Bhimbetka Caves

Friday 14 January - Saturday 15 January 2000

From monuments to bird spotting to rock paintings, our next stop was Bhopal, the capital of the Central Madhya Pradesh region of India.  We left Bharatpur by bus and headed back to Agra, then caught a train south and what felt like days later, arrived in Bhopal.  It was rarely on many travellers’ itinerary, but we had come with a specific objective in mind:  to visit the Bhimbetka caves.

Among forests of teak and craggy cliffs about 50 kilometres (30 miles) south of Bhopal, thousands of rock shelters have been found containing ancient paintings depicting the life and times of the different people who lived here.  The colours have been remarkably well-preserved thanks to the natural red and white pigments used by the painters, and everything from figures of buffalo, bear and tigers to hunting scenes, dancing and religious rites can clearly be made out.  The oldest paintings are thought to be around 12,000 years old and they are intriguing to see.  The setting was somewhat eerie:  wind howling through the caves, mist obscuring views of the surrounding landscape, and a feeling of total desolation (we were the only people there). 

The other interesting discovery we made back in Bhopal was the old Union Carbide plant, closed down after the 1984 toxic leak which killed over 16,000 people in the city.  The site of this multinational US-based company is now a graveyard.  Barbed wire fencing and vast brick walls encircle its perimeters and there are now memorial statues dedicated to the many people who died.  Despite receiving $470 million in compensation, the Indian government has yet to share this money with the people of Bhopal who suffered, and the slogans painted on any available surface leave you in no doubt that sentiment is still running high in the bid to find a scapegoat for this appalling tragedy.

Sanchi

Sunday 16 January 2000

From Bhopal, we hired a car and driver and headed east to the town of Sanchi, which houses some of the oldest and most interesting Buddhist structures in India.  The first stupas here were built in the 3rd century BC, and over the succeeding centuries, many other religious structures were added.

We arrived in Sanchi by late afternoon.  It’s a small town with few options on accommodation (the so-called hotels could hardly warrant such an ambitious title) and by the time we had arrived, everything was full.  Our only remaining hope was to get a room at the local Buddhist monastery, which consisted of a mattress and cold running water.  Food options were equally limited so dinner was a packet of biscuits and while Eric ran off to capture sunset at the monuments, Pippa hunkered down with a Pepsi-Cola for the night, dreaming of five-star luxuries like hot water and fresh green salads.

The next morning, we wandered through the temple complex, admiring the bizarre structures and stunning stone carvings.  While Sanchi played no part in the life of Buddha, it is attributed to Emperor Ashoka, supporter and defender of the Buddhist faith, who was responsible for taking the teachings of the Enlightened One to Sri Lanka.  The most significant element of Buddhist architecture is the stupa and Sanchi has several fine examples, some encircled by an outer wall or even a terrace with a flight and steps with balustrades leading up to it.

Sanchi is one of the best-preserved sites in India and the quality of its monuments was indeed superior to many others we had seen.  There were several fine examples of yakshas (pot-bellied spirits) and yakshis (tree nymphs) which supported the architraves of each of the four gateways, and referred to important moments in the Buddha’s life.  Elephants also featured prominently as it was an elephant who brought news of Buddha’s birth to his mother in a dream.  The level of detail in the carvings was exquisite, and it was amazing how much time we spent simply wandering through the smallish complex, admiring the architecture and snapping photos.

By late afternoon, we were heading for the train station to pick up another train, this time heading back north to Jhansi, a convenient transit point to both Orchha and Khajuraho, our two next destinations.