About 50,000 years ago, out in space part of an asteroid or comet dislodged itself from a larger mass and hurtled towords Earth at hyper velocity. As it entered the atmosphere the susequent friction turned it into a giant fireball burning off most of its mass but leaving enough to make a crater a kilometer across and about 250 m deep.
This crater then filled up with water to form what we know today as the Lonar Crater lake.
The Lonar Crater lake is the only meteorite impact crater to have formed in basaltic rock and owing to its origin, the lake’s water is saline and highly alkaline in nature. This also means that its home to some of the most unique flora and fauna in the country, a fact that’s brought scientists from all over the world here to study its characteristics .
Mythology has alo woven itself around the origins of the lake and a number of temples dot the periphery of the crater. Despite being number one of the most geologically important feature in india, the lake is surrently in danger of being contaminated by the the pesticides and fertilizers used by farmers in the area, destroying its unique eco system.