India’s very own ‘Jurassic Park’, the Balasinor Fossil Park, lies nestled in the tiny Raiyoli village of Gujarat’s Khera district.

And guarding the park’s 65-million-year-old eggs is a fiercely passionate, dinosaur-loving princess — Aaliya Sultana Babi, dubbed the ‘Dinosaur Princess’ by the locals.

It was in the winter of 1981 when scientists from the Geological Survey of India (GSI) accidentally discovered fossils in the sedimentary rocks of Raiyoli village.

The geologists had been conducting a mineral survey when they found some unusual stones the size of large fruits. Lab testing later determined that the findings were dinosaur eggs and bones.

Since then, researchers have uncovered fossils of about 1,000 dinosaur eggs, belonging to at least seven species of dinosaurs, making Raiyoli the third-largest dinosaur hatchery in the world.

Over the next few years, palaeontologists collected hundreds of bones for research from Balasinor and neighbouring areas of the Narmada River Valley.

However, Aaliya’s first brush with the fossils took place only after she finished boarding school and came back to Balasinor in 1997.

Fascinated by what she saw, Aaliya (a fan of the Jurassic Park movie) soon became interested in the region’s prehistory.

Aaliya would accompany the expert palaeontologists on their research trips to the fossil reserve and learn all about the ancient 30-ft tall reptiles that once walked her neighbourhood.

She learnt to identify their fossilised parts lying embedded in the rocks, conducted exhaustive self-studies on the dinosaurs, and even contemplated pursuing a degree.

Over time, her passion for this rare historical site turned into a lifelong interest in dinosaurs.

When the significance of the park was first made public, villagers started decamping it with valuable rocks and fossils.

It became a challenging task to educate and garner the cooperation of the locals in preserving the long-neglected site.

That’s when Aaliya became a fierce crusader for the park’s protection — spending long hours outdoors to personally shoo away grazing cattle, stop villagers from plucking out fossils, and even prevent random tourists from carrying away precious pieces as souvenirs.

Thanks to her efforts, the Gujarat Government finally recognised the importance of preserving the site.

Today, the local villagers, too, understand the significance of the site and quickly inform the palace authorities if poachers are found trespassing.

Personally trained by Aaliya, they even act as guides for the visitors coming to the hotel now.

A gold mine for those interested in experiencing a slice of primaeval history, Balasinor’s Fossil Park is the world’s only site where tourists can touch actual dinosaur remains, hold fossils in their hands, and be awed by a ‘Dinosaur Princess’!