Balasinor Gujarat – Amazing Dinosaur Fossil Park Raiyoli, Balasinor

Balasinor in Gujarat, India is a small town that was once a princely state ruled by the Babis who originated from the erstwhile Junagadh Kingdom. The Balasinor state was founded by the Babis in the 18th century. Members of the erstwhile Balasinor royal family still stay in Balasinor Gujarat.

The small town of Balasinor at a distance of about 83 kilometers from Ahmedabad, which had been relegated to an obscure corner of history suddenly sprang into the spotlight in the early 1980s for a most unlikely and unimaginable reason, Dinosaurs! So what is the connection of Balasinor with dinosaurs? Read on to know all about Balasinor and its historical tryst with Dinosaurs, the Dinosaur Fossil Park in Raiyoli, Balasinor, and the Dinosaur museum Balasinor.

Balasinor Gujarat – Visiting India’s Jurassic Park

All the familiar landmarks of Ahmedabad whizzed past,  rekindling memories buried deep by the passage of time. We were back in Ahmedabad after a gap of almost a decade and were on our way to visit the Balasinor Dinosaur Fossil Park and Museum in the village of  Raiyoli Balasinor Gujarat. We crossed the Gandhi Ashram, one of our favourite places in Ahmedabad, and soon the familiar towers of the Sabarmati Thermal Power Station loomed on the horizon. We left Ahmedabad far behind and after a stop for lunch found ourselves driving on a road surrounded by fields towards our destination in Raiyoli, the Balasinor Dinosaur Park.

Soon the sight of a massive Dinosaur sculpture towards our right heralded the fact that we had arrived at our destination. We were eager to explore this unique destination of Gujarat, as we got out of our bus. Keep reading to know all about one of the most important Fossil Park in India and the first Dinosaur museum in India. But before that, it is imperative to learn about the history of Dinosaurs in the region, the finding of dinosaur fossils, and much more. For this, we have to travel back in time, millions of years ago when the Dinosaurs roamed the earth.

History & Genesis of Balasinor Fossil Park, Raioli | Balasinor Gujarat

The year 1981 was when geologists from the Geological Survey of India who were surveying the area around Balasinor for minerals stumbled upon remains of dinosaur bones and fossils. That discovery changed the face of Balasinor and brought it on the world map. It became a globally significant paleontological site for hosting a large number of hatcheries that had thousands and thousands of eggs that were laid by different types of titanosaurs, which were long-necked dinosaurs with massive sizes, the largest known land animal to have ever existed on earth.

Some 65.5 million years ago during what is termed as the Cretaceous period, the topography of Gujarat and specifically of Raioli in Balasinor was different than what it is today. The plains of the river Narmada that extended from its basin proved an ideal breeding ground for the Indian Titanosaurid Sauropods and Abelisaurid Theropods. The land proved to be the perfect hatchery for dinosaurs from the late Jurassic period to throughout the Cretaceous period.

The Raioli site is unique in the entire world for the sheer number of nest-sites and the large number of eggs preserved in these sites. The dinosaurs found the soft sands of the river bed best suited for laying their eggs in the nests which were easily and safely buried in the sand. The nests provided an ideal incubating environment for the eggs.

There are many stories about the discovery of the Dinosaur fossil site. One story goes that the villagers were in their ignorance actually using Dinosaur eggs as pestles to grind paste, while another has it that many of the villagers took the eggs and worshipped them in their homes, of course, this was before the advent of the team from the Geological Survey of India and the discovery that Raioli sat on a gold mine of information about the giant dinosaurs that once walked the earth.

Dinosaur Museum, Raioli, Balasinor | Balasinor Gujarat

Dinosaurs are fascinating and fire the imagination. But when it comes to real knowledge about this intriguing species, not much is generally known. So it is highly recommended to visit the Dinosaur Museum before visiting the Dinosaur Fossil Park, as this will give a good background and orientation of the dinosaurs, their history, and specifically the different types that thrived in the region.

The Dinosaur Museum Raioli is a state of the art museum, which is a project under the aegis of Gujarat Tourism and is curated, developed, operated and maintained by Vama Communications. The Museum was inaugurated in 2019 by the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Vijay Rupani.

The Dinosaur Museum in Balasinor Gujarat takes visitors on a thrilling journey into the world of dinosaurs, more than 65 million years back in time. Spread over a vast area of 25,000 square feet the museum has 10 different galleries that awe visitors with their exhibits. The museum caters to visitors looking for detailed and in-depth information about the dinosaurs as well as children looking for some fun ‘dinosaur’ experiences. Information Kiosks, 3D- Presentations, fossils, and eggs specimen, and much more vie with each other to grab the attention of visitors.

Not to forget more than 50 life-like sculptures of different types of dinosaurs including ferocious giants and cute little baby dinosaurs.

“The present is the key to the past“, says a display in one of the galleries of the museum, and that defines the very character of the museum and its fascinating exhibits. As one moves from gallery to gallery, one is lost in the incredible world of the dinosaurs.

