposed rock surface.[4]: 70-71 
1976 Kishangarh Nepheline Syenite Kishangarh, Ajmer district Rajasthan Intrusions of Syenite and Nepheline into metamorphic rocks of the Aravalli Range, dating to the Precambrian period (1.91 to 1.59 Ga).[4]: 74-75 
1976 Plant Fossil bearing Inter-trappean beds of Rajmahal Formation Mandro, Sahibganj district Jharkhand Plant fossils dating to 145 to 68 Ma, found in intertrappean beds, which are thin sedimentary rock layers sandwiched between successive basaltic lava flows.[6]
1976 Gossan in Rajpura-Dariba Mineralised belt Rajpura-Dariba, Rajsamand district Rajasthan Thick, colourful gossan formed through prolonged weathering and oxidation of sulfide minerals such as sphalerite, galena, and chalcopyrite. Remnants of ancient mining are evidenced, dating to 3040 ± 150 BP, contemporary with the Indus Valley Civilisation.[4]: 74-75 
1976 Jhamarkotra Stromatolite Park Jhamarkotra, Udaipur district Rajasthan The world's largest phosphorite deposits, containing algal stromatolite fossils in Proterozoic Aravalli dolomitic limestone (~1.8 Ga).[4]: 106-107 
1976 Pyroclastics & Pillow lavas of Kolar Gold fields
Peddapalli, Kolar district Karnataka Welded agglomerate of rounded to angular fragments of granite, gneiss, basalt, and banded ferruginous quartzite set in an ignimbrite matrix, formed around 2.9 Ga during submarine volcanic activity. The pyroclastic rocks are part of the Kolar Schist Belt and represent violent, glowing avalanche-type volcanic eruptions.[4]: 58-59 
1976 Jodhpur Welded Tuff
Jodhpur, Jodhpur district Rajasthan Welded tuff composed of volcanic ejecta containing glass, quartz, and feldspar, which developed columnar joints and terraces upon cooling. Varied coloured Malani rhyolites are interlayered with tuff and pyroclastic rocks.[4]: 87-88 
1977 Akal Wood Fossil Park Akal, Jaisalmer district Rajasthan Petrified wood and fossilised tree trunks from the Lower Jurassic (~180 Ma) over a 21 ha (52 acres) area, along with fossils of invertebrates such as gastropods and ammonites, which were formed when forests in warm, humid climate bordering the sea were rapidly buried in sediments and followed by replacement of the wood by silica.[4]: 91-192 
1977 Barr Conglomerate Barr, Pali district Rajasthan Pebbles of quartzite and aplite, along with fine grained schists consisting of mica, set on underlying gneiss.[4]: 80-81 
1977 Sendra Granite Beawar, Pali district Rajasthan Old granite dating to ~1.2 Ga intruded the Beawar lithostratigraphic rock unit, dating ~1.5 Ga, which was exposed after uplift and weathered over the last 500 Ma.[4]: 77-78 
1979 Lonar Lake
Lonar, Buldhana district Maharashtra A saline and soda lake in a impact crater formed by a hyper-velocity meteorite impact about 50 ka ago. The 1.83 km (1.14 mi) wide, 150 m (490 ft) deep impact structure is one of the youngest and best-preserved impact structures on Earth, with compact, vesicular and amygdaloidal basalt exposed around the crater.[4]: 66-67 
1979 Angadipuram Laterite
Angadipuram, Malappuram district Kerala Laterite deposits along the Arabian Sea coast, featuring a unique combination of pyroxene granulite, charnockite, and migmatite.[4]: 63-65 
1981 Natural Geological Arch
Tirumala, Tirupati district Andhra Pradesh A natural arch, 8 m (26 ft) wide and 3 m (9.8 ft) high, formed by weathering of quartzite rocks dating to Middle to Upper Proterozoic (1.6 to 0.53 Ga).[4]: 23 
1982 Volcanogenic bedded Barytes Mangampeta, Annamayya district Andhra Pradesh Single largest baryte (mineral of Barium sulphate) deposit in the world, through precipitation of volcanic vapours and deposition of volcanic ash under submarine conditions during the Proterozoic (2.5 to 0.53 Ga).[4]: 30-31 
1983 Marine Gondwana Fossil Park Manendragarh, Surguja district Chhattisgarh A fossil park preserving marine Permian fossils (280–240 Ma) of invertebrate such as Eurydesma, Aviculopecten, bryozoans, crinoids, and foraminifers, within the carbonaceous shale of the Talcher Formation of the Gondwana Supergroup. The diverse , records a Permian marine transgression into central India.[4]: 33-34 
