COVERSTORY
#348
India’s Oldest Human Wall Paintings
From Aditya Verma, artist
The sprawling caves of
Bhimbetka are located
about 45 km northeast of
Bhopal, the capital of Madhya
Pradesh. Situated along
the Bhopal-Hoshangabad
highway, these caves lie close
to Bhiyapura village in Raisen
district.
Bhimbetka is a natural art
gallery and an archaeological
treasure. For miles together,
the footsteps of Prehistoric
Man can be seen upon the
sands of time: rock paintings
dating back about 15,000
years, done in vivid and
panoramic detail.
Thanks to their natural
red and white pigments, the
colours are remarkably well
preserved and, in certain
caves, paintings of different
eras adorn the same rock
surface. A gamut of figures
and scenes dance across
the rocks: gaurs (Indian
bison), rhinoceros, bears
and tigers share space
with scenes of hunting,
initiation ceremonies,
childbirth, communal
dancing, drinking, religious
rites and burials.
So, go back in time,
stand exactly where our
earliest ancestors did and
created probably the first
Wall Art in India.
November-December 2015 Travel Secrets 57