The Ramgarh crater has been recognized as the 200th crater of the World Geo-Heritage. (Photo: Wikipedia/ChetanKJain)
Ramgarh Crater will be developed as a tourist attraction at a cost of Rs 57.22 crore and work has already begun. This includes beautification of the crater lake, infrastructure development and other decorative work around the site.
The Ramgarh crater in the Baran district of Rajasthan, believed to have been formed 600 million years ago, will soon be transformed into a geotourism attraction, according to officials. It is the country’s third and first crater. The other two are the lunar crater in Maharashtra and the Dhala crater in Madhya Pradesh. After the plan is implemented, the Rajasthan tourism department expects 30,000 to 40,000 tourists to visit the site annually, the officials said. The site will be developed as a tourist attraction at a cost of Rs 57.22 crore and work has already begun. This includes beautification of the crater lake, infrastructure development and other decorative work around the site, they said.
The Tourism Department is constructing a high-quality road, an information center, a knowledge center and a cafeteria, officials said. Landscaping of gardens and green area, construction of a ghat, erection of entrance gate and signage, and drip irrigation have been proposed, they said. “In the coming days, Ramgarh Crater will become a favorite tourist destination in the country and the department is committed to promoting geology tourism,” said Rashmi Sharma, director of the Tourism Department.
The site symbolizes harmony between geology, archeology and history. The Ramgarh area has also been declared a conservation area by the Forest Department, she said. According to the officials, tourism, forestry and public works work shoulder to shoulder to develop this area. Satish Tripathi, general secretary of The Society of Earth Scientists said that the crater, 12 km from Mangrol tehsil in Baran district, was discovered in 1869. It is believed that this crater, which has a diameter of 3.5 km, was formed after a meteorite fell from space 600 million years ago. The Ramgarh crater has been recognized as the 200th crater of the World Geo-Heritage. The fact that a meteorite fell here has been scientifically established because the energy produced by the meteorite’s impact melts the sand and becomes glass, Tripathi said.
Above normal amounts of iron, nickel and cobalt have been found in the crater. Many asteroids also contain these elements in high amounts, he said. Deputy Director of Tourism Daleep Singh Rathore said a 10th-century Khajuraho-style Shiva temple sits on the rim of the Ramgarh crater and is known as ‘Mini Khajuraho’. There are two lakes in this structure which are the natural habitat of many migratory birds. A 950-year-old Devi temple along with a group of very old temples and Kelpuri Samadhi Sthal is also located here, he said. Chital deer and wild boar can also be found here, he said, adding that all the essential elements of a tourist attraction are present in this area.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and was published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)