Ashmadha Fossil Museum:
Ashmadha Fossil Park, located approximately 80-km away from Indore, is the perfect place for history buffs to enjoy their weekend. The fossilised remains of flora and fauna from 6.5 crore years ago at this park, have attracted several paleontologists from across the globe and, if you are looking for a getaway that's going to land you in ancient times, this is the place to be at! A weekend getaway to this fossil park will guarantee you an experience equivalent to watching the T-Rex roar on the silver screen.
Ashmadha Fossil Park is located on the Dhar-Mandav road, near Resort Shivani. As per online sources, it is open from around 9.15 AM to 5 PM, seven days a week. In light of events highlighting damage to fossils and museum property, it is suggested that you handle everything that has a connection with natural history with extreme care during your visit.
This fossil park in MP, houses the only human fossil found in Asia, a 5 lakh-year-old fossil of Homo Erectus (predecessor of Homo Sapiens). It is believed that this fossil can help in understanding the evolution and migration pattern of humans thereby, putting several assumptions to rest.Priceless plants, animals, and marine remains predating even the Jurassic era abound in the Manawar and Gandhwani Tehsils of the district. These exquisite and rare fossils have attracted repeated expeditions of paleontologist from across the globe. At the initiative of the district administration, this unique museum has been set up in the picturesque fringe of the Kakrakhoh falls close to Mandu. Ashmadha, literally means- ““seated in stone““. The Museum has been opened for public recently.
Ghughwa Fossil Park:
Ghughua Fossil Park is a National Park, located near Shahpura in Madhya Pradesh, India, in which plant fossils belonging to 31 genera of 18 families have been identified. Ghughwa National fossils Park is situated 70km from Dindori in village Ghughwa. It is nestled in an area of 75 acres of land where attractive and rare fossils of leaves and trees are waiting to be explored. This National Park has plants in fossil form that existed in India anywhere between 40 million and 150 million years ago. Petrified trunks of trees have been identified as gymnosperms and Angiosperms Monocotyledons and palms. There are certain Bryophytes also. Depending on the age in which the Pangaea split into Laurasia and Gondwana land occurred, the fossils belong to either Jurassic or Cretaceous Age. The Ghughua/Ghughwa Fossil National Park in Dindori district of Madhya Pradesh is a unique destination in India. It has been blessed with priceless treasure of plant fossils which have been dated 65 million years old. It is believed to be of time Gondwana Supercontinent. It lies on tourism route of Bandhavgarh to Kanha national park or vice versa. While traveling from Kanha to Bandhavgarh or vice versa, tourists often take small halt here to visit Ghughua fossil park. These fossils were founded in year 1970 and Ghughua Fossil National Park was declared in year 1983. Here well preserved fossils of woody plants, climbers, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds have been showcased with informative notes. Dicotyledons and palm fossil woods are particularly numerous. Such plants are not found in Central India.
Nearest Airport is Dumna Airport, Jabalpur. Nearest Railway Station is Jabalpur Railway Junction. 15 km detour from Shahpura, on Jabalpur-Amarkantak Road