In a significant scientific breakthrough, Dr. Ritesh Arya, a renowned geologist from Kasauli, has discovered well-preserved stromatolite fossils in Jolajoran village near Chambaghat, Solan, Himachal Pradesh.
These layered rock formations, created by ancient cyanobacteria, are believed to be over 600 million years old and provide valuable insight into some of the earliest life forms on Earth.
“These fossils are living stone memoirs—constructed by Earth’s first life forms that oxygenated the atmosphere long before the existence of plants or animals,” Dr. Arya explained. “They are Earth’s original climate warriors and natural historians, preserving a story that began billions of years ago.”
Dr. Arya, former Director of the Geothermal Section at the International Sustainable Energy Organisation in Geneva, was featured in the Guinness Book of World Records in 2001 for drilling the highest artesian borewell for the Indian Army.
He described stromatolites as the oldest known biological structures, formed in shallow marine waters by microbial mats that trapped and bound sediments. The discovery in Chambaghat confirms that this region of the Himalayas was once part of the ancient seabed of the Tethys Sea, which separated India (then part of the supercontinent Gondwana comprising Australia, Africa, South America, and Antarctica) from Asia. These fossils provide crucial evidence of early Earth conditions, when greenhouse gases dominated the atmosphere and oxygen was scarce. “It took nearly two billion years for these organisms to oxygenate the planet’s atmosphere. No stromatolites, no oxygen,” Dr. Arya added.
Previously, Dr. Arya discovered and collected columnar and conical stromatolites from Chitrakoot, featured in the Discovery Channel’s Legends of Ramayan, and from Morni Hills in Haryana. However, the laminar stromatolites from Chambaghat are structurally unique, representing a different paleoenvironmental condition. All specimens are publicly displayed at the Tethys Fossil Museum in Solan.
“Finding these stromatolites in Solan highlights Himachal Pradesh’s deep geological heritage, deserving both scientific study and conservation,” Dr. Arya emphasised.
The discovery has garnered support from experts. Dr. Jagmohan, former Chief General Manager at ONGC, remarked, “The Chambaghat stromatolites transport us back to when Earth was just beginning to support life. It’s a monumental addition to India’s geoheritage.”
Prof. Vinod Tewari, a prominent stromatolite expert and former senior scientist at the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun, added, “The Chambaghat site could become an important landmark on the global geological map, encouraging international research collaborations in Earth sciences.”
Dr. Arya plans to write to the Deputy Commissioner and District Tourism Officer of Solan to declare the Chambaghat site a state Geoheritage location. He believes this designation will boost fossil conservation, scientific research, and geotourism in the region.
“This is not just about fossils. It’s about restoring pride in India’s ancient past. We need to protect these silent storytellers before they’re lost to bulldozers and ignorance," he said.
While fossils from Chambaghat have been previously reported by institutions such as the Geological Survey of India, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, and Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, India currently has only three recognized fossil parks—in Jaisalmer (Rajasthan), the Vindhyan region near Mirzapur (Uttar Pradesh), and one under development in Sikkim.
Dr. Arya insists that the Chambaghat stromatolite site deserves similar recognition, given its national significance and global scientific value.
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