Visitors are introduced to the Rajasaurus Narmadensis, an Abelisaurid Theropod Dinosaur with a single horn on its head that roamed the Narmada valley during the late Cretaceous period. This dinosaur is believed to have a massive dimension with a length of 9 meters, and a height of 2.4 meters and weighing a staggering 4000 kilograms. The bones of the Rajasaurus were excavated and palaeontologist Jeffrey.A.Wilson and his team reconstructed and described the dinosaur in 2003. They named the species as Rajasaurus Narmadensis because of the horn on its head which gave it the appearance of wearing a crown and the fact that it thrived on the Narmada Valley.

Another dinosaur similar to the Rajasaurus but of a more slender build is the Rahiolisaurus Gujaratensis, named after Raioli. This species is believed to have had a length of 8 meters, a height of 3 meters, and weighed about 2 tons.

Visitors are awed to learn that the towering Titanosaurus which are considered to have been the heaviest animals to have walked the earth were actually herbivores and survived on plants. They had a length ranging between 12 to 18 meters, and a height of 3 meters and weighed around 14,700 kilograms.

Another very interesting fossil finding in the region is highlighted in the museum. This is a unique snake fossil discovered in the region that dates back to the late Cretaceous period. This is of a snake named Sanajeh Indicus (Serpentes), that lived in those times. What is remarkable is the fact that fossil remains show the snake inside a Sauropod dinosaur nest coiled around a crushed dinosaur egg. This remarkable finding throws light on the feeding ecology of these snakes and the risk they posed as predators to the Sauropod Dinosaurs.

Moving around the museum one is gripped by feelings of awe and wonderment at the life and times of the giant dinosaurs. Bones, skeletal remains, dinosaur eggs, and nests of different species of are displayed in the museum. Apart from the exhibits, there are many interactive kiosks that disseminate valuable information, there is a 3D film that transports viewers into the era of the dinosaurs, an intriguing Time Machine, and a fun zone for kids where they can learn about dinosaurs and also enjoy themselves.

Dinosaur Museum Timings & Tickets | Balasinor Gujarat

• The Dinosaur Museum in Balasinor is open from 10.00 AM to 6.00 PM on all days except Mondays
• The Dinosaur Museum is closed on Mondays
• The ticket window closes at 5.00 PM and the last entry into the museum is also 5.00 PM
• Current ticket rates are INR 50 for adults and INR 20 for children between 3 to 12 and for the ticket charges for foreign visitors is INR 300

Dinosaur Fossil Park, Raioli, Balasinor

Just a stone’s throw away from the Dinosaur Museum is the Dinosaur Fossil Park in Raiyoli, Balasinor Gujarat. A big board that artistically depicts the skeleton of a dinosaur welcomes visitors who need to pass through an iron gate to enter the Dinosaur Fossil Park.

The Park stretches over a massive area of 72 hectares. Our guide informed us that dinosaur fossils have been found and are being found in the entire vicinity, both beneath rock surfaces as well as beneath the earth. At first glance the park seems like a vast expanse of bare land, however, closer inspection reveals wired enclosures dotting the grounds. These are called cages and enclose areas where one can see the actual fossilized remains of different types of dinosaurs, embedded in rock and earth. Each cage is numbered and information about the fossil is displayed prominently on a board along with illustrations.

A guide points out with a stick at different fossils in the cages and explains about which body part of the dinosaur they come from. There is the Scapula Coracoid of a Titanosaurid, the dorsal vertebrae of an Abelisaurid Theropod, the left femur, and caudal vertebrae of a Sauropod, and much more.

As we leave the sprawling Dinosaur fossil park, the sun is setting on the western horizon and one can feel the nip in the air. We wonder about the mighty dinosaurs who must have walked the very land that our feet were treading on, millions of years ago. They too must have experienced many a sunset and sunrises before the sunset on their very existence.

How To reach Balasinor Gujarat 

• Balasinor is situated in the Mahisagar district in the western Indian state of Gujarat
• Balasinor Gujarat Pincode is 388255
• Ahmedabad to Balasinor is about 87 kilometres distance
• Balasinor is about 102 kilometres from Gandhinagar, the capital of Gujarat state
• Balasinor is about 98 kilometres from the city of Vadodara
• The nearest airports to Balasinor are Vadodara at a distance of 79 kilometres and Ahmedabad at a distance of about 107 kilometres
• The Dinosaur Museum and Dinosaur Fossil Park are located in a small village called Raiyoli about 15 kilometers from Balasinor
• It is advisable to hire a cab or drive down in your own car from Ahmedabad or Gandhinagar to visit Balasinor Gujarat

You can book flights to reach Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India through any of these sites online and save big – TripAdvisor or Agoda or CheapAir or Cleartrip or Makemytrip or Priceline.

Where To Stay while visiting Balasinor Gujarat  

Balasinor is a small town and does not have too many options for accommodation. There is the Garden Palace Heritage Homestays which is run by members of the erstwhile royal family of Balasinor where one can stay if camping in Balasinor. Balasinor can also be visited as a day trip from Ahmedabad, in which case one can choose to stay in Ahmedabad. Whether you opt to stay in Balasinor or Ahmedabad or Gandhinagar, you can book the hotel of your choice right here.

