Bhopal, July 22: The rock shelters at Bhimbetka, housing paintings dating back to the Mesolithic period, have finally come into the limelight after being included in UNESCO's list of world heritage sites.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is busy drawing up plans to improve the facilities at the site in view of the expected increase in tourists visiting the area.
Located in the Vindhya ranges, 19 km from here in Raisen district, it is the third world heritage site in Madhya Pradesh after the Khajuraho temples and the Sanchi Stupa.
The proposal for declaring the site was unanimously accepted by the world heritage committee in its meeting held on July 3. The site has been inscribed in the category of cultural landscape.
At present, there are 16 cultural and five natural sites in India that have been declared world heritage sites.



The Bhimbetka complex has a magnificent collection or rock paintings in natural rock shelters with archaeologicial evidence of habitation from the Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Chalcolithic and medieval period.



The site, currently under Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) protection, is located in a forested hill comprising a series of tall and massive rocks giving semblance of a huge fort from a distance.



ASI sources said after the declaration of Bhimbetka as a heritage site, a proposal had been forwarded to the government to establish an interpretation-cum-information centre.


Bureau Report