An archaeological wonder, the Bhimbetka Rock Shelters take tourists back in time. They are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Housing 500 or so paintings that have a stark resemblance to the ones found in Australia’s Kakadu National Park, cave paintings of Kalahari Desert’s Bushmen tribe and France’s Upper Palaeolithic Lascaux, Bhimbetka attracts tourists from far and wide. The paintings, created with natural colours that have withstood the test of time, were discovered by VS Wakankar in 1957 during an excavation expedition, and showcase the lives of a lost community that lived here thousands of years ago. Scenes of horse and elephant riding, honey collection, food hunting, dancing etc., can be seen in intricate detail.

Located to the south of Bhopal at a distance of approximately 46 km, the rocky terrain of the Vindhya ranges has over 600 shelters from the Neolithic age. Legend has it that Bhimbetka is derived from 'Bhimbaithka', meaning the seating place of Bhima, the strongest of the five Pandava brothers from the epic Mahabharata.