A 175-year Legacy etched in a stone

On the fourth day of March 185,a beginning was made

In Kolkata, British Geologist Thomas Oldham appeared

And started GSI to further the cherished dream

To find fuel for the rail engine, the big coal seam.

The torch further passed on to valiant hands

Medlicott, Holland, Pascoe, Fermor, Heron and West

Their work laid the astounding foundation at  its best

Bose,Krishnan,Roy,Sondhi and Jhingran continued

And the Geological knowledge since then has bloomed.

For 175 -years, foot soldiers treaded India’s most part

From snow clad rugged Himalayas to Thar desert

Aravallis,Vindhyans,Satpuras, Ghats in West and East

Deccan Plateau, Gangetic alluvium to sands of Coast

With hammer in hand, hitting hard every stone

That throws challenge to identify with a lens,so keen

The compass to locate in field where rock is perched

In a Geological map, the stone finds its characters etched.

From the deep ocean floors to far away skies so high

The Surveys and Exploration soar and reach the sky.

With photos, satellites, and Remote Sensing eyes

They map the earth and chart new search from skies.

From the gleaming Gold to sparkling Diamond

Base metals, Coal, Bauxite, and Iron all around

They hunt treasures hiding beneath the ground

And nation’s wealth grows with every new find.

Today, the Geologists venture far and wide,

For strategic, critical minerals they now stride

Lithium, Tantalum, Tin and Rare Earths grace

Nicke, Cobalt,Gallium,Selenium to trace.

For 175 years of brave, bold and daring quest

In search of minerals, they give their best.

Their toils, their triumphs, etched in every stone

A legacy of Geo Science shall continue to shine.

                        …..  Narayan  Gadagkar