South of Bhopal, in a forested sandstone hill range, the Bhimbetka rock shelters contain hundreds of caves and overhangs with vivid prehistoric paintings. Scenes show hunters, dancers, animals, horse riders and geometric motifs in red, white, yellow and green pigments. Walking trails and information boards guide visitors past selected shelters where art from different prehistoric periods can be seen in situ, making it a rare open-air museum of early human creativity.
About this place
History & highlights
Archaeological work at Bhimbetka has revealed evidence of human habitation from at least the Palaeolithic age, with successive layers of Stone Age, Chalcolithic and later periods represented. The paintings span many eras, some possibly 10,000+ years old, others only a few thousand. In 2003 Bhimbetka was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognised as one of the most important early rock art sites in the world.
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