Bhimbetka Caves Bhopal Entry Fee
- 25 per person for Indians
- 500 per person for Foreign tourists
- 100 for 2 wheelers
- 300 for Cars
Bhimbetka Caves Bhopal Phone
0755 2746827
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| 4/5 stars
Based on total 78 reviews
Bhimbetka Caves Bhopal Address: Bhojpur Raisen, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, 464990, India
Bhimbetka Rock Shelters, located about 45 km from Bhopal, is a popular UNESCO World Heritage Site. Approximately dating back to more than 30,000 years, these rock shelters are situated at the foothills of the Vindhya mountain range. Believed to be one of the largest prehistoric complexes in India, these rock shelters are also known as Bhimbetka Caves and are home to cave paintings of human life from the Paleolithic and Mesolithic periods to the historical and medieval periods.
Spread across seven hills over 10 km, Bhimbetka Rock Shelters inside the Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary, is an archaeological treasure comprising about 750 caves. The petroglyphs found inside them are probably the oldest known rock art in the country. These have remarkable similarity to the Bushmen cave paintings in Kalahari Desert; Kakadu National Park in Australia and France’s Upper Paleolithic Lascaux cave paintings.
History of Bhimbetka Rock Shelters Bhopal
It was in 1957, when Indian archaeologist Dr. Vishnu Wakankar was on his way to Nagpur on a train when he noticed these caves. He was astonished as he had seen something similar in Spain and France previously. Later that year, he went with his team of archaeologists to explore this area and discovered these rock shelters from the prehistoric era.
Subsequently, several studies were done on these structures, and it was ascertained that these caves were built during the Stone Age by the first human settlements in the area. An interesting thing about the paintings in these caves is that they have a strong similarity to the cultural traditions of the people living in the 21 villages located close to Bhimbetka.
The legend behind the name Bhimbetka is that ‘Bhim’, one of the Pandava brothers from the epic Mahabharata, rested in these caves during their exile years. Locals say that Bhim used to sit on the hills and outside the caves while interacting with the local people. Thus, it has been named as Bhim Betka meaning Bhim’s Resting Place.
Architecture of Bhimbetka Rock Shelters, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
Out of the 750 caves of Bhimbetka, 500 of them feature paintings; most of which have been painted on the cave walls in white and red colors, which is believed to have been extracted from vegetables. The themes of these paintings revolved around hunting, dancing, singing, geometric structures and other common activities of the people from those times.
Today, this rock art has been divided into different periods: Upper Paleolithic, Chalcolithic, Mesolithic, Early and Medieval history. Many experts believe that there might have been more caves in the area, but could have eroded with time.
Image Gallery of Bhimbetka Caves Bhopal
Things to do in Bhimbetka Rock Shelters
Although there are about 750 rock shelters at Bhimbetka, visitors are only allowed to explore 12 to 15 of them. Even then, there is much to witness at this place; the most prominent attraction being the Auditorium Cave, which is the largest cave of them all. There lies a huge boulder at the entrance of the caves called the King’s Rock or Chief’s Rock.
The cave paintings are worth exploring as they depict human life from different periods. The historical and medieval period paintings include battle scenes, swords, arrows, spears, bows, elephants, riders on horses, elephants, etc.
On the other hand, the prehistoric paintings include tree gods, communal dances, religious symbols, cooking, eating, drinking, singing, dancing, hunting, etc. Tourists on an excursion to these caves will get an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn about the life of the people, who lived on this planet, thousands of years ago.
Bhopal Bhimbetka Rock Shelters Timings and Entry fee
Tourists are allowed to visit the Bhimbetka Rock Shelters on all days, from 7 am to 6 pm. The entry fee for Indian nationals is Rs. 25 and for foreigners is Rs. 500. The entry fees for two wheelers is Rs. 100 while for cars, it is Rs. 300.
How to reach Bhimbetka Rock Shelters in Bhopal
By Air: The nearest airport to the rock shelters is the Raja Bhoj International Airport at an approximate distance of 57 km. It takes approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes to travel this distance. Tourists can hire a private taxi from top car rental companies in Bhopal or an auto rickshaw for this hour-long journey.
By Rail: The closest railhead to this place is the Bhopal Junction Railway Station, about 46 km away. It takes around an hour to travel this distance by availing private taxis or auto rickshaws.
By Road: The best way to reach this attraction from Bhopal by road is to board buses plying to Hoshangabad from the Bhopal ISBT-HabibGanj bus terminal. Tourists need to get down at the main road close to Bhimbetka and walk towards it. However, traveling by bus should be the last option due to the bad road conditions.
Things to keep in mind while visiting Bhimbetka Rock Shelters
- Ticket counter is about 2 km from the actual site, and tourists are suggested to travel this distance by vehicle.
- Trip to these rock shelters should be planned between October and March; avoiding summer months is suggested.
- Carrying eatables and water is advisable.
To make your visit a memorable one, we at Bhopal Tourism, have curated Bhopal tour packages that help travelers in planning a hassle-free vacation. Please fill the Contact Us form for more details. With our well organized tour packages, you can enjoy visiting all the popular sightseeing places of Bhopal in a relaxed manner.
