Bhimbetka Cave, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh India

The Bhimbetka rock shelters are an archaeological site of the Paleolithic, exhibiting the earliest traces of human life on the Indian subcontinent, and thus the beginning of the South Asian Stone Age. It is located in the Raisen District in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The Bhimbetka shelters exhibit the earliest traces of human life in India. At least some of the shelters were inhabited by Homo erectus more than 100,000 years ago. Some of the Stone Age rock paintings found among the Bhimbetka rock shelters are approximately 30,000 years old. The caves also deliver early evidence of dance. They were declared a World Heritage Site in 2003.

These caves had been used as a shelter by people from the earliest of periods. Thus, you will find paintings of all periods starting from Paleolithic era to medieval era. The paintings turn out to be a mirror showing evolution of humanity through time. The style of the paintings of separate periods is so different that you can easily differentiate between them. The paintings of Paleolithic age are huge linear figures of animals like tigers, bears and rhinoceroses. As the time passed, the paintings became smaller, shapely and more precise. The paintings now depicted the daily chores of people like hunting and dancing. Slowly the artistry from raw art turned into religious images showing the change in the mindset. The oldest painting here is said to be around 12,000 years old, whereas the most recent is around 1000 years old.