Dholavira Fossil Park

Dholavira Fossil Park is a protected natural site located on Khadir Bet island near Dholavira village in Kutch district, Gujarat. It preserves fossilized wood trunks dating to the Jurassic period, approximately 150 million years ago. Situated in the arid landscape of the Rann of Kutch near the Dholavira Harappan archaeological site, the park displays petrified wood in situ and is managed by the Gujarat Forest Department for education and conservation.

Visitors can expect an open-air desert site with scattered petrified wood fossils and tree trunks preserved in place, set against the barren, arid terrain of Khadir Bet in the Rann of Kutch. The park features fenced enclosures, information boards explaining the Jurassic-era fossils, and walking paths between exhibits. The surroundings are stark and remote, with little shade, offering a quiet educational experience often combined with a visit to the nearby Dholavira Harappan site.

The park preserves wood fossils from the Jurassic period, about 150-170 million years ago, when the Kutch region was a coastal forest. The petrified wood was formed through silicification and later exposed in the arid Rann landscape. Protected by the Gujarat Forest Department, it provides evidence of ancient flora and the geological history of the Kutch basin.

While primarily of geological and natural importance, the park complements the cultural heritage of Dholavira, a UNESCO World Heritage Harappan site, highlighting the long natural history of the region alongside its archaeological significance.