Bhimbetka
I took this trip when i was in bhopal on 22 December 2015. I was in Bhopal for my Army 'NCC-39 SSB' interview, with the SSB experience not ending good, disgusted, i made my way to Bhopal railway station on 21st, finally ending up at Hotel SAMRAT closeby by the evening.
This was my third visit to Bhopal, i had planned in advance that i would be going to Bhimbetka, no matter what.
So,
On the morning of 22 December, i took a bus for Obdullahganj at 07:25 AM, the bus making its way in the city reached the Main bus stand of Bhopal at 8:10 and by 8:22 at Hoshangabad Naka.(I had to be back by 1 PM; had train at 2:30 PM for New Delhi)
Seeing the slow pace of the bus, i got off and booked a cab.
We made our way through NH12 and reached Obdullahganj by 09:10 ; went straight 6 Kms on NH-69; and finally there was a right turn to towards Bhimbetka.
We ventured 2-3 Kms, the entry gate showed up. Entrance fee is Rs 50 per head; And i had to pay for my cabbie as well.
When i reached Bhimbetka, there was nobody there, only one security guard and our cab.
The security guard offered his service as a guide. I happily agreed.
And my tour began
The entrance path leads to 3 imposing rocks; on the sides of the path are wild bushes; there are also 2-3 information panels; some of which is torn off.
I spent an hour or so at the site feeling awed at how humans would have lived here for centuries and centuries and how they went about there cognitive development. I believe such experiences and learnings are bound to make a person more respectful for humanity and how we have developed our race since thousands of centuries. After roaming in the caves, I went to a temple located at the end of the road 500 mts ahead.
A visit to Bhimbetka is akin to being transported into the past, while gathering wonderful insights into the psyche and actions of the man that inhabited these caves thousands of years ago.
Rock Shelter-3
This Known as the Auditorium Cave;
25 mts in length. The whole cave gallery resembles a cross, where in the center there is the Chief's Rock with a cavernous high ceiling chamber with three passageway exits.
In this cave archeologists found 11 Cupules ( cup shaped hollows ); petroglyphs. Nine cupules (cup-shape hollows) were first discovered in a large vertical boulder face above ground level. The other two were buried underground.
The petroglyphs were found in the early 1990's by V. S. Wakankar, Robert G Bednarik , Kumar G and Tyagi GS. The cupules are the oldest form of Rock-art in the world dating to lower paleolitic age.
These petroglyphs were created on heavily recrystallized, very hard quartzite that was extensively
mined during the Lower Palaeolithic.
Most of the paintings are in red and white. But also green and yellow has been used as in Rock Shelter - 9, with themes taken from the everyday events of eons ago, the scenes usually depict hunting, dancing, horse and elephant riders, animal fights, honey collection, decoration of bodies, disguises, masks and different type of animals etc. It depicts the detail of social life during the long period of time, when man used to frequent these rock shelters.
The colors used by the cave dwellers were prepared by combining manganese, hematite,
The Early humans(Homo Erectus) that used to dwell in the caves over 100,000 years ago were over 7 feet tall.
My guide told me that the Rock Shelters were under water at one point of time, thousands of years ago. The Shapes of the Rocks is an evidence to it.
------------------------------------------------------------END--------------------------------------------------------
I took this trip when i was in bhopal on 22 December 2015. I was in Bhopal for my Army 'NCC-39 SSB' interview, with the SSB experience not ending good, disgusted, i made my way to Bhopal railway station on 21st, finally ending up at Hotel SAMRAT closeby by the evening.
This was my third visit to Bhopal, i had planned in advance that i would be going to Bhimbetka, no matter what.
So,
On the morning of 22 December, i took a bus for Obdullahganj at 07:25 AM, the bus making its way in the city reached the Main bus stand of Bhopal at 8:10 and by 8:22 at Hoshangabad Naka.(I had to be back by 1 PM; had train at 2:30 PM for New Delhi)
Seeing the slow pace of the bus, i got off and booked a cab.
We made our way through NH12 and reached Obdullahganj by 09:10 ; went straight 6 Kms on NH-69; and finally there was a right turn to towards Bhimbetka.
We ventured 2-3 Kms, the entry gate showed up. Entrance fee is Rs 50 per head; And i had to pay for my cabbie as well.
When i reached Bhimbetka, there was nobody there, only one security guard and our cab.
The security guard offered his service as a guide. I happily agreed.
