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Remember those old cave paintings from your history books of school? They showed cave paintings, huge rock caves and evidence of early human beings. Who wouldn’t want to experience that in real life? The Bhimbetka Caves and rock shelters in Bhopal give you the perfect opportunity to experience the very stuff that the history books are made up of.
Adorned with paintings and geometric designs, over 500 of the rock shelters out of the total of 750 are precious connections to our past. Due to their historical importance, the Bhimbetka rock shelters and caves were declared a World Heritage Site in the year 2003. Situated close the eminent cities of Sanchi and Bhopal, Bhimbetka falls under the district of Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh. Bhimbetka is one of the foremost historical places in India and is one of the few archeological sites situated in the country. All in all, Bhimbetka, Bhopal is a heaven for rock shelters and cave paintings.
The ideal time to visit Bhimbetka has to be during the winter. The soothing and calm weather helps one enjoy the caves better without having to worry about the scorching heat or blisters on the feet. The months from October to March are ideal for visiting the caves. The monsoons are also a good time to visit as the tourist pressure stays low and the weather remains cool and windy. But the off-chance of catching fever or cough is the main deterrent for the monsoon season to be the primary visiting season.
But if you decide to go during the monsoons then be assured that you are in for a treat. The vibrant forests all around are going to be rejuvenated from the rains and you would feel like entering a forested wonderland where time stopped turning eons ago.
As you have already guessed by the description of the place, Bhimbetka has no direct connectivity through rail or air. Roadways are the only means of transport, connecting it to the nearest city of Bhopal. The nearest airport is Raja Bhoj Airport in Bhopal from where taxis are available aplenty to reach Bhimbetka. The nearest railhead is situated about 45 km away from the caves at Bhopal. Taxis and cabs are available from all over Bhopal to reach Bhimbetka. Buses are available on pre-booking but the road isn’t motorable enough to go all the way, hence it is advisable to not take a bus.
There has been much wonderment about the name Bhimbetka. Like it is evident from the first part of the name, the place has a heavy allusion to the strongest Pandava, Bhima. Legends has it that the name of the place was originally Bhima Baithaka or the place where Bhima sits. Over the course of time the name started to get mispronounced and it gradually got the form of Bhimbetka.
Legend has it that the Lakh Juhu Forests surrounding the caves was the original place where the palace of lac stood which is where the Kauravas conspired to kill the Pandavas. The local residents say that the name of the forest came from the palace of lac which stood here during the Mahabharata.
This is by far the most important destination of the entire trip to Bhimbetka. The World Heritage Site is covered on all sides by the dense foliage of the adjoining Lakh Juhu forests. Revealed to the world by V. S. Wakankar is 1957, Bhimbetka comprises of about 750 rock shelters. Out of all these shelters, 500 of them bear testament to the life of ancient society which took shelter here and spent their days habituating and creating art in these caves which are the remaining links to a civilization dating back many millenniums. You know the interesting thing about these paintings?
The Kakadu National Park situated in Australia, and cave painting of Bushmen of the Kalahari desert and the Upper Paleolithic Lascaux Cave paintings of France all bear a striking resemblance to the Bhimbetka cave paintings. The intensity of the painting increased over the ages, as the cavemen who drew on these very walls thirty thousand years ago slowly gained more form in the eyes of the onlookers. They formed a concept of early man based on the paintings. Through the course of man’s evolution, the paintings evolved too.
From simple geometric shapes of the ancient ages to the detailed cave paintings of the medieval times, Bhimbetka has it all to take you on a roller coaster ride of the journey of man on this planet. The obvious question which comes to an innocent onlooker’s mind is the longevity of these paintings. But there is a very important reason for the paintings to still exist. The vegetable dye used in painting them and the proper spot selection away from sun and rain has kept erosion in check over the years.
As you slowly go through the paintings you would understand the importance of these paintings to the lives of the ancient people as you can see in retrospection an ancient cave man creating these drawings with a torch in one hand and charcoal and dye in another. The importance of this place to the history and emergence of India is immense. Some important sites here are the archeological rock and the zoo rock. The archeological rock shelter is a huge cathedral like structure with arches reminiscent of the Gothic architectures which came much later. The zoo rock depicts a number of animals like elephants, bison, deer etc. There is also a rock which portrays a boar ‘hunting’ a man which is the only picture here where the human being is the hunted.
After you get your fill of the caves and rock shelters, there are a few good tourist spots which will help you laze and relax and enjoy a good vacation. Bhopal, Bhojpur and Hoshangabad are three of the nearest cities where you can enjoy a good vacation. All these cities are good places to wander around, feast on some good food and simply relax. So why delay anymore? Get going. The rock shelters and cave paintings of Bhimbetka are waiting. Get ready to watch history come alive in front of you!
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April 15, 2024 
