Rock paintings facing threat of going into oblivion
| Date :10-Jan-2020 |
By Sharmila Bhadoria :
Apart from fascinating historical buildings and eye-catching Upper Lake, Bhopal is also known for its rich rock painting heritage. Rock paintings made by early humans while staying in wild are spread in and around Bhopal. It is the irony that most of the rock paintings are unprotected and due to this reason, they are gradually fading and are facing the threat of slipping into oblivion. There is no official record that how many rock painting became non-existent by the passage of time. Rock paintings are like a window into past which sheds light on how early human beings lived and how they left their imprint by using rocks as canvass to draw various things.
Rock paintings are situated in Kathothia area, Shyamlla Hills area, near Bhadbhada area, Gondipura area etc. State Directorate of Archaeology, Achieves and Museum officials say that most of the rock paintings situated in the main area of Bhopal city got destroyed due to wide array of factors, including human interference. Kathothia jungle dots many rock painting sites which shows pictures of python, horses, battles, wild buffaloes, and two-horned rhinoceros. These rock paintings turn out to be the evidence of the existence of wild buffaloes and horses during 3500-2300 BC.
Sources said that rock paintings also existed at scenic locations of Bhopal such as Manuabhaan Tekri, Lal Ghati area, and still exist in sites like Shyamla Hills, Dharampuri etc. Book titled, ‘The Archaeology of Bhopal Region’ says that most of the rock paintings are either completely or partially destroyed due to increased construction, quarrying activities. Technical Assistant of the Directorate of Archaeology, Archives and Museum, Ahmed Ali Khan says, “When we went to see the rock painting inside a small cave, situated behind Bharat Bhawan, we got to know that there was regular human interference inside the cave. Inside the cave, we were unable to find anything, as most of the paintings were damaged due to the smoke or scratching. This time we are trying to identify the rock shelter sites for their protections. Most of the rock shelters situated in the main areas of the city hardly exists, today.
It is obvious that if a place witnesses development, it happens at the cost of its natural, ecological, historical, and archaeological heritage.” On the other hand, rock paintings situated deep in jungle area are still at bay from human interference hence they are in good shape but no one can deny that natural factors can take toll of them. Talking about the flagship project, officer of Archaeology Directorate, Ramesh Yadav says, “Department is going to start the proper documentation of the rock shelter paintings not only in the city, but also in the entire State. After the proper documentation of the paintings, we will also ensure the proper protection of these sites.”