The Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka are located in Raisen district on Madhya Pradesh in India. These caves are of outmost importance to archaeologists and anthropologists as these represent one of the earliest traces of human beings in India. Studies indicate that the drawings at these caves are as old as 9000 years old. Additionally, the caves were inhabited by humans for more than 100,000 years. UNESCO has declared the Bhimbetka Rock Shelters a world heritage site.

The name Bhimbetka is related to "Bhima", a historical figure from the Hindu Epic, Mahabharata. Bhimbetka is a corrupt form of "Bhim-baithka" which means the "sitting place of Bhima". Bhima is revered for his immense physical strength by Hindus in India and other countries.

The Bhimbetka caves were first discovered in the year 1888. Initially, these were assumed to be related to Buddhism. However, later on V. S. Wakankar, a notable archaeologist saw these rock formations while travelling to Bhopal by train. He became interested because of the similarities that these rock formations shared with those he has seen in France and Spain. Later, he visited the site along with a team of archaeologists and discovered these rock shelters.

Since 1957, more than 700 cave shelters have been identified. 243 of these shelters have been classified under the Bhimbetka group. Another 178 fall under the Lakha Juar group.

Archaeological studies indicate that these shelters have continuously been under occupation by various cultures. Some these experts are of the opinion the stone walls and floors at these sites are oldest in the world. The earliest paintings of the cave walls were drawn during the Mesolithic period.

Apart from its archaeological significance, the Bhimbetka caves also provide ample geological information. Scientists believe that once upon a time, the rocks were submerged under water. The rocks have incredible shapes and thus present an interesting study material for the geologist.

The Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka are located 45 kilometers south of Bhopal, the capital city of Madhya Pradesh. These are situated on the Southern edge of the Vindya mountain range. The entire region where these caves are located is very rich in biological resources due to abundance in water supplies. The region looks very similar to other rock art sites such as the Kakadu National Park, Australia, Bushmen cave paintings in the Kalahari Desert and the Lascaux caves in France.

---

Share this on