Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka

The Bhimbetka rock shelters compose an archaeological site located in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The shelters exhibit the earliest traces of human life in India; its Stone Age rock paintings are approximately 9,000 years old, making them among the world's oldest.

Year Decision Comments
2003 Inscribed Reasons for inscription

Reviews

OBULAPATHI NEERUKATTU (INDIA, Andhra Pradesh, Kurnool.):
Bhimbetka is a beautiful and peaceful site. We [UNIVERSITY OF HYDERABAD Students and my professors]visit this site in 2009. I feel very happy. Its stone age rock paintings are approximately 9,000 years old, making them among the worlds oldest. The paintings also describes about various routine activites of the day.
Date posted: August 2009
Sachin (India):
Visiting Bhim Betka was amazing , i heard about Bhim Betka from Hamara Holiday dot com
and It was so beautiful place ,Bhim Betka is located in dense forest or Rata Pani wildlife reserve .
Natural beauty is on peak , superb caves, rock paintings, temple. would like to visit again & again.

Sachin
Date posted: October 2008
Christer Sundberg (Sweden):
An hour’s drive, south of Bhopal in the Vindhyan Mountains are the 600 rock shelters of Bhimbetka. It’s a peaceful and beautiful area and the natural rock formations – massive sandstone outcrops – must once have been a great place for Stone Age people to live in. The overhanging rock ledges gave them shelter and the forest was full of water and edible plants and fruits.

The rock shelters has been painted from the Mesolithic period right through to the Historical period with different motifs, depicting time and life as it once was, 12.000 years ago. It’s a virtual pre-historic panorama of India, filled with hunting and battle scenes and all kinds of animals such as deer’s, buffalos, rhinoceros, bears and tigers.

Bimbetka is a beautiful area to wander around for an hour or two and definitely not a crowded site. At the time of my visit there was not even an entrance fee charged and less than 10 people on site. Bimbetka is definitely worth a couple of hour’s excursion out of busy Bhopal.
 
():
Inspite of visiting Itarsi for over 40 years, and living at Bhopal for 5 years, I had never visited Bhimbetka. Now that I was visiting Itarsi with family from New Zealand, we DID, and what an hour that was.

There is no point me writing much about this fantastic place - go and experience yourself!

Moreover, the entrance is free, thanks to MPTDC. But I recommend that you use a guide - it is well worth it.
 
Suman Goyal (USA):
We had the good fortune to visit Bhimbetka while on a 4 day visit to Bhopal and surrounding areas, had never seen anything as amazing and ancient. The entire area is incredible, one cannot beleive it is actually there, even when one is standing amidst the rocks and the painting. An everlasting and admirable memory of this awesome sight.
Date posted: January 2006
faiqa (india):
Bhimbetka is an ideal location to view rock paintings of mesolithic man.People really interested in this part of history ,when visiting bhimbetka , must also visit places around this region where also more such specimens are available within Raisen district. Its worth it .
Date posted: December 2005
Jack mathew (England):
Some cave paintings similar to Bhimbetka caves are discovered recently in Gujarat's jungle by Ahmedabad based researcher Japan pathak. They are equally interesting. .
Date posted: October 2005
Alark Saxena (India):
Bhim Betka is having detailed pictures of hunting and gathering community. the paintings also describes about various routine activities of the day.

the site is very beautiful and is a good site for ornithologists. The continuous forest from Bhimbetka to Ratapani Wild Life Sanctuary provides an opportunity for trekking. There are numerous rock climbing sites. through the forest in the Sanctuary area we can also see the Old Fort of the Gond Tribes. Overall a good site to visit.
 
Rahul (India):
Bhimbetka is a very unassuming site. It is located about 30 kilometers from Bhopal and connected by road. The rock formations are very interesting. One can actually see typical paintings on the wall by stone age people.

Bhimbetka derives it name from Bhim-betka implying the seating place of Bhim, a legend from the epic Mahabharata. It is said that he stayed at this place, and used to sit on the stones, while he was exiled to the forest for a few years.

Have a good trip!
 


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