SHIMLA: Is Himachal’s soil truly the cradle of the Earth’s earliest life?
That’s the explosive claim made by geologist Dr Ritesh Arya from Kasauli, who says he’s discovered the world’s oldest stromatolite fossils — dating back over 600 million years — in Jolajoran village near Chambaghat, Solan.
The fossils, now featured in the Guinness Book of World Records, are being hailed by Arya as evidence that the Tethys Sea once flowed through present-day Himachal, making it part of Earth’s earliest seabed where microbial life began crafting oxygen — the fuel of all future life.
But as Arya basks in the limelight, the bigger question looms — is this truly the oldest trace of life on Earth, or a premature claim still waiting to pass the test of global scientific scrutiny?
Dr Arya told media that he has submitted the findings to an international scientific jury that independently verifies such geo-discoveries.
Only after rigorous protocol-based dating will the claim gain universal scientific acceptance.
“Back when Earth’s air was toxic and oxygen didn’t exist, these stromatolites were quietly laying the foundation of life.
If not for them, we wouldn’t be breathing today,” said Arya. He believes the Chambaghat fossils show a distinct layering pattern, unlike others he found earlier in Koti (Dharampur), Chitrakoot, and Haryana’s Morni Hills — hinting at different ancient marine conditions.
However, senior geologists and experts are treading with cautious optimism. ONGC GM Dr Jagmohan Singh and Panjab University’s former geology head agree the fossils are scientifically important and conservation-worthy — but stop short of giving a blanket endorsement without further analysis.
Meanwhile, Arya is pushing authorities to declare the site a State Fossil Heritage Site, arguing that it will boost geo-tourism, education, and scientific pride in the region.
“Himachal’s soil may be hiding the ancient script of life itself,” says Arya. But for now, the verdict rests with the scientific jury — and until then, the discovery walks the fine line between historic and hyped.