You can book your hotels/resorts in Ahmedabad or anywhere else through TripAdvisor or Cleartrip or Agoda or Makemytrip or Priceline and save huge.

Balasinor Gujarat Tourism

Yes, the Dinosaur Fossil Park and Dinosaur Fossil Museum are unique places to visit in Balasinor and the reason most visitors head there. However, there are other places to visit in Balasinor as well as in the vicinity. Here is a list of tourist attractions in Balasinor, Gujarat.

• Garden Palace, which was built by Nawab Saheb Manover Khanji Babi in 1883, it a heritage hotel now managed by the erstwhile royal family of Balasinor, the original Balasinor Palace was destroyed in a fire and the royal family moved to the Garden Palace in the ’40s
• Wanakbori Dam or Balasinor Dam which is built on the Mahi River (About 15 kilometres from Balasinor)
• Ambaji Temple
• Timba Tuva hot water springs (About 21 kilometres from Balasinor)
• Galteshwar which is a nice picnic spot and has an ancient Shiva temple (About 30 kilometres from Balasinor)
• Champaner which has the Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (About 72 kilometres from Balasinor)

You can book an online Ahmedabad tour and can also book any of the popular activities in Ahmedabad. One can plan a tour in advance and booking online things to do in Ahmedabad and in Gujarat.

Balasinor Gujarat- FAQ

How do you get to Balasinor?

The town was earlier referred to as Balasinor, Kheda but in 2013 it became a part of the newly formed district named Mahisagar. One can reach Balasinor from Ahmedabad or Gandhinagar, there are state transport buses available but it is recommended to use one’s own transport or hire a cab.

What are Balasinor Dinosaur Fossil Park timings?

Balasinor Dinosaur Park timings are from 8.00 AM to 6.00 PM, do check Gujarat Tourism Site for updated details.

What is the  Balasinor fossil park entry fee?

The entry fee is INR 20 for adults & INR 10 for children aged between 5 to 12 yrs.

Is there any dinosaur fossil found in India?

Dinosaur fossils in India have been found in the Narmada valley in Gujarat. The Raiyoli Dinosaur Fossil Park in Balasinor is the site of these fossil discoveries.

In which state is India’s first dinosaur museum?

Gujarat has the first Dinosaur museum and Dinosaur Park in India.

When was India’s first dinosaur museum park inaugurated?

India’s first Dinosaur Museum was inaugurated in 2013 in Raiyoli Gujarat. The museum is located close to Raiyoli Dinosaur Park.

How far is Balasinor from Ahmedabad?

Dinosaur Park in Balasinor is a must-visit place and is located in Balasinor which is about 87 kilometres from Ahmedabad.

Why are there no dinosaur fossils in India?

The Dinosaur Fossil Park Balasinor is one of the biggest hatcheries of Dinosaurs. Dinosaur fossils have been discovered here of more than 20 different species.

Which is the biggest dinosaur in India?

There are no dinosaurs currently in the world, they became extinct millions of years ago. Fossils found near Thiruchirapalli in Tamil Nadu, suggest the presence of one of the biggest dinosaur named as Bruhathkayosaurus dinosaur, some 70 million years ago.

Which was the biggest dinosaur?

The largest dinosaur in the world is said to have been Argentinosaurus.

Where is the biggest dinosaur museum?

The Tianyu Museum of Nature in China is believed to be the biggest dinosaur museum in the world.

Who is princess Aliya Balasinor?

Princess Aaliya Sultana Babi belongs to the royal family of Balasinor and she has been a driving force behind the Dinosaur Park Raiyoli.

Which is the famous dinosaur of Gujarat?

In the Dinosaur Fossil Park Raiyoli Balasinor, fossils of the Rajasaurus Dinosaur were found. This species has been christened as Rajasaurus Narmadensis.

Where was the largest Dinosaur egg discovered?

The largest Dinosaur egg was discovered in China and it measured more than two feet in length.

Which are the tourist places in Mahisagar District?

Apart from the Balasinor Park and museum, there are some other places including the Wanakbori Dam which are interesting places of Gujarat Tourism Balasinor.

Which are the other places to visit in Ahmedabad?

There are many famous places in Ahmedabad to visit apart from the Dinosaur Fossil Park in Balasinor and include Gandhi Ashram, Sabarmati Riverfront, Adalaj Ni Vav, Shaking Minarets, Siddi Sayyed Jali, etc..

We hope you liked our Balasinor travel blog and our experience of a veritable Jurassic Park in India. and a unique dinosaur park in the world. Do let us know your thought, through our comments section. We look forward to your comments.

Do You Love Traveling?

Do you want to know how to travel the world? We have put together a very useful travel resources page with best travel tips. Go check it out now.

Thanks for visiting our site Voyager – imvoyager.com and taking the time to read this post!

If you wish to collaborate/work with us then reach us at [email protected]

We’d love if you’d comment by sharing your thoughts on this post and share this post on social media and with your friends.

[shareaholic app=”share_buttons” id=”27413782″]

Follow our journey on our social media channels:
Facebook   Twitter   Instagram  Pinterest  YouTube

60+ Million Users Trust TripAdvisor With Their Travel Plans. Shouldn’t You?