2001 Nagahill Ophiolite Site Kiphire district Nagaland The Naga Hill Ophiolite is an example of oceanic lithosphere obducted onto continental crust, consisting of Mesozoic–Cenozoic magmatic and sedimentary rocks, along the Indo–Burma convergence zone.[7]
2002 Stromatolite bearing Dolomite / Limestone of Buxa Formation at Mamley Namchi, South Sikkim district Sikkim The site exposes dolostones of the Proterozoic Buxa Formation of the Daling Group, which are stromatolitic structures formed by algae during the Precambrian, and preserve rare evidence of early life in the Eastern Himalayas.[8]
2015 Badlands of Karai Formation Karai, Perambalur district Tamil Nadu Fossils from the Late Cretaceous found along Karai – Kulakkalnattam section,[2] deposited in the Karai Formation, a Mesozoic (252 to 66 Ma) geological formation composed of gypsiferous mudstone, silty sandy clay, and sandstone deposited in a dry basin.[9]
2015 Varkala Cliff Section
Varkala, Thiruvananthapuram district Kerala Warkalli cliff formations along a 7.5 km (4.7 mi) stretch of the Arabian Sea coast, formed by erosion during the Miocene–Pliocene (23 to 2.58 Ma).[10]
2016 Erra Matti Dibbalu
Vishakhapatnam–Bheemunipatnam, Visakhapatnam district Andhra Pradesh Dissected and stabilized red sand mounds along the Bay of Bengal coast between Vishakhapatnam and Bheemunipatnam, formed by erosion of deposited sediments.[2][11]
2018 Ramgarh crater
Ramgarh, Baran district Rajasthan An eroded impact crater in the Mesoproterozoic Vindhyan Supergroup (1.6–1.0 Ga) that consists of iron-rich impact spherules and coesite, which indicates that the crater was formed by the impact of a copper-rich iron meteorite.[12][13]
2018 Zawar Lead–Zinc mine
Zawar, Udaipur district Rajasthan The lead–zinc mine is part of the Paleoproterozoic Aravalli Supergroup, where sulphide minerals occurs within a carbonate-bearing sequence of metamorphosed sediments in an extensional rift basin and is known for its ancient zinc-mining and smelting.[13][14]
2026 Yana Caves
Yana, Uttara Kannada Karnataka Caves formed in Precambrian dolomitic limestone dating to ~2.7 Ga and exposed by epeirogenic movement. Prolonged tropical weathering and chemical dissolution from percolating rainwater resulted in distinctive karst landforms, with fissures, caverns, and sinkholes.[15][16]

Geo-tourism sites in Northeast India

In 2021, the Geological Survey of India listed 12 sites in Northeast India for the promotion of geo-tourism. These included two declared National Geoheritage Sites of Mamley Stromatolite Park and Nagahill Ophiolite Site.[17]

List of Geotourism Sites in Northeast India[18]
Site Image Location State Notes
Mawmluh Cave
East Khasi Hills district Meghalaya The cave provided the stalagmite evidence defining the Meghalayan Age, the youngest age of the Quaternary, marked by a major abrupt climatic event with drought and cooling dating 4.2 ka.[18][19]
Mawblei God's Rock East Khasi Hills district Meghalaya A large balancing rock, made of reddish-purple Mahadek sandstone of the Cretaceous-age Khasi Group, slanting at about 45 degrees towards the south-southeast, on a hill slope overlooking the Wahrashi River valley.[18]
Therriaghat East Khasi Hills district Meghalaya One of the best-preserved and most complete Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary (K–Pg) in India, recording the major mass extinction event at the end of the Cretaceous, which caused caused the sudden extinction of several species.[18]
Majuli
Majuli district Assam The world's largest river island is a fluvial landform in the Brahmaputra basin, formed as a vast alluvial plain from the deposition of sediments carried by the river and its tributaries.[20]
Umananda Island
Kamrup Metropolitan district Assam An inselberg in the Brahmaputra river, composed of the rocks of the Assam-Meghalaya gneissic complex.[18]
Chabimura
Gomati district Tripura Rock-carved panels on a steep hill wall along the bank of the Gomati River, featuring monumental images of Hindu deities dating to the 15th–16th centuries.[18]
Unakoti
Unakoti district Tripura A historic Hindu pilgrimage site with numerous rock-cut sculptures and temples dating to the 7th–9th centuries.[18]
Sangetsar Tso
Tawang district Arunachal Pradesh Also called as Madhuri Lake, it is a landslide-dammed lake near the India–Tibet border formed when a major earthquake in 1950 blocked a river valley.[18]
