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Top Bhimbetka Hotels
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Bhimbetka, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is located in the Raisen District of Madhya Pradesh, just 56 km from Bhopal. The region features a rocky landscape, dotted with forests featuring varieties of flora and fauna.
Located in the southern tip of the Vindhyachal Range, Bhimbetka is a retreat for picnickers. The southern part of these rock shelters are enclosed by the Satpura Hills. The site was a major dwelling of the primitive human race, boasting a history of 30000 years.
Bhimbetka is famous for its ancient rock paintings, depicting the life style of man from the Stone Age. These paintings offer information related to the history of the early settlement of mankind. Some of the rock paintings of the Stone Age spotted in the caves of Bhimbetka is about 30,000 years old.
As suggested in the name, this place is associated with the mythical figure Bhim, the second brother of the Pandavas. Bhimbetka, literally meaning ‘the lounge of Bhim’, encourages a local belief that during the period of exile, Bhim took refuge in this very site.
Bhimbetka is primarily famous for housing a number of prehistoric rock paintings in South Asia. The Rock Shelters found at Bhimbetka show the earliest traces of human existence in India. According to archaeologists, these caves were inhabited over 30,000 years back. In 1888, for the first time, Bhimbetka found its mention as a Buddhist site in the Indian archaeological records.
The rock paintings of Bhimbetka depict the transformation of the ancient people to civilised hunters and gatherers. Array of activities are demonstrated on the wall, ranging from sketches of women to paintings of animals like bears, rhinoceroses, tigers, hunting scenes, etc. The paintings also depict childbirth, religious rites, ceremonies and many more occasions.
It seems that each painting of Bhimbetka holds a specific history of ancient human civilisation. Hence, this location is an ideal spot for those who want to explore the primordial society. Until date, over 700 rock shelters have been found at the site. Archaeologists have also revealed traces of Stone Age at the site.
The rock shelters are not very tough to locate. Only 15 of the rock shelters (S1 to S15) are tagged with numbers and connected by concrete pathways for easy access. Tourists first visit the Zoo Rock Shelter, known for featuring varieties of animal paintings. S15 has a fresco of a red bison attacking.
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Bhimbetka offers a great chance to take a look at history. The 30,000 year old rock shelters and the various rock arts along with the remnants of Buddhist mini stupas, dilapidated citadels and the Buddhist rock cut beds talk quite elaborately about the history of mankind in the region.
Besides, there are inscriptions belonging to the era of the Kushans, Sangas and the Guptas. The paintings of Bhimbetka belong to all the periods between Upper Palaeolithic ages till the medieval period.
Apart from the main attraction of the Bhimbetka caves, there is the city of Bhopal which has a lot of sightseeing. There is the Museum of Man that depicts the lifestyle of the tribal inhabitants of the region in the past.
Then there are some great specimens of Mughal architecture like the old mosques that are scattered throughout the city. Some of them are the Moti Masjid, Taj-ul-Masajid and the Jama Masjid. Tourists can also visit the two main lakes of the city, the Upper Lake and the Lower Lake.
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