And my tour began
The entrance path leads to 3 imposing rocks; on the sides of the path are wild bushes; there are also 2-3 information panels; some of which is torn off.
 |
| The Entrance (dated - 22 December 2015) |
I spent an hour or so at the site feeling awed at how humans would have lived here for centuries and centuries and how they went about there cognitive development. I believe such experiences and learnings are bound to make a person more respectful for humanity and how we have developed our race since thousands of centuries. After roaming in the caves, I went to a temple located at the end of the road 500 mts ahead.
----------------------------
Something about Bhimbetka -
Located 46 Kms from Bhopal. The caves were declared as a world heritage site by UNESCO in 2003. This is the 22nd world heritage site declared by UNESCO in India.
There are 21 villages adjacent to the site.
 |
| Rock Shelter -1 |
 |
| Rock-Shelter - 2 |
The Rock shelters have been preserved by the dense forest and vegetation all around the area, as the site is located inside the Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary. Therefore protected from the vagaries of nature. Though some of the paintings have disappeared cause of rain water and patina.
 |
| Rock Shelter - 3 (Auditoruim Cave) (The statue is just a depiction of how early man would have drawn paintings in the caves) |
25 mts in length. The whole cave gallery resembles a cross, where in the center there is the Chief's Rock with a cavernous high ceiling chamber with three passageway exits.
 |
| Rock Shelter - 3 (Auditoruim Cave) (The Chief's Rock) |
 |
| Paintings in Rock Shelter - 3 (on left - palm impression of a Mesolithic Period Child, on right - animals ) |
These petroglyphs were created on heavily recrystallized, very hard quartzite that was extensively
mined during the Lower Palaeolithic.
Micro-erosion test confirmed that the eleven petroglyphs in Bhimbetka were created during the same time.
Middle paleolithic - 300,000 - 50,000 years BP( before present)
Lower Paleolithic - 3,400,000 - 300,000 years BP
The cupules at Bhimbetka have been assigned a minimum age of 290,000 years (middle paleolithic) and maybe as old as 700,000 years old (lower paleolithic).
The actual term "cupule" was invented 'y the world-famous archeologist Robert G. Bednarik (Australian)
Nobody knows what these cupules mean or why similar indentations have been found in all continents of the world; except Antartica.
The Cupules are oldest cultural phenomenon, found throughout the prehistoric world, the cupule remains one of the least understood types of rock art.
Archaic Homo sapiens species created the Bhimbetka petroglyphs and cupules in the Auditorium cave situated at Bhimbetka in India, and at Daraki-Chattan, Near Bhampura, Madhya Pradesh, India. These cupules are the oldest art on earth.
A total of 560 cupules were found in Daraki Chattan.
Dr Giriraj Kumar found the petroglyphs(Cupules) at Daraki Chattan, Near Bhanpura, Madhya Pradesh in 1996.
For More on Cupules -
http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/prehistoric/oldest-art-top-50.htm
http://findingrockart.org/pdf/cupules.pdf
 |
| Rock Shelter - 4 (The Zoo Rock) |
Animals such as bison, tiger, rhinoceros, wild boar, elephants, monkeys, antelopes, lizards, peacocks etc. have been abundantly depicted in the rock shelters.
 |
| Rock Shelter - 4 (The Zoo Rock) More than 250 Animals from 16 different species |
 |
| Rock Shelter - 5 |
 |
| Rock Shelter - 5 (me) |
soft red stone and wooden charcoal. Perhaps, animal fat and extracts of leaves were also used in the mixture.
 |
| A Turtle shaped Rock |
 |
| A Random Click; The Rocks have eyes... |
 |
| A tree growing on another; A 'Papda' tree being supported by a 'Kari' tree |
 |
| Rock Shelter - 6 (Dances) |
 |
| Rock Shelter - 6(Dances) |
 |
| Rock Shelter - 7 (Man riding horses) |
 |
| Random; at Rock- Shelter - 11 |
 |
| Rock Shelter - 9 (Horse, Elephant, Flower, buds) |
 |
| Rock Shelter - 15 (The Boar Rock; A huge Wild Boar attacking a man) |
 |
| Rock Shelter - 15 (The Boar Rock) |
 |
| Rock Shelter - 11 |
 |
| Temple |
The Early humans(Homo Erectus) that used to dwell in the caves over 100,000 years ago were over 7 feet tall.
My guide told me that the Rock Shelters were under water at one point of time, thousands of years ago. The Shapes of the Rocks is an evidence to it.
Route -
Follow National Highway-12 from Bhopal to Obedullahganj(36 Kms) towards Hoshangabad.