Loktak Lake
Bishnupur district Manipur The largest freshwater lake in Northeast India, it is characterised by floating biomass known as phumdis and fishermen's huts called phumsangs. The southwestern part of the lake contains the Keibul Lamjao National Park, the world's only floating national park and the last natural habitat of the endangered sangai.[18]
Reiek Tlang
Aizawl district Mizoram A cuesta formed by the erosion of Tertiary sandstone–shale alterations, characterised by a gentle slope on one side and a steep slope on the other.[18]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "National Geological Monuments". Geological Survey of India. Archived from the original on 12 July 2017. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Geo-Heritage Sites". Press Information Bureau (Press release). 9 March 2016. Archived from the original on 29 September 2022. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  3. ↑ "Govt sends names of 10 geological sites to ASI for inclusion in World Heritage List". The Hindu. 29 September 2024. Archived from the original on 8 January 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 National Geo-heritage of India (PDF) (Report). Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 January 2017.
  5. ↑ "Natural Heritage of Tirumala Hills". UNESCO. Archived from the original on 2 November 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  6. ↑ "Fossil Park". Sahibganj district. Archived from the original on 18 May 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  7. ↑ "Nagahill Ophiolites". UNESCO. Archived from the original on 1 November 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  8. ↑ "Geological Heritage Sites of Himalayan Region of India". Press Information Bureau (Press release). 30 March 2022. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  9. ↑ "Karai Formation". Indian Plate. Archived from the original on 18 August 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  10. ↑ "Natural Heritage of Varkala Cliffs". UNESCO. Archived from the original on 2 November 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  11. ↑ "Natural Heritage of Erra Matti Dibbalu". UNESCO. Archived from the original on 2 November 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  12. ↑ "Millions of years ago, this Rajasthan village was hit by an asteroid, geologists confirm". Nature journal. 30 June 2020. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  13. 1 2 "Ramgarh, Zawar accepted as geo-heritage sites in Rajasthan". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 25 October 2018. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  14. ↑ Bhattacharya, H.N.; Bull, Stuart (March 2010). "Tectono-sedimentary setting of the Paleoproterozoic Zawar Pb–Zn deposits, Rajasthan, India". Precambrian Research. 177 (3–4): 323–338. doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2010.01.004. Archived from the original on 22 June 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
  15. ↑ "Yana caves are now Geoheritage Site of National Importance". Deccan Herald. 17 April 2026. Archived from the original on 18 April 2026. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  16. ↑ "Yana's Majestic Monoliths: A National Geoheritage Treasure Recognised by GSI". Karnataka Tourism. April 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  17. ↑ Karmakar, Rahul (20 August 2021). "GSI lists geo-tourism sites in NE to visit after 'unlock'". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 2 September 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "GSI lists geo-tourism sites in North east". Journals of India. 24 August 2021. Archived from the original on 26 September 2022. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  19. ↑ Cohen, K. M.; Finney, S. C.; Gibbard, P. L.; Fan, J-X. (January 2020). "International Chronostratigraphic Chart" (PDF). International Commission on Stratigraphy. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 February 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  20. ↑ "River Island of Majuli". UNESCO. Archived from the original on 16 May 2022. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.