PART 3.] 
Blanford: Geology of Bombay Presidency. 
85 
SUBMETAMORPHICS—CHAMPANIB BEDS. 
The classification of such Indian rocks as are distinguished from the gneiss and its 
associated formations by partial or total absence of metamorphism, and yet are of greater age 
than the Viudhyan series, is extremely imperfect. It is uncertain how far the various local 
groups represent each other, and to what extent any or all of them are the less altered 
of the true metamorpkic rocks. 
The only known occurrence of these submetamorphic rocks within the Bombay area is 
near the ruined town of Champanir at the foot of Pawagark hill, east of Baroda. These 
beds occupy an area stretching for about twenty miles east from tho hill (which is of trap) and 
for a considerable but unknown distance to the north. The principal constituent formations 
are quartzites or rocks intermediate between quartzite and sandstone conglomerates : slates 
and limestones also occur in considerable quantities, and ferruginous bands, some of them 
chiefly consisting of magnetic iron ore, occasionally. The limestone is sometimes quite un¬ 
altered, but in places it is highly crystalline, and at one spot near tho village of Kadwal, it 
contains fine crystals of actinolito. The most characteristic beds arc perhaps the conglomerates, 
the matrix of which is a coarse sandstone, containing pebbles and rounded blocks of granite, 
quartzite, talcose slate and crystalline limestone, some of which, especially those of limestone, 
have a diameter of a foot or more. All the finer argillaceous beds exhibit cleavage, and 
some of the slate is so fissile that it might probably he employed for roofing purposes. On 
their southern boundary these beds appear to pass by gradual transition into the true 
metamorphies. 
The relations of the Champamr group, as these beds have been provisionally named, 
to the other submetamorphic beds, remain hitherto somewhat obscure, but they are perhaps 
the representatives of the Gwalior series (see Records, Geological Survey of India, Vol. Ill, 
p. 33). Prom tho Bijawar rocks of Bandelkhand and the Narbada valley they differ much 
in mineral character. 
II.—Vindiiyan Seeies. 
Tho rocks to which the general term Yindhyan has been applied from their extensive 
development in the Yindhyan plateau north of the Narbada consist of sandstones (occa¬ 
sionally so hard as to assume a semi-vitreous appearance and to approach quartzite in 
character), limestones and shales, and are very often distinguished by a more or less pink 
or purplish colour, less frequently seen in tho limestones than in tho other rocks ot the 
series. These beds arc separated by a well-marked geological break, the evidence of which 
is found in extensive unconformity, from all the earlier formations. They are divided into 
two principal groups, an upper and lower one, the former of which, comprising the typical 
Tara sandstone, Kattra shales, and Panna sandstone of Dr. Carter, and the Bhanrer, Rewa, 
and Kaimur groups of the Geological Survey' classification, occupies an immense tract 
in Malwa and Bandelkhand, whilst the latter is only found here and there upon its borders. 
Very large areas in the Mahauadi, Godavari, Krishna, and Penner vallies are occupied 
by sandstones and sandstone-quartzites, limestones and shales closely resembling the 
Bandelkhand rocks in mineral character, but more nearly allied to the lower than to the upper 
sub-division. They are identical with the diamond-sandstone and limestone of the earlier 
Indian geologists,* and were included by Dr. Carter in bis Oolitic series, together with the 
important formations hereafter to be mentioned. Unfortunately, no well authenticated 
fossil, animal or vegetable, has hitherto been obtained from these beds, the few supposed 
organic remains which have been recorded as occurring in them being either of a very 
doubtful nature or else derived from strata of later date. The geological age of the 
* The diamond sandstone, however, as described by Voyscy and Malcolmson, comprised formations which have 
now been ascertained to belong to a series of much more recent date than the Vindhyans. 
