After a leisurely breakfast, check out and drive to the city of lakes – Bhopal, visiting a village bazaar en route and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Bhimbetka caves for an hour. Later proceed for onward journey. 

The villages around Satpura are host to two of India’s most famous ancient tribes:

Gond - The Gond is a very large tribe of Central India, numbering 12.7 million. Traditionally, they have been cultivating land, producing crops, and raising livestock. They grow rice, wheat, and different types of lentils, sesame, millet and cotton. Families live as a smaller unit with parents and children and also in extended families with other relatives. The Gond folk tradition is rich in art and craft and they are very fond of music and dance. Both men and women sing and dance to the energetic sound of instruments like the dholak, a double-sided drum. The Pardhan tribe is the official narrators of traditional folk stories for this community. They tattoo their bodies with stars, scorpions, flower, bird and animal patterns. The walls of their homes are painted with scenes inspired by nature – animals, birds, people and trees. These are drawn in red and black on a white background. They make colourful floor designs called rangoli and beautiful pottery, baskets and other crafts. Woodcarving is another talent.

Bhil - The Bhil tribe is a proud and ancient ethnic group inhabiting the Western part of Central India. The word 'bhil' is derived from the word ‘bil’ which means bow. Well over 1.5 million of them live as marginal farmers in almost 2000 villages. The members of the Bhil tribe possess a vast array of rich customs and traditions. Their colourful festivals and ceremonies are outbursts of joy and foster their sense of community. Dance and music are an integral part of their culture. Spread over a large area, they speak a smattering of languages endemic to the area they live.

Bhimbetka is where India’s rich collection of prehistoric cave paintings was discovered in 1957. The rock shelters of Bhimbetka are in the foothills of the Vindhyan Mountains on the southern edge of the central Indian plateau. Within massive sandstone outcrops, above the comparatively dense forest, are five clusters of natural rock shelters, displaying paintings that appear to date from the Mesolithic Period right through to the historical period. The cultural traditions of the inhabitants of the villages adjacent to the site bear a strong resemblance to those represented in the rock paintings. The over 600 rock shelters – the largest group in the world –depict scenes of hunting, dancing, music, horse and elephant riders, animals, honey collection, household scenes, rituals and religious symbols. Awe-inspiring indeed!