Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh boasts of pre-historic rock shelters and some of the finest prehistoric cave paintings in South Asia. Located 45 km south of Bhopal, on the southern edge of the Vindhyachal hills, Bhimbetka was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Archaeologists are of the opinion that the caves might have been occupied over 10,000 years ago. The site has more than 700 rock shelters. Bhimbetka has 243 rock shelters and 178 are in Lakha Juar.
Bhimbetka is well connected to the rest of India by road. Regular bus services ply to and fro the city of Bhimbetka; buses being operated both by private and government owners, especially the Madhya Pradesh Road Transport Corporation. There is no direct flight or rail connectivity, however, to Bhimbetka. The Raja Bhoj Airport in Bhopal (code: BHO) is the nearest airport that connects Bhimbetka to the rest of India. The nearest railway station to Bhimbetka is in Bhopal, which is around 45 km away from Bhimbetka.
The best time to visit Bhimbetka is from October - March. Winter season is the best season for a visit to Bhimbetka. Monsoon season is also a nice time to visit, while summers should be avoided, owing to the hostile climate.
The Bhimbetka rock shelters are an archaeological site, exhibiting the earliest traces of human life on the Indian subcontinent, and thus the beginning of the South Asian Stone Age. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 2003.
Bhimbetka is home to more than 500 rock shelters and caves which have a large number of paintings. The oldest paintings are considered to be 30,000 years old, but some of the geometric figures date to as recently as the medieval period. The colours used are vegetable colours which have endured through time because the drawings were generally made deep inside a niche or on inner walls. It a great place to visit for people of almost all age groups.