The term Mesolithic art refers to all arts and crafts created between the end of the Palaeolithic Ice Age (10,000 BCE) and the beginning of farming, i.e., Neolithic age.
The art of that period mostly catered on what man lived, whereas the classical arts essentially depicted what man saw and the Modern Art depicted what man thought. Since the earliest art form was closest to nature, it has a deep aesthetic sense, which appeal most people compared to the Modern Art
The main feature of Mesolithic rock cut architecture is rock cave paintings which reflected the daily life of that period in a sense, because most of the paintings showed animals, hunting scenes, the Mesolithic sites have paintings of social life, sexual activity, child birth, rearing of children, and burial ceremony. The symmetry of artifacts, are evidence of attention to detail of tool shape activities.
In Archaeology rock art is human made markings placed on natural stone that is largely synonymous with parietal art.
Being a global phenomenon rock art is found in many culturally diverse regions of the world.
Indian rock-cut architecture is mostly religious in nature. It has been produced in many contexts throughout human history although the majority of rock art that has been ethnographically recorded has been produced as a part of a ritual.
Such artworks include Petroglyphs, which are carved into the rock surface, pictographs which are painted onto the surface and earth figures, engraved into the ground.
The oldest known rock art dates from Upper paleolithic period, having been found in Europe, Australia, Asia and Africa. Archaeologists studying these artworks believe that they likely had magico- religious significance.
Singrauli is the 50th district in state of Madhya Pradesh, which covers a region comprising of the eastern part of the Sidhi district in Madhya Pradesh and adjoining region of Sonebhadra district in UP.
Historically Singrauli belