600 Millions Year Old Ramgarh Crater: A Window into Earth's Geological History

Ramgarh crater, also called Ramgarh structure or Ramgarh Dome, is a big hole in the ground caused by a meteor hitting the Earth and was discovered in 1869. It is about 3.5 kms wide and can be found in the Kota plateau of the Vindhya range in Rajasthan, India. The crater is near a village called Ramgarh in the Baran district. Officially recognized as the third crater in India, its size would be somewhere in between the two already known craters in India. One is in Dhala, Madhya Pradesh, and it’s about 14 kilometers wide. The other one is in Buldhana district of Maharashtra, called Lonar, and it’s about 1.8 kilometers wide.

Things to be found around Ramgarh Crater

According to Deputy Director of Tourism Daleep Singh Rathore, there is a Shiva temple near the Ramgarh crater that was built around the 10th century. It looks similar to the famous Khajuraho temples. Inside the crater, there are two lakes where many birds that migrate live. There is also a 950-year-old temple dedicated to Devi, as well as a group of ancient temples and a special place called Kelpuri Samadhi Sthal. In this area, you can also find chital deer and wild boars. It has everything that makes it a great place for tourists to visit.

Ramgarh Crater Soon to be a Geo-Tourism Destination

After making the first two meteor craters in Lonar town in Maharashtra and Dhala village in Madhya Pradesh into geo-tourism destinations, India is now planning to make another one in Rajasthan. The Ramgarh crater in the Baran district will be developed by the Rajasthan Tourism Board and become a popular place for people to visit.

The Rajasthan Tourism Department is working on making the place a popular tourist spot. They plan to spend around 57 crore rupees on different things like improving the roads, building a center to learn and get information, creating a cafeteria, making beautiful gardens, constructing steps near the lake, putting up signs, building an entrance gate, and using a special watering system. All of these things will make the place more enjoyable for visitors. Once the plan is put into action, the Rajasthan Tourism Department hopes that between 30,000 and 40,000 tourists will come to visit the site each year.

Amazing Facts about Ramgarh Crater

Ramgarh Crater is a special place that combines geology, archaeology, and history and has been designated as a reserve conservation area by the Forest Department..
It was discovered in 1869, and it is located about 12 km from Mangrol tehsil in Baran district.
The crater was formed 600 million years ago when a meteorite from space hit the Earth.
The crater is very big, with a diameter of 3.5 km, and it is the 200th crater on the World Geo-Heritage register.
It is scientifically established that the crater is a meteor impacted region because the energy produced in impact has melted the sand and turned it into glass and also, the crater has higher amounts of iron, nickel, and cobalt, which are elements found in asteroids.
There is a beautiful Shiva temple called ‘Mini Khajuraho’ from the 10th century near the crater.
The temple has two lakes where many different kinds of birds live.
There is also an old Devi temple, a group of ancient temples, and the Kelpuri Samadhi Sthal.
The area is home to animals like Chital deer and wild boars.
The Ramgarh Crater has the potential to become a popular tourist destination.

Ramgarh Crater : FAQs

Where is Ramgarh crater?

The Ramgarh crater is near a village called Ramgarh in the Baran district in Rajasthan

Where is the biggest meteor crater on Earth?

The Vredefort crater in South Africa is the biggest meteor crater on Earth, roughly about 160 km (99 miles) wide.

Which is the largest impact crater in India?

The largest impact crater on Earth is the Vredefort crater in South Africa. It is 160 km (99 miles) wide and likely to be created about 2 billion years ago.

How was Ramgarh crater formed?

The Ramgarh crater was formed 600 million years ago when a meteorite from space hit the Earth

Which is the oldest crater in India?

Dhala crater in Maharashtra is the oldest crater in India which is estimated to have been formed around 2500 millions years ago.

What is the largest crater on Earth today?

The Vredefort crater in South Africa is the largest crater on Earth today, estimated to be about 160 km (99 miles) wide.

What crater killed the dinosaurs?

The Chicxulub crater killed the dinosaurs about 66 million years ago. A space rock about 10 kms (6 miles) wide hit the Earth at the coast of the Gulf of Mexico.

What are the 2 largest craters on Earth?

The Vredefort crater in South Africa and the Chicxulub crater in Mexico are the 2 largest craters on Earth.

What asteroid killed the dinosaurs?

The Chicxulub impactor killed the dinosaurs about 66 million years ago.

Which is India’s only meteorite lake?

Lonar Lake is India’s meteorite lake.

Which crater is named after Indian?

The Joshee crater, the Jhirad crater and Medhavi crater are three craters named after Indian women, Anandi Gopal Joshi, Jerusha Jhirad and Ramabai Medhavi respectively.

How big is the crater of Ramgarh?

The Ramgarh crater is about 3.5 kms (2.2 miles) wide.

Has an asteroid hit India?

Yes, asteroids hit India. The three well known meteor craters are Lonar Crater, Dhala Crater and Ramgarh Crater.

How big is the Shiva crater?

The Shiva crater represents a 500 km crater impact.

Which is the largest crater lake in India?

Lonar Lake in Maharashtra is the largest crater lake in India.

How many asteroids have hit Earth?

The exact number of asteroid impacts is challenging to determine. Experts estimate that between 10-15 meteorites fall every day on Earth.

What is the oldest visible crater on Earth?

The Vredefort crater in South Africa is the oldest and biggest crater on Earth.

What is the biggest asteroid?

Ceres is the biggest asteroid in our solar system. It is about 25% the size of the moon and it travels around the sun in a place called the asteroid belt, located between Mars and Jupiter.

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