Nature · Namchi
Billion-year-old rocks at Mamley
A short stop above Namchi to see stromatolite-bearing dolomite of the Buxa Formation, some of the oldest traces of life in the Sikkim Himalaya, protected as a National Geological Monument. Ten minutes from the Rock Garden and easy to add to the Samdruptse drive.
Photo: Sanjibroy56 · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Most people drive past Mamley on the way to Samdruptse without knowing it is there. The Geological Survey of India has declared the stromatolite-bearing dolomites at Mamley a National Geological Monument. Stromatolites are layered structures built up by mats of microbes in shallow ancient seas, and these date to the Proterozoic, well over half a billion years ago.
On the rock you see fine wavy layers and domes, like a sliced cabbage, in pale grey and cream. A small park with signboards explains the formation. It is a real-world geology lesson for children and a reminder that the Himalaya is built partly from old sea floor pushed up by the collision of India with Asia.
Allow about an hour including the drive from Namchi. Please do not chip or carry away samples: the site is protected. Combine it with the Rock Garden and Samdruptse in one morning. Wear shoes with grip, as the rocks can be slippery after rain.
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Questions travellers ask
Before you book
What exactly is a stromatolite?
A stromatolite is a layered rock built up over long periods by microbial mats, mainly cyanobacteria, trapping sediment in shallow water. They are among the oldest evidence of life on Earth. At Mamley they sit in dolomite of the Buxa Formation, from the Proterozoic eon.
Where is the Mamley site?
Mamley is just above Namchi on the road towards Samdruptse, close to the Rock Garden. Most Namchi taxi drivers know it as the stromatolite park. It takes about 10–15 minutes from Central Park by car. Ask your driver to stop on the way up to Samdruptse.
Is there an entry fee at Mamley?
We have not seen a fee charged at the time of writing, but rules for protected sites change. Check current status before you travel. Respect the fencing and signboards, and do not remove rock: it is a protected national geological monument.
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