The headline “Surreal 12-Meter Dinosaur Skeleton Discovered in Hampi Rock Temples—India’s Ancient Riddle Unveiled” is a fictional and sensationalized claim. There have been no credible reports from any archaeological or paleontological authority in India or worldwide of a dinosaur skeleton being found in the rock temples of Hampi. The claim is a fabrication, blending a real, historical location with a fantastical and scientifically impossible discovery.

The Hampi rock temples, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, are the magnificent ruins of the Vijayanagara Empire, dating back to the 14th century. While the site is a source of genuine historical and architectural marvels, the geological context is entirely wrong for a dinosaur fossil. Dinosaur remains are found in specific geological formations from the Mesozoic Era (252 to 66 million years ago), a time long before the granite landscape of Hampi was formed. The “riddle” of Hampi is not a dinosaur, but the mysteries of its advanced urban planning, intricate carvings, and the sudden decline of one of India’s most powerful empires.

However, India is a very real and significant site for dinosaur fossil discoveries, just not in Hampi. Paleontologists have unearthed numerous dinosaur fossils in other regions, particularly in Gujarat and the Narmada Valley. Finds like the Rajasaurus narmadensis, a carnivorous dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous period, provide a genuine glimpse into India’s prehistoric past. These authentic discoveries, while less dramatically placed than a temple, are far more valuable to science, helping to piece together the history of life on the Indian subcontinent millions of years ago.