Bhimbetka Caves

About this place

Situated just 46 Kms. from Bhopal, these exquisite caves are surrounded by the northern limits of Vindhya mountain Range. As the legend goes, these hills got their name after Bhima, one of the five Pandava brothers. Although there are more than 600 caves, only 12 are open for tourists at the moment which shows the best paintings that are there in all other caves. Out of the 24 world heritage sites that have been recognized by UNESCO in India, Bhimbetka caves are the oldest one. These caves had been used as a shelter by people from the earliest of periods. One will find paintings of all periods starting from Paleolithic era to medieval era. The paintings turn out to be a mirror showing evolution of humanity through time. The style of the paintings of separate periods is so different that one can easily differentiate between them. The paintings depict the daily chores of people like hunting and dancing. Slowly the artistry from raw art turned into religious images showing the change in the mindset. Oldest painting is said to be around 12000 years old whereas the most recent is around 1000 years old. The colours used by the cave dwellers, were prepared by combining manganese, hematite, soft red stone and wooden coal. The paintings over the years have stayed unharmed by nature due to the reaction between the chemicals present in rocks and the colour. Even animal fat and plant leaves were also used in the mixture.