Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Shadow Room
The Museum of Lost Tales
Sherlock Holmes Statue
Sherlock Holmes Statue
South Pole Growth Chamber
Pasties are an Upper Michigan tradition dating back to mining days.
Lehto’s Pasties
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Pasties are an Upper Michigan tradition dating back to mining days.
Lehto’s Pasties
Stock up on picnic supplies with a side of history.
Horton Bay General Store
Take some of Michigan’s produce home with you.
American Spoon
The local catch is delicious fried as well.
Terry's of Charlevoix
Carlson’s Fishery is a Great Lakes institution.
Carlson’s Fishery
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
Cely’s map is not only accurate, but captures the unique characteristics of Congaree’s trees and waterways.
How One Biologist Drew a Hyper-Accurate, Ranger-Approved Map of Congaree National Park
Though they’re protected inside the park, wolves can be killed when they cross its borders.
Wolves Have a Bad Reputation. One Yellowstone Naturalist Is Trying to Fix It.
The community board at Rex’s Dino Store advertises all kinds of NYC-specific dino services.
We Visited the Dino Bodega in (Jurassic) Park Slope

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All India Raisen Bhimbetka Rock Shelters

Bhimbetka Rock Shelters

A giant repository of accidentally discovered cave paintings up to 30,000 years old.

Raisen, India

Added By
Mariellen Ward
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Bhimbetka Rock Shelters   mariellen / Atlas Obscura User
Zoo Rock at Bhimbetka Rock Shelters   mariellen / Atlas Obscura User
Bhimbetka Rock Shelters   mariellen / Atlas Obscura User
Bhimbetka Rock Shelters   mariellen / Atlas Obscura User
Bhimbetka Rock Shelters   mariellen / Atlas Obscura User
Bhimbetka Rock Shelters   mariellen / Atlas Obscura User
Zoo Rock at Bhimbetka Rock Shelters   mariellen / Atlas Obscura User
Bhimbetka Rock Shelters   mariellen / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Lost to the world until 1957 when they were accidentally discovered by archaeologist Dr. V.S. Wakankar, the Bhimbetka Rock Shelters are the largest repository of prehistoric art in India—and possibly all of Asia. 

The rock shelters were carved by wind and rain out of hills and boulders in this forested region, about 30 miles from the capital of Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal. They contain evidence that people inhabited these shelters and caves as far back the Lower Paleolithic period, more than 200,000 years ago.

Out of 760 rock shelters, about 500 are painted with scenes that depict local birds and animals, mythological figures, and everyday scenes of people hunting, playing, and carrying weapons such as swords, spears, and bows-and-arrows.

The rock paintings range in color, from white, red, green, and yellow. They date from between the Upper Paleolithic Period, about 30,000 years ago, through to the medieval era in India, about 1,000 years ago. The oldest paintings are white, with the newer paintings in red. The paintings become more sophisticated through time. Elements such as movement, perspective, and recognizable religious figures can be seen in the newer paintings as they change from linear to more evolved shapes.

One of the highlights of the Bhimbetka Rock Shelters is “zoo rock.” Paintings of a variety of local animals cover a large rock face. Many have been superimposed over others, as the artists who made these painting often used the same rock faces as their ancestors. The paintings on this rock range from the Mesolithic Period to the Medieval. 

The Bhimbetka Rock Shelters gives visitors a glimpse into man’s prehistoric past, and the changing technology, clothing, culture, and lifestyle over a long period of time—from a nomadic to a settled agricultural lifestyle. They represent a living document in vivid color on a surface that is also changing due to wind and weather.

Even the name is mythological in scope, taken from the Mahabharat, the longest epic in the world. One of the Pandava brothers, Bhim, was said to have stayed in these caves after he and his four brothers were banished from their kingdom. “Bhim betka” means the place where Bhim sat. 

The Bhimbetka Rock Shelters became listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2003.

Related Tags

Rocks Cave Paintings Caves Art Prehistoric Ecosystems Geology

Know Before You Go

Only a small part of the site is open to visitors. A sign-posted pathway leads to about 15 rock shelters with paintings. There is a 250 rupees entrance fee for foreign visitors.

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Delhi and Rajasthan: Colors of India

Discover Colorful Rajasthan: From Delhi to Jaipur and Beyond.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

mariellen

Edited By

CDVV86

  • CDVV86

Published

April 19, 2018

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/925/
  • http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_whs_rockart_bhimbetka_detail.asp
Bhimbetka Rock Shelters
Unnamed Road
Raisen
India
22.939546, 77.612433
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Eran Pillar of Goparaja

Pahlejpur, India

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of India

India

Asia

Places 338
Stories 107

Nearby Places

Eran Pillar of Goparaja

Pahlejpur, India

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of India

India

Asia

Places 338
Stories 107

Related Places

  • Cave of Maltravieso

    Cáceres, Spain

    Cave of Maltravieso

    A neighborhood park in the city of Cáceres hides what some believe are revolutionary examples of Neanderthal cave art.

  • The injured woolly mammoth rock painting.

    Pimiango, Spain

    El Pindal Cave

    These primitive rock paintings include a very beloved depiction of a woolly mammoth.

  • Replica of the horse panel of the Chauvet Cave.

    Asturias, Spain

    Teverga Prehistoric Park

    See replicas of Europe's most famous cave paintings and even some of the animals that feature in the art.

  • Prehistoric painting of horses at Tito Bustillo cave.

    Ribadesella, Spain

    Tito Bustillo Cave

    A magnificent place to see authentic paleolithic cave paintings that are an astounding 33,000 years old.

  • Entrance to the cave

    Alliat, France

    Niaux Cave Paintings

    Trek into the depths of the cave where 17,000-year-old paintings exist alongside 400-year-old graffiti.

  • The view from Pahiyangala cave.

    Gavaragiriya, Sri Lanka

    Fa-Hien Lena (Pahiyangala Cave)

    The remains of a 37,000-year-old prehistoric society were discovered in this mammoth cave, one of the largest in Asia.

  • Prehistoric hand prints in a cave in Maros.

    Bantimurung, Indonesia

    Prehistoric Cave Art of Maros Pangkep

    These 40,000-year-old stenciled hands are older than the famous cave art in France and Spain.

  • There are hundreds of stenciled handprints in the caves.

    Argentina

    La Cueva de las Manos (Cave of Hands)

    Stenciled handprints and wall paintings dating back 10,000 years, some of the earliest forms of cave art.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.