Bhimbetka

A World heritage Site, the Bhimbetka rock shelters have been the pride of Madhya Pradesh since times immemorial. Replete with the beginning of human history, they lie quietly in the forests on the foot hills of the Vindhyas in the state of Madhya Pradesh.

These shelters are believed to be as old as 35,000 years, and have their history inscribed on the walls with the help of numerous paintings.

The name of the place has an association with Lord Bhima from the Mahabharata. It is believed that Bhima had rested here during his exile, and so the place got named as Bhimbetka, literally meaning, the sitting/resting place of Bhima.

There are approximately 700 rock shelters on site, out of which 400 of them have extensive paintings on them depicting the live of people in the ancient times, staring from that of the Stone Age. The caves are immersed in thick forests and this is the reason why the paintings have managed to survive even today.

Red and white are the two prominent colors in which most paintings have been inscribed, and occasionally one can see some green and yellow as well. The paintings reveal scenes from the common lives of people, including childbirth, dances, drinking, religious rites, and more.

Also, you’ll find portraits of various animals, like tiger, bison, antelopes, elephants, peacocks, wild boar, dogs, crocodiles and others that inhabited the forests during the olden times.

The caves are conveniently located 45 km from the capital city of Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal. You can easily come here by road, or take a cab. The nearest airport is 40 km from here and from there again you’ll need to hire a cab. The caves are spread over a vast area. You can plan a one day trip and come back to Bhopal. Visiting the oldest stone walls and floors that were inhabited by humans more than 30,000 is definitely intriguing.