The biggest dinosaur hatchery is in India: Scared 'kuldevta' stones identified as 70 million years old fossilised dinosaur eggs

Indian traditions have been centered around prayers and religious devotion for centuries, but what if some of these practices turn out to be completely contrary to what they were believed to be?A similar incident happened in the heart of Madhya Pradesh, where a well-preserved, curious tradition practiced for generations turned out to be surprisingly opposite to the very basis of the practice.In Padlya village of Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district, families like Mandaloi have worshipped smooth, palm-sized stones for generations. Known locally as “Kakar Bhairav”, meaning a name combining “Kakar” or land and “Bhairav” or lord, these unique tokens were believed to be kuldevta, or protective spirits, safeguarding farms and cattle from misfortune.According to a TOI report, the belief was upended when paleontologists from the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Lucknow, paid a field visit to the village. They revealed that these revered “stone balls” are, in fact, fossilized dinosaur eggs, specifically belonging to titanosaurs, massive sauropod dinosaurs that lived during the Late Cretaceous.The Narmada Valley has been documented as an extensive dinosaur nesting ground. A 2023 study published in PLOS.one found around 92 nests containing 256 titanosaur eggs across Dhar district’s Lameta Formation, telling about colonial nesting behavior and complex reproductive biology, including multi-shelled and “egg‑within‑egg” pathologies. These discoveries place central India among the world’s most important dinosaur hatcheries.According to the TOI report, local villagers like Vesta Mandaloi were taken by surprise, as the object of their worship turned out to be parts of an ancient, prehistoric legacy. Traditions like placing offerings such as coconuts and even goats in their reverence are now seen through a new perspective; the stone balls were not divine items, but remnants of creatures from 70 million years ago.Research around dinosaur nests and fossilized eggs has given scientists a deeper understanding of how long-necked sauropods lived in the Narmada Valley more than 66 million years ago.Speaking to news agency PTI, researcher from the study, Vishal Verma, explained, “The eggs were found from the estuary formed at a place where the Tethys Sea merged with the Narmada when Seychelles had broken away from the Indian plate. The separation of Seychelles had led to the incursion of the Tethys Sea 400 km inside the Narmada Valley.”According to the research team, this is the first time ever that a multi-shell egg of a reptile has been discovered anywhere in the world. They believe this rare find could help scientists better understand the connection between birds and reptiles, especially when it comes to how they build their nests and lay eggs.These titanosaur eggs date to the Maastrichtian age of the Lameta Formation, a Late Cretaceous sedimentary layer found across Madhya Pradesh and beyond, known for preserving dinosaur remains beneath ancient lava from the Deccan Traps.