Thinking about nature, wildlife, history and heritage? One stop answer to all these cravings is the Satpura National Park. The priceless possession of Madhya Pradesh, the national park is rich in its biodiversity and an exceptional diversity of flora and fauna. The national park thus is the favourite go to place for both naturalists and photographers from across the country and beyond the national borders. 

On March 3, 2023, World Wildlife Day, Satpura National Park was awarded the Best Wildlife Destination Award by Arjun Ram Meghawal, the Union Minister of State for Culture and Parliamentary Affairs. To derive the true feel of forest thrill, safari is the best option at Satpura National Park.

There’s no doubt that the Satpura National Park trip is the very epitome of ultimate pleasure. However, there are several nearby attractions that are no less attractive than Satpura National Park and the tiger reserve. One such place is Bhimbetka caves, 63 km from the National Park. You must plan a day at Bhimbetka during your visit to Satpura National Park, which is about a 2 hrs drive from the park.

Satpura National Park

Popular and must do activities at Satpura National Park include:

• Jeep safari

• Nature walk trails

• Canoe ride

• Night safari

• Boat safari

• Cycling exploration

The smart way to enjoy the experience of the forest ambience is Satpura Online Safari Booking. Because, just like you, many intend to experience the same.

A day or two will suffice to fulfil the desire of your explorations.

Bhimbetka Caves

Bhimbetka (Bhim + Bhaitka) was recognised as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003 due to

• The quality and quantity of the rock art depicts the prolonged interdependence between the people and nature.

• The rock art clearly demonstrates the hunting and gathering lifestyle of the era and a link with the current tradition of the local adivasi villages of Bhimbetka. 

• The cave structure is located in the Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh, about 50 km away from Bhopal. 

• The Bhimbetka Caves were first discovered by Dr. V. S. Wakankar in 1957. He went to the tall hills at the Vindhya Range and found evidence of ancient human habitation in the form of paintings in the cave. 

• Bhimbetka caves got its name, as the locals believe the Pandavas brothers from the Mahabharata, stayed in these caves during their exile. Bhima, the second of the brothers, sat on the rocks to interact with the locals. Therefore it was named Bhim Bethika and later it became Bhimbetka.

Why visit Bhimbetka?

• There are about 243 caves in Bhimbetka with innumerable rock paintings as old as 30,000 years, during the Mesolithic Period. Also, the rocks are claimed to be the oldest rocks in India, portraying the long history of mankind through paintings.

• These paintings are a bridge to acquaintance with the prehistoric art and artistry, for the present age.

• The paintings on these huge sandstones depict the human habitations from the Lower Paleolithic Age to Medieval Age, about 1,00,000 years old.

• Another interesting fact about these artwork includes resemblance of the paintings Kakadu National Park in Australia and cave paintings of Upper Paleolithic Lascaux in France and in the Kalahari Desert the cave paintings of Bushmen.

• The painted rock caves at Bhimbetka range is over 600 metres from the mean sea level and these rock shelters are spread at about 1892 hectares enclosing 5 hills - Bhonrawali, Lakha Juar east, Lakha Juar west, Bhinneka and Bhimbetka.

• Red and white are the most used colours along with occasional yellow and green to depict the scenes of everyday activities like dancing, hunting, music, horse and elephant riding, etc. In some of the caves the pictures of tigers, lions, bison, elephants, wild boars, dogs, antelopes, lizards,etc, are also painted.