Exploring Palaeolithic Cave Paintings Found in Aravalli

Cave paintings found in India are a typical form of parietal art which includes petroglyphs or engravings found on the ceilings and the walls of the caves. Cave paintings in India depict the prehistoric origin and the upper palaeolithic styles over 100,000 years old. After the prehistoric period, the Bhimbetka cave paintings and rock shelters evolved in central India, spanning the Mesolithic and the Paleolithic era. The cave paintings exhibit the traces of human life in India and provide evidence of the Stone age site in Acheulian times. The most significant and famous cave paintings found in India are in the regions of Haryana-Aravalli and the caves of Maros in Indonesia.

Cave Paintings Found in India

The cave paintings found in India are ancient, artificial sculptures, carvings, and paintings on natural stone. Cave paintings consist of drawings, engravings, prints, stencils, and figures on caves and their platforms.

Cave paintings found in India are among the richest, largest, and most diverse repositories of rock art. Prehistoric rock paintings, rock-cut architecture is carved out of rock, and some examples of famous cave paintings.

Cave paintings in India depict the prehistoric origin and the upper palaeolithic styles over 100,000 years old. There are three forms of painting. They are

• Pictographs: Designs are painted onto the surface
• Petroglyphs: Designs are carved into the rock surface
• Earth figures: Carved on the ground.

After the prehistoric period, the Bhimbetka cave paintings and rock shelters evolved in central India, spanning the Mesolithic and the Paleolithic era. Archaeologist Archibald Carlleyle made the first finding of rock paintings in the world in 1867 – 68 in India (in Sohagi Ghat, Mirzapur District, Uttar Pradesh).

Famous Cave Paintings in India

Aravalli Range

• Archaeologists have found cave paintings in a forested and rocky corner of Haryana, not far from the national capital, that belongs to the Upper Palaeolithic age, potentially creating one of the oldest cave arts in the country. A vista of mountains in the Aravalli Range where Palaeolithic cave paintings were found in Haryana on July 10. These caves are amid a labyrinth of quartzite rocks in the Aravalli mountain ranges, outside the capital and a stone’s throw from the province’s only surviving patch of primary forest, a holy grove known as Mangar Bani. 

Lakhudiyar

• Uttarakhand’s rock shelters on river Suyal in the Kumaon hills are known for prehistoric rock painting sites. 
• These paintings are divided into three categories: animal, man, and geometric patterns in red ochre, white and black. Humans are depicted in a stick-like form. 
• Animals like a long-snouted animal, multi-legged lizard, and fox are depicted. These are drawn using wavy lines, dots, and rectangles using geometric designs.

Piklihal, Raichur, Karnataka

• Three styles of paintings–painting in red ochre, white, red ochre over a white background.  They belonged to the late historical, early history, and Neolithic periods.
• Pictures depicted are–bulls, elephants, sambhars, sheep, goats, horses, stylised humans but rarely vegetable motifs.

Ajanta Cave

• The Ajanta paintings were depicted from 200 B.C to 650 A.D. 
• It is situated in the northern parts of Maharashtra in Aurangabad. It is also declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

Ellora Cave

• The Ellora caves are situated near Aurangabad in Maharashtra. These paintings are the finest models of cave architecture belonging to the period 350 A.D-1000 A.D. In Total, there are 34 caves, and this site is also considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Bhimbetka Cave Paintings

• The Bhimbetka cave paintings were discovered by V.S. Wakankar in 1957-1958 and is located in the South of Bhopal in the Vindhya ranges of Madhya Pradesh, with rock shelters having more than 500 cave paintings.
• Bhimbetka paintings were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003. These are the oldest forms of painting and are estimated to be 30,000 years old. The portraits at Bhimbetka belong to the Mesolithic, Upper Paleolithic, Chalcolithic, early history, and medieval periods.
• These paintings have various colours like purple, brown, white, yellow, red ochre, and green obtained from natural resources. Haematite ores are used for red colour; green colour is prepared using Chalcedony, whereas white is used for limestone. The brushes are made of plant fibre. Various types of animals were depicted in hunting scenes.

Conclusion

India’s culture and diversity are always executed in the form of paintings. Cave paintings especially play a major role in knowing the diverse cultures. Cave paintings found in India are a typical form of parietal art which includes petroglyphs or engravings found on the ceilings and the walls of the caves. Cave paintings in India depict the prehistoric origin and the upper palaeolithic styles over 100,000 years old. After the stone age, the Bhimbetka caves and the rock paintings in the Aravalli range were survival examples. The cave paintings exhibit the traces of human life in India and provide evidence of the Stone age site in Acheulian times.