Madhya Pradesh Tribal Museum and Bhimbetka

On 27 oct 2021 we leaved hotel Amaltas, Ujjain at 10 AM, had coffee and started for Bhopal. Distance between Indore and Bhopal is 195 kms. on the way had breakfast and reached Bhopal at 3 PM. Checked in hotel Vishnu Vilas and took light lunch at room only and by auto Rs.110/- went to visit Tribal Museum at 4 PM. Distance between museum to railway station and bus stand is 8 & 4 kms respectively.

Madhya Pradesh Tribal Museum takes you on an immersive journey through the culture of the local tribes of the state. With large colourful displays, museum shows the art, traditions, daily life and customs collection of mostly local tribal paintings, tools, clothing, earthen pots, crafts etc. Ticket is nominal Rs.10/- per head and for camera Rs.50/-. But only still photography is allowed. No videos. This is very clean, well maintained, colourfull and excellent place and all artworks are awesome. We loved this place very much. Very much informative. Each and every corner is photogenic. Everywhere there are English and Hindi signboards which helps you to understand about. The Tribal Life Gallery has full-sized models of the tribes’ houses and dwellings. It is one of the best museums in India and certainly worth a visit. The sprawling campus is divided into 6 colorful galleries showing the diversity of the seven tribes of the state.

There is a shop named Chingari, you can get art n craft items made by tribals and there are books for sale as well. It takes 2-3 hours for visiting the museum. In the basement there is restaurant for snacks, tea, coffee with regular rates. We returned by auto Rs.100/- to hotel Vishnu vilas by 7.30PM.

On 28th October 2021 at 9.30 AM we had coffee and breakfast at nearby hotel and went to Bhimbetka Rock Shelters. It is about 45 Km from Bhopal. We reached at 11.30. Car entry is Rs. 150/-.

Bhimbetka Rock Shelters is a UNESCO World Heritage site that consists of seven hills and over 750 rock shelters distributed over 10 km discovered in 1957. It is located in the Raisen district in M.P. At least some of the shelters were inhabited more than 100,000 years ago. It exhibits the earliest traces of human life in India and evidence of stone age starting at the site in Acheulian times. Rock shelters were the homes to humans, millennia ago. The rock shelters and caves provide evidence of, according to Encyclopaedia Britannica, a "rare glimpse" into human settlement and cultural evolution from hunter-gatherers, to agriculture, and expressions of prehistoric spirituality. These cave paintings show themes such as animals, early evidence of dance and hunting. The Bhimbetka site has the oldest-known rock art in India, as well as is one of the largest prehistoric complexes. Of the 750 rock shelters, only 12 - 13 are open for visitors. 55o million years old Dickinsonia is fossils of extinct genus of basal animals has been found at Bhimbetka. We hired a guide at Rs 350/- It is better to hire a guide, he shows you drawings, paintings, shelters and give other information. Nice place for nature and history lovers. There is Vaishnav Devi temple 300-400 meters away. Drinking water, washrooms available at the entrance but carry your snacks with you. Not a single store, hotel nearby. We spent one and half hour there and returned to Bhopal, had lunch and back to Vishnu vilas hotel.