National Geological Monuments of India

National Geological Monuments are geographical areas of national importance and heritage, as notified by the Government of India's Geological Survey of India (GSI), for their maintenance, protection, promotion and enhancement of geotourism.[1][2][3]

Natural stone arch in Tirumala.

List of National Geological Monuments

There are 34 notified National Geological Heritage Monument Sites of India. GSI or the respective State governments are responsible for taking necessary measures to protect these sites.[2][3]

List of Geological Heritage Sites / National Geological Monuments of India
No.ImageGeo-Heritage siteLocationDistrictStateGeotourism CategoryReference
1Volcanogenic bedded BarytesMangampetaKadapa districtAndhra PradeshEcoGeo Monuments[2]
2 Tirupati Eparchaean Unconformityin the steep natural slopes, road scars and ravines on the Tirupati-Tirumala Ghat roadChittoor districtAndhra PradeshStratigraphy Monuments[2]
3
Tirumala Natural Geological ArchTirumala HillsChittoor districtAndhra PradeshGeological Marvels[2]
4 Erra Matti Dibbaluthe dissected and stabilized coastal red sediment mounds located between Vishakhapatnam and BheemunipatnamVisakhapatnam districtAndhra PradeshGeological Marvels[2]
5 Angadipuram Lateritenear Angadipuram PWD rest house premisesMalappuram districtKeralaEcoGeo Monuments[2]
6 Varkala Cliff SectionVarkalaThiruvananthapuram districtKeralaGeological Marvels[2]
7 National Fossil Wood Park, Tiruvakkarainear Thiruvakkarai village, Vanur talukViluppuram districtTamil naduFossil Park[2]
8 National Fossil Wood Park, SathanurSathanurPerambalur district,Tamil naduFossil Park[2]
9 St. Thomas CharnockiteSt. Thomas Mount, ChennaiChennai districtTamil naduRock Monuments[2]
10Karai Badlands Formation Fossil ParkBadlands of Karai Formation with Cretaceous fossils along Karai – Kulakkalnattam SectionPerambalur districtTamil naduFossil Park[2]
11Eddy Current Marking - Sedimentary StructuresKadana DamMahisagar districtGujaratGeological Marvels[2]
12Sendra GranitePali districtRajasthanGeological Marvels[2]
13Barr ConglomeratePali districtRajasthanRock Monuments[2]
14Stromatolite Fossil ParkJharmar Kotra Rock Phosphate depositUdaipur districtRajasthanStromatolite Park[2]
15Gossan in Rajpura-Dariba Mineralised beltUdaipur districtRajasthanEcoGeo Monuments[2]
16Bhojunda Stromatolite ParkChittaurgarh districtRajasthanStromatolite Park[2]
17Akal Wood Fossil ParkJaisalmer districtRajasthanFossil Park[2]
18Kishangarh Nepheline SyeniteKishangarhAjmer districtRajasthanRock Monuments[2]
19Jodhpur Welded TuffJodhpur districtRajasthanRock Monuments[2]
20 Jodhpur Group – Malani Igneous Suite ContactJodhpur districtRajasthanStratigraphy Monuments[2]
21Great Boundary Fault at SaturBundi districtRajasthanStratigraphy Monuments[2]
22 Lonar LakeBuldhana districtMaharashtraGeological Marvels[2]
23Lower Permian Marine bed at Manendragarh (Marine Gondwana Fossil Park)Surguja districtChhattisgarhFossil Park[2]
24 Columnar Basaltic Lava of Coconut Island (St. Mary Island)St. Mary's IslandsUdupi districtKarnatakaRock Monuments[2]
25Pillow lavas near MardihalliChitradurga districtKarnatakaRock Monuments[2]
26 Peninsular Gneiss of LalbaghBangaloreBangalore Urban districtKarnatakaRock Monuments[2]
27Pyroclastics & Pillow lavas of Kolar Gold fieldsPeddapalliKolar districtKarnatakaRock Monuments[2]
28 Shivalik Fossil ParkSuketiSirmaur districtHimachal PradeshFossil Park[2]
29Pillow Lava in lron ore belt at NomiraKeonjhar districtOdishaRock Monuments[2]
30Plant Fossil bearing Inter-trappean beds of Rajmahal Formationupper Gondwana sequence around MandroSahibganj districtJharkhandFossil Park[2]
31Nagahill Ophiolite Sitenear PungroNagalandRock Monuments[2]
32Stromatolite bearing Dolomite / Limestone of Buxa Formation at MamleyNamchiSouth Sikkim districtSikkimStromatolite Park[2]
33 Ramgarh craterRamgarhBaran districtRajasthanGeological Marvels[4]
34Zawar lead-zinc mineZawarUdaipur districtRajasthan[4]