Keep moving the same direction; Follow NH - 69 from Obedullahganj for 6Kms towards Hoshangabad till the sign board for Bhimbetka for a right turn.
Make the right turn follow the road 3-4 Kms to the entrance of the Rock Shelters.
Bhojpur
|----------------|
Bhopal-----NH-12---------Obaidullaganj-----NH-69--------Hoshangabad
| |
Bhimbetka
Best Time to visit - Morning
Fee -
Rupee 50 per head; if in cab; you will have to pay for the cabbie as well. I had taken a cab, so had too.
Total Number of Rock shelters -
The whole site is spread in an area 10 km in length and about 3 km in width. Has 754 rock shelters, of which over 500 have paintings.
Only 15 rock shelters are open to visitors
Location -
Coordinates - N22 55 40.0 E77 35 00.0 ; It is located on the southern edge of the Vindhya Ranges as part of the central indian plateau, inside Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary.
Discovery -
Discovered by Dr.V.S. Wakankar in 1956, while travelling on a train from bhopal to itarsi. He was awarded Padmashree(4th highest civilian award) by the Government of India in 1975.
Bhimbetka was first mentioned in Indian archeological records in 1888 as a Buddhist site.
Name -
The "Bhimbetka" is derived from the word "Bhim Baitka" after a character in the Mahabharata. Based on mythology, the Bhimbetka Cave's name is associated with the name "Bhima" who was one of the "Pandavas". The entire meaning of the name stands for "The Lounge of Bheem" because this is where he rested after being exiled from his kingdom along with his brothers.
Pandapur is a nearby village. Bhima was second of the five Pandav brothers.
Art -
The cupules found in the Auditorium Rock are more than 290,000 years old (Middle paleolithic) which means cognitive development started here earlier. The cupules could be as old as 700,000 years old (Lower Paleolithic).
Rock Shelter-4 (Zoo Rock) has more than 250 animals from 16 different species; hence its name.
The rock paintings have numerous layers belonging to various epochs of time, ranging from the
Upper Paleolithic (50,000 - 10,000 BC ) ,
Mesolithic Age ( 10,000 - 5000 BC )
Chalcolithic,
Early Historic
and medieval periods.
The most ancient scenes here believed to be commonly belonging to the Mesolithic Age
Colors used -
The colors used by the cave dwellers were prepared by combining manganese, hematite, soft red stone and wooden charcoal. Perhaps, animal fat and extracts of leaves were also used in the mixture.
For More -
http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_whs_rockart_bhimbetka_detail.asp
http://whc.unesco.org/uploads/nominations/925.pdf
http://www.wondermondo.com/Countries/As/India/MadhyaPradesh/Bhimbetka.htm
http://thinkingparticle.com/articles/bhimbetka-rock-shelters-lesser-known-madhya-pradesh
http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/prehistoric/oldest-art-top-50.htm
--------------------------------------------------------
After Bhimbetka, it was time to visit Bhojpur.
Bhojpur - (The incomplete city??)
The City was founded in 11th century by King Bhoja( 1000 - 1055 ) of the Paramara Dynasty of the Malwa region in central india. .Bhoja was a polymath and a great patron of art. King Bhoja had ordered Dams construction in Bhojpur. The city is on the banks of river Betwa. The linga remained broken for several hundred years due to a roof collapse, which happened during the construction of the temple. The roof and the linga were repaired by the Archaeological Survey of India
Bhojeshwar temple is an incomplete temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple houses one of the largest liṅga-s in India, 5.5 m (18 ft) tall and 2.3 m (7.5 ft) in circumference. It is crafted out a single rock.
There is also an incomplete Jain Temple located here, having statues of 16th, 23rd and 7th Tirthankar of Jainism.
We made our way back and reached Bhopal at 1 PM.
http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/prehistoric/oldest-art-top-50.htm
--------------------------------------------------------
After Bhimbetka, it was time to visit Bhojpur.
Bhojpur - (The incomplete city??)
 |
| The Bhojeshwar Temple |
 |
| Information Panel at the entrance |
 |
| The temple houses one of the largest Linga's in India |
Bhojeshwar temple is an incomplete temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple houses one of the largest liṅga-s in India, 5.5 m (18 ft) tall and 2.3 m (7.5 ft) in circumference. It is crafted out a single rock.
There is also an incomplete Jain Temple located here, having statues of 16th, 23rd and 7th Tirthankar of Jainism.
We made our way back and reached Bhopal at 1 PM.
------------------------------------------------------------END--------------------------------------------------------
No comments:
Post a Comment