A prehistoric forest, hidden beneath the earth for nearly 230 million years, is making a grand reappearance in Telangana. The state's heritage department is creating dedicated fossil galleries across its museums, driven by the remarkable discovery of four tonnes of ancient tree fossils near Mancherial.
Unearthing a Lost World
The massive haul of fossils, consisting largely of well-preserved leaves and tree stems, was excavated from the upper soil layers of the Bopparam forest area. This initiative is a collaborative effort between the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) and the state archaeology department. The fossils have been transported to Hyderabad, where they will become the centerpiece of a new gallery at the State Museum in Public Gardens.
The primary goal is to bring Telangana's deep geological history closer to the public, especially students. P Nagaraju, deputy director of the heritage department, explained the plan to distribute the findings. "With the support of Singareni Collieries, we are establishing dedicated galleries to help visitors grasp the significance of fossils," he said. "Some of these fossils will be displayed here, while the rest will be distributed across 13 state museums in various districts."
A Legacy of Prehistoric Discoveries
This recent find rekindles memories of a major paleontological breakthrough in the same region decades ago. Between 1974 and 1982, the Geological Survey of India (GSI) unearthed a spectacular 16-foot-high fossil in Vemanapalli mandal—a Jurassic-era specimen stretching over 14 meters. That historic excavation also yielded dinosaur bone fragments, tortoise remains, and animal footprints, cementing the area's status as a prehistoric treasure trove.
"These findings gave us a hint about the possibility of more non-human life, and we wanted to impart knowledge of non-human fossils to students, so we brought these four tonnes of fossils," Nagaraju added. The current collection is dominated by fossilized leaves and some tree stems. An intriguing addition to the cache is a fossilized snail, suggesting the existence of ancient aquatic or semi-aquatic ecosystems in the region.
Telangana's Dinosaur Heritage
The state's prehistoric significance extends beyond plant life. Earlier field studies covered areas like Jakkepalli, Lingala, and Metpalli in the erstwhile Adilabad district. In a separate discovery, scientists from the Indian Statistical Institute identified fossils of a dinosaur species, Barapasaurus tagorii, near Sironcha along the eastern bank of the Pranahita River.
Today, Hyderabad itself holds a piece of this dinosaur legacy. A composite skeleton of Kotasaurus Yamanpalliensis Yadagiri, named after Yamanapalli village and paleontologist Yadagiri, is on display at the Birla Science Centre. It offers a tangible glimpse into a world that predates humanity by hundreds of millions of years.
Looking ahead, the heritage department plans another round of scientific study in the Mancherial region. Nagaraju indicated that if further evidence is found, a full-scale excavation could be undertaken. For now, the focus remains on carefully studying and displaying the upper-layer fossils, turning museum spaces into portals to a distant past where giant reptiles roamed and ancient forests flourished.
