CHANDIGARH ( Y.S. RANA ) — To preserve and promote the fossil wealth of Himachal Himalayas he prepared 2020 calendar highlighting “Geo-heritage Fossil wealth of Himachal Himalayas” Calander has all the fossils from I Billion years old to almost 20 millions years ranging from the time of evolution of life in the form of Stromatolite s (the oldest living fossils -blue-green algae who are crediting for the oxygen we have today )to proliferation and diversification of angiosperms (the flowering plants) and mammals. The calendar was presented to JP Nadha Ji President BJP in a function in New Delhi who appreciated his efforts in the noble cause.
Rocks and Fossils have a wealth of history to unrevealing the geological past. Systematic exploration and preservation of these rocks and fossils is the key to understand not only the various geological processes leading to evolution and upliftment of Himalayas but also the environments and evolutionary processes leading to the present-day landforms and the life we see on this planet, Dr Ritesh Arya.
In absence of any geo-heritage law on fossils, most of these fossils sites are lost to ignorance of man and his activities like construction of roads building etc. Dr. Arya has taken the pain to preserve these fossils and worked to educate the youth politicians and tourists about our glorious geological past.
He started constructing a museum at Dhangiari near Dharampur where he plans to display his collection.
Dr. Ritesh Arya, Ph.D. and Guinness world record holder was on his first day in the geology department was motivated when the teacher told him that Medlicot in 1864 discovered few ill preserved fossil leaves from Kasauli which were identified by O Fiestmental as Palm leaves. Hailing from Kasauli Ritesh started hunting for fossils in the Kasauli Hills when he was doing his graduation from PU Chandigarh and as luck would have it by the time he completed his graduation he had the largest collection of fossils from Kasauli which included leaves, flowers, Trees, roots seeds insects, oldest Rhinocerous fossil and sharks whale and the material was sufficient for Ph.D. degree.
Dr. Ritesh Arya presented his findings in various National and International Seminars in India and abroad and published various research papers on them. EOM
