Art has fascinated the world since ancient times, with movements like the Mona Lisa and GTA VI. Today, we explore ancient cave paintings in India, tracing our journey from contemporary to prehistoric art.
The Bhimbetka Cave paintings in India, dating back to 10,000 BCE, are the oldest prehistoric artefacts in the country, categorized into seven periods by Indian archaeologist VN Wakankar.
Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra are a renowned group of five temples dedicated to Lord Shiva, two Buddhist caves, and Buddhist Stupa mounds crafted by various Hindu dynasties.
Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra are a renowned group of five temples dedicated to Lord Shiva, two Buddhist caves, and Buddhist Stupa mounds crafted by various Hindu dynasties.
The Ajanta Caves, a group of 29 Buddhist caves in Maharashtra, India, are renowned for their exquisite paintings and sculptures, including monasteries and worship halls.
Jogimara Caves in Ramgarh, Chhattisgarh, are known for their oldest cave paintings, dating back to the 3rd to 1st CE, featuring girls and boys playing with animals in corroded lime-based inscriptions.
Nine rock-cut monuments in Bagh, Madhya Pradesh, featuring Bagh paintings, are resting and worshipping places for monks built from the 5th-7th century on lime-primed mud plaster.
The Ellora Cave paintings, dating back to the 6th CE, are found in a rock-cut cave complex in Aurangabad District, Maharashtra, featuring 17 Hindu, 12 Buddhist, and 5 Jain caves, each with inscriptions.
Sittanavasal paintings in Tamil Nadu, attributed to the 9th-century Pandyan dynasty, feature motifs of lotus, men, women, birds, and fishes, incorporating Jain culture.
The Armamalai cave in Tamil Nadu is an 8th-century Jain temple with a similar technique to Sittanavasal paintings, featuring murals by Jain saints narrating minor deity stories and swan and plant images.
Adamgarh Hills' prehistoric cave paintings, including those at Narmadapuram, Madhya Pradesh, showcase stick figures hunting rituals, with 19th-century excavations revealing Neolithic, mesolithic, Palaeolithic, and Stone Age artefacts.
The Lenyadri caves, also known as Ganesh Lena or Ganesh Pahar, in Pune, Maharashtra, consist of 30 rock-cut Buddhist caves, dwelling halls, and chapels.