In a bid to attract tourists to Lonar crater, considered to be the third largest crater in the world, Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) is setting up an interpretation centre- cum-museum to let the people understand its significance.
MUMBAI: In a bid to attract tourists to Lonar crater, considered to be the third largest crater in the world, Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) is setting up an interpretation centre- cum-museum to let the people understand its significance.
The museum cum interpretation centre is likely to cost around Rs 3 crore, a senior official of MTDC said.
This crater situated in Buldhana district of Maharashtra is believed to have been formed nearly 50,000 years ago when a two million ton hyper velocity meteorite impacted the earth to create a depression 1.83 kms in diameter and 150 meters deep.
"We are planning to set up the museum which will give the tourist complete information about the meteorite impact craters with multimedia," Bhushan Gagrani the Managing director of MTDC said.
The museum will contain meteorite objects, rocks, pictures and other materials to promote this site as tourist destination.
Situated on the outskirts of Lonar town, this crater was first discovered in 1823 by J E Alexander and is written about in ancient scripts like the Skanda puran, Parma Puran and the Aina-I-Akbar.
MTDC already has put up a resort in the vicinity of the crater from where one can see its panaromic view and the beautiful eco system surrounding it.
The crater is a home to hundreds of peafowl, chinkara and gazelles, which browse among the shrubs and bushes ringing the lake. Other residents includes egrets, moor hens, herons, coots, white-necked storks, lapwings, gra wagtails, grebes, black droungos, green bee eaters, tailor-birds, mapgies and robins.
Lonar crater is an interesting place for the earth scientists to study how meteors scar the surface of the earth like surfaces of other crater dented planets such as Mars.
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