What villagers in Padlya once worshipped as sacred “kuldevta” stones have now been revealed as something far more ancient 70-million-year-old fossilised dinosaur eggs. The discovery, confirmed by scientists from the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Lucknow has placed central India on the global map as one of the largest dinosaur hatcheries ever found.
For generations families like the Mandaloi clan revered the smooth, palm-sized stones as “Kakar Bhairav,” believed to protect farmland and cattle. Rituals involved offerings of coconuts and even goats. But the tradition took a scientific turn when researchers identified the objects as titanosaur eggs – relics of long-necked sauropod dinosaurs from the Late Cretaceous period.
Ancient Valley Reveals Prehistoric Life
The Narmada Valley has long been recognised as a hotspot for dinosaur fossils. A 2023 study published in PLOS One documented 92 nests containing 256 titanosaur eggs across Dhar’s Lameta Formation, shedding light on complex nesting behaviour. Scientists observed unusual patterns, including “egg-within-egg” formations and multi-shelled specimens, discoveries that offer fresh clues about dinosaur reproduction.
Locals expressed shock at the revelation. “We always treated them as divine gifts. To know they belonged to creatures that lived 70 million years ago is astonishing,” said Vesta Mandaloi, a villager from Padlya.
Rare Discovery With Global Significance
According to researcher Vishal Verma, the eggs were preserved in an ancient estuary where the Tethys Sea once extended deep into the Narmada Valley after Seychelles drifted away from the Indian plate. He noted this is the world’s first discovery of a reptile’s multi-shelled egg, a rare find that could reshape scientific understanding of the evolutionary link between reptiles and birds.
These fossils belong to the Maastrichtian age of the Lameta Formation, buried under layers of volcanic rock from the Deccan Traps. Experts believe the discovery is not only a milestone for paleontology but also a reminder of how cultural traditions sometimes unknowingly preserve pieces of Earth’s distant past.