In the Natural History section of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS), children flock by a display casing placed at the centre of the space. Walking into a room filled with specimens, you know that something here is real. And you can understand their fascination when the flexboard reads, "Fossilized dinosaur eggs and bones discovered in India on view at the CSMVS for the first time." The little collection has come from Balasinor, Gujarat — one of the largest dinosaur fossil sites in the world. We then meet the person responsible for this collaborative initiative. Princess Aaliya Sultana Babi – whose ancestry can be traced back to Sher Khan Babi, an officer in service of Mughal emperor Humayun – has helmed conservation efforts in the region.

Edited excerpts from the interview.