Geo-tourism sites in Northeast India

There are 12 geo-tourism sites in Northeast India notified by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) for promotion of geo-tourism.[5][6][7]

List of Geotourism Sites in Northeast India
No.ImageGeo-Heritage siteLocationDistrictStateGeotourism Category and reference
1 Mawmluh CaveCherrapunjiEast Khasi Hills districtMeghalayaGeo-tourism: Cave belongs to Meghalayan Age, which is a major abrupt climatic event with critical drought and cooling 4,200 years ago which was determined from a stalagmite from Mawmluh cave.[8] In the geologic time scale, the Meghalayan is the latest age or uppermost stage of the Quaternary.[9]
2Mawblei God’s RockEast Khasi Hills districtMeghalayaGeo-tourism: A megalith, Mahadek sandstone of Khasi group of cretaceous period, inclined at 45 degrees on a slope of a hill of Wahrashi River valley is a sacred site for Khasi people.[8]
3TherriaghatEast Khasi Hills districtMeghalayaGeo-tourism: Best-preserved and most complete Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary in India. Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event at the end of the Cretaceous period caused sudden extinction of the large vertebrates, plankton and many tropical invertebrates.[8]
4 MajuliMajuli islandMajuli districtAssamGeo-tourism: World's largest river island in Brahmaputra river has sacred Hindu Vaishnavite sampradaya's satra (kshetra or monasteries) set up by in 15th-16th century Srimanta Sankaradeva. The eco-region is conserved by the Srimanta Sankaradeva Sangha.[8]
5Umananda IslandBrahmaputra riverGuwahatiAssamGeo-tourism: islet is an inselberg made of rocks of Assam-Meghalaya gneissic complex.[8]
6 ChabimuraGomati districtTripuraGeo-tourism: 15th-16th century sacred Hindu site with rock carvings on a cliff of Gomti River with massive rock cut images of Shiva, Vishnu, Karthikeya, Durga and other Hindu deities highest of which is 20 ft.[8]
7 UnakotiUnakoti districtTripuraGeo-tourism: 7th-9th centuries rock-cut sculptures and Shaiva temples. Unakotiswara Kal Bhairava shiva statue is 30 feet tall.[8]
8 Sangestar TsoTawang districtArunachal PradeshGeo-tourism: Also called as Madhuri Lake, created by damming of river due to earthquake in 1950, is nestled in a lush valley midst of snowy mountain peaks and freezes in winter.[8]
9 Loktak LakeBishnupur districtManipurGeo-tourism: It is a phumdi (floating biomass) with phumsangs (tribal huts of fishermen) which is also the Keibul Lamjao National Park - world's only floating wildlife habitat on the southwestern part of lake.[8]
10 Reiek TlangAizawlMizoramGeo-tourism: It is a cuesta (a hill with a gentle slope on one side and a steep slope on the other) created by erosion of the tertiary sand shale alterations.[8]
11Nagahill Ophiolite SitePungroKiphire districtNagalandGeo-tourism:[8]
12 Mamley Stromatolite ParkNamchiSouth Sikkim districtSikkimGeo-tourism: Also called "Buxa Formation of Mamley", is Algal mat#StromatolitesStromatolite Algal mat with circular structures in the limestone of Proterozoic Buxa Formation microbiota microfossils of Ranjit Window is rare examples of early life on Earth in the Sikkim Himalayas.[8]

See also

References

External links