Pollen in Chhattisgarh's Raja Rani Lake reveals stronger monsoon during Medieval Climate Anomaly
Scientists of the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Lucknow found evidence of an unusually strong Indian Summer Monsoon between about 1,060 and 1,725 CE in pollen preserved in Raja Rani Lake, Korba district, Chhattisgarh, the Science Ministry said on 12 January 2026.
Summary
Raja Rani Lake in Korba district, Chhattisgarh, holds evidence of an unusually strong Indian Summer Monsoon in central India between about 1,060 and 1,725 CE, according to a study by the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP), Lucknow, released by the Science Ministry on 12 January 2026. Researchers studied pollen grains in a 40-cm sediment core covering about 2,500 years, using palynology to reconstruct past vegetation and climate. Dominance of moist and dry tropical deciduous forest species pointed to strong rainfall and a warm, humid climate, which the scientists linked to the global warm phase known as the Medieval Climate Anomaly. The lake lies in India's Core Monsoon Zone, where the monsoon brings about 89â90% of rainfall.
Key facts
- Site
- Raja Rani Lake, Korba district, Chhattisgarh (Core Monsoon Zone)
- Institute
- Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Lucknow (DST)
- Method
- Palynology on a 40-cm sediment core (~2,500 years)
- Finding
- Strong Indian Summer Monsoon, ~1,060â1,725 CE
- Linked phase
- Medieval Climate Anomaly
- Vegetation signal
- Moist and dry tropical deciduous forests dominant
Practice MCQs 2 questions
Raja Rani Lake, where BSIP scientists found pollen evidence of a stronger past monsoon (January 2026), is in which district?
Show answer
Correct answer: C â Korba, Chhattisgarh
PIB (Science & Technology): the lake is in Korba district, Chhattisgarh, in India's Core Monsoon Zone.
The BSIP study of Raja Rani Lake (January 2026) linked a strong Indian Summer Monsoon to which global warm phase?
Show answer
Correct answer: D â Medieval Climate Anomaly
PIB (Science & Technology): the scientists traced the strong monsoon to the Medieval Climate Anomaly, roughly 1,060â1,725 CE.