By Monidipa Dey,
Bhimbetka rock caves: There are widespread evidences of the presence of earliest human ancestor in the kind of paleolithic tools from across India, some of which date back to 160000 years ago (from Didwana in Rajasthan). However, most of these internet sites are secondary in nature, wherein it can’t be verified appropriately as to exactly where the tools have been created and employed. It is only on uncommon occasions that one comes upon a principal web-site, and Bhimbetka is special due to the fact it is one such principal web-site.
Located in the rocky Vindhyan variety in Madhya Pradesh the web-site is spread across seven low hills of Bineka, Bhonrawali, Bhimbetka, Lakha Juar (East and West), Muni Baba ki Pahari, and Jaora. The caves right here hold rock paintings and a variety of alcohological evidences that get started from the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic eras and continue unbroken till the medieval period. Since these rock caves have been in continual use a lot of paintings show superimposition on older ones. There are also later period inscriptions from 2nd c. BCE and 7th c. CE, and paintings from the medieval era.
The initially individual to mention these caves was a British official named W. Kincaid in 1888, who had heard of them from the regional tribes. However, the caves have been found significantly later in 1957 by Dr Vishnu Shridhar Wakankar, an archaeologist who identified the rock formations from a distance appearing related to these he had observed in France and Spain, and he went to discover the spot out of curiosity. After the discovery he published a lot of analysis papers on it, and quickly a lot of other archaeologists along with Wakankar led a lot of archaeological excavations in the rock shelters and caves. The rock art in particular was researched in fantastic particulars by Yashodar Mathpal.
The rock art content in Bhimbetka is filled with a variety of elements of life from prehistoric instances to later periods, via depictions of hunting scenes and religious symbols. These paintings depict a variety of figures of humans and animals, scenarios of wars, hunting, folk dancing and music, loved ones scenes and ritualistic ones (ritual dancers and bull riders), mother goddesses, nature, ornamental motifs, and a variety of mythological depictions, such as an animal with the combined capabilities of elephant, ox, and boar. Interestingly nine of the hunting scenes depict ladies as hunters. The battle scenes of a late period consist of warriors on horses and elephants, and soldiers are shown armed with bows and arrows, daggers, swords, shields, spears, and battle-axes. Dancers (guys and ladies) are observed dancing collectively either in circles or rows, or arm in arm usually along with drummers and other musicians. Religious scenes depict Ganesh and Shiva and religious symbols are prominently observed in kind of tridents, swastikas, and the sacred bull.
There are a lot of inscriptions in the Bhimbetka rock caves and shelters which are linked with the sadhus that have lived right here from the early historic instances, with the script ranging from Ashoka Brahmi lipi, to Gupta and post Gupta scripts, and the early Nagri script.
Even today a lot of of the rock shelters at Bhimbetka serve as functional temple internet sites for devi Durga, and some of the caves with paintings are held in fantastic reverence by the neighbouring villagers, which includes the Gond and Korku tribes, who go to these locations on unique occasions to carry out their pujas.
How to go to Bhimbetka: Bhimbetka, which is an UNESCO heritage web-site, is about 70 km from Bhopal and requires about an hour or so in a auto or a bike. The rock shelters are 5 km away from the road and the ticket counter therefore it is advisable to go in a car. Best time for travel is through the winter season (October to February).
(The author is a nicely-recognized travel and heritage writer. Views expressed are individual and do not reflect the official position or policy of TheSpuzz Online.)