Rock shelters and caves had a significant impact on early human life. Once inhabited by early humans, these rock shelter sites exist in various regions of India. One such site is the Bhimbetka Rock Shelters. In the Goharganj tehsil of Madhya Pradesh’s Raisen district, 2 kilometres southwest of the tribal community of Bhiyanpura, lies the Bhimbetka site complex. Cultural relics like stone tools, pottery, burials, and, most prominently, rock paintings show the evolution
of human existence. Studying Bhimbetka cave paintings is the best way to learn about contemporary society from the Mesolithic to the medieval period.
Discovery of Bhimbetka Caves
In 1957, while travelling from Bhopal to Itarsi on a train, archaeologist V. S. Wakankar saw several hillocks with enormous boulders from the train window. After getting off the train, he arrived at the location and stumbled across the murals covering these rock shelters. He understood the significance of these caves right away. His study and findings earned him the Padma Shri award from the government. In 2003, these shelters received the UNESCO World Heritage Site designation.
Structure and Architecture
A group of craggy sandstone formations, Bhimbetka lies in the Vindhya Range. This region has over 700 rock shelters. Around 400 rock shelters lie across the core area covering 1892 hectares and comprising the hills Bineka, Bhonrawali, Bhimbetka, Lakha Juar (East), Lakha Juar (West), and a buffer zone in the west called Muni Baba ki Pahari. Bhimbetka comprises 243 rock shelters, 133 of which include rock paintings.
The predominant rock type in the region is quartz, while large quantities of kaolinized feldspars and epidotic amphibole are also present. These juvenile sandstones are more susceptible to weathering and erosion activity, leading to scalloped potholes and variably shaped rock shelters.
One distinctive aspect of these rock shelters is their artwork. Out of the sixteen colours that Upinder Singh has named, white and pale red have been used more frequently than other shades. The colours were created by grinding minerals, which were then combined with water or ingredients like animal fat, marrow, or egg. The red colour came from iron oxide (geru), the white from limestone, and the possible source of the green was green chalcedony.
The following caves were open for tourists when I visited the place. Each type of cave shows unique artistic features.
Rock Shelter 1
Inside this shelter, one can see a trench where boulders lie one above another, their size diminishing with height. The layer marks of sedimentation reveal that the area was once below the primeval Tethys Sea. A few portable imaginary installations titled “Bhimu and his family” are present to help young visitors understand the prehistoric environment.
The interior has paintings in white colour, featuring elephants or mammoths, a person riding a bull, and hunting scenes.
Rock Shelter 3
V. S. Wakankar named this shelter “Auditorium Cave” because of its grandeur and magnificent appearance. The western end of this cave, approximately 39 metres long, 4 metres broad, and 17 metres high, features a large tunnel, almost 25 metres long and containing three entrances. The paintings here mark a borderline between the lower and middle Paleolithic ages. This shelter has 17 spots displaying prehistoric paintings composed of red sienna, light red, burnt umber, and sepia.
Human figures take the form of matchstick-like structures, holding hands and forming a circle, a scene of a celebration. Another wall has paintings of bulls, cows, peacocks, deer, and a human hand. One enormous rock has several cupules that are approximately 16.8 millimetres deep.
Rock Shelter 4
This shelter is semicircular in shape. Dr. Wakankar titled it “The Zoo Rock” since it features several lifelike and exquisite animal designs.
The shelter has paintings of 453 figures, including 252 animals from 16 different species. 90 paintings show people performing various tasks. 99 fragmentary figures and one inscription in the Sankha script are also seen. The shelter is exquisitely painted, having up to ten layers of figures stacked on top of one another. Besides a few paintings from the historical era, the rock shelter has mostly prehistoric paintings.
Rock Shelter 5
This shelter consists of two chambers, one atop another, and both have paintings executed in white and red ochre pigments. Like other rock shelters, it also has interesting depictions–animals like goats and deer, and a man holding a sword-like structure. Somewhere, there would have been a drawing of a langur leaping around a tree, but I couldn’t find it. The guides said that some depictions would not be visible due to climatic changes and the surfaces getting touched by tourists continuously.
Tortoise Hill
This rock structure resembles a tortoise. The caves and strangely shaped rock formations in this region are formed due to the enlargement of cavities brought on by chemical and physical weathering and erosion. Nearby another rock contains geometrical designs and paintings.
Rock Shelter 7
The paintings here belong to the historical period. There is a depiction of six horse riders, where the third one appears larger than the others. The ceiling shows a swordsman riding a caparisoned horse.
Rock Shelter 9
With an easterly orientation, this shelter is relatively shallow. It also has a little chamber on the left. Coloured in green, yellow, red, and ochre, the paintings of this shelter are attractive and stand out from those of others–a rider mounted on a stunningly painted horse, a lovely flower vase with yellow and white flowers.
Rock Shelter 12
The drawings again show a variety of animals. On one side lies a picture of a buffalo with huge horns, while on the other, galloping nilgais are depicted. Four fleeing chital does in a vertical row are shown as though plummeting down from an elevated precipice.
Rock Shelter 15
This enormous rock resembles a mushroom. It is known for a gigantic silhouette figure of a boar-like animal painted 9.85 metres above the ground. The legendary creature portrayed is large and has composite features, including two crescent-shaped horns, a large nose with moustaches, and bristles on the back.
Close to the animal’s snout stands a man who appears to be running from the boar. A crab lies in front of this running man. The most popular animal renderings in the shelter include those of buffalo, cow, rhinoceros, and langur.
History of the rock shelters
According to folklore, the name Bhimbetka comes from the term “Bhimbaithaka,” which refers to the place where Bhima, one of the Pandavas of Mahabharata, sat. On the northwestern slopes of Bhonrawali hill, Bineka, Bhimbetka, and Lakha Juar, Buddhist artefacts from the early historical era, like the stupas from the Sunga period, have been discovered. These monuments correspond to inscriptions from rock shelters dating to the second century B. C.
Archeological evidence shows that this site was in continuous use from the lower Paleolithic period to the medieval period.
Cockburn was responsible for publishing the first academic study on Indian rock paintings in 1883. In an 1888 research based on data from Adivasis for reconstructing the history of the Bhojpur lake, W. Kincaid first mentioned Bhimbetka and described Bhimbet hill on the opposite end of the lake as a Buddhist sanctuary. The location came to prominence only in 1957, when discovered by V. S. Wakankar. Finally, K. D. Bajpai and S. K. Pandey of Dr. Harisingh Gour University conducted thorough archaeological research on two shelters of the Bhimbetka hill.
Tourism Aspect
The Archaeological Survey of India, along with the State of Madhya Pradesh, provides many facilities for tourists.
The entry to the site has various information plates which let tourists know about its aspects beforehand. The plate accompanying each rock shelter explains its peculiar features. Visiting the place, even a person unfamiliar with the history of the caves shall understand the importance of such heritage. The plates also describe the conservation process undertaken by ASI. They are enacted in Braille as well. Several guides are present too. Brochures are also provided to the tourists to guide them throughout their visit to the site. I believe every monument should receive such attention and care.
References-
Singh, U. (2019), A history of ancient and early medieval India: From the stone age to the 12th century, Pearson.
UNESCO – Asia and Pacific, (2003), Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka, https://whc.unesco.org/uploads/nominations/925.pdf
Picture Courtesy –
- https://www.travelclix.in/rock-shelters-of-bhimbetka/18-rock-shelters-of-bhimbetka/
- https://www.india.com/travel/articles/bhimbetka-rock-shelters-a-must-visit-destination-for-history-lovers-3240727/
- http://indpaedia.com/ind/index.php/Bhimbetka_Caves
Jahnavi Tanwar
Heya, I’m Jahnavi, an intern under the Cultural Research department of ILF. With a deep interest in art and its development throughout different ages, I am trying my best to thrive myself with the plethora of knowledge bank available in the world. Travelling is the thing I like to do the most. Through it, I came across many sites like Badami, Hampi, Bateshwar, Bhimbetka and the list never ends. It’s my pleasure to make people aware about them and respect our heritage.
