|
The most outstanding example of these is the Bhimbetka group of rock shelters in central India. Bhimbetka is considered to be one of the most primitive archaeological sites in the world. Recently UNESCO has declared it a World Heritage Site. Bhimbetka or Bhim-Vatika-the garden of Bhim, one of the Pandavas in the Mahabharata-is a small village, 40 km south of Bhopal. The village is surrounded on all sides by the northern fringe of the Vindhya hills. Hidden in this rocky terrain of craggy cliffs and dense forest, are more than 700 rock shelters which were discovered by V.S. Wakankar, an archaeologist, in 1957-58.
Travelling along the Delhi-Bombay railway line which runs parallel to the Bhimbetka hills, Wakankar noticed unusual rock formations in the region. Getting off the train at the nearest railway station, he walked back to the hill. His efforts were rewarded when he chanced upon the cave paintings.
In 1970, a thorough survey conducted by a team of archaeologists-led by Wakankar-discovered about 1,500 rock shelters in the region. The Bhimbetka caves were found to have a magnificent collection of rock paintings with archaeological evidences of habitation from the Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic age, several thousand years ago. Here, numerous paintings depict the lives of early dwellers.
Executed mainly in red and white-occasionally in green and yellow-the paintings portray figures of men hunting, dancing, and riding on elephant or horseback. Animals such as wild boars, tigers, monkeys, dogs and bisons have been painted with dexterous strokes. Several drawings show the overlapping of images, indicating that the same space had been used by people belonging to different eras. The colours-16 in all-were prepared by mixing powdered manganese ore, soft red stone or charcoal with animal fat and extracts of leaves. Due to a chemical reaction with the rocks, the paintings have remained practically unchanged for many centuries.
Experts believe that the paintings were created by cavemen who had specialised in drawings. However, the artists did not use their skill only for the sake of aesthetic appeal. An expert hunter himself, the artist was also a magician. His art was a means of establishing his superiority over animals. In the process, he believed that they could be hunted down easily. The cavemen's skilful artistry had a practical value too. The accurate depiction of the animal made it easy for the hunter to know where he should strike his prey.
The Archaeological Survey of India believes that a study of the Bhimbetka paintings and their processes is closely linked to ethnology and anthropology. "It is through this perception that the larger context of human culture and its evolution within India and in relation with the world may be fully understood," it said in an official statement.
Please enter only tour related queries in the form below.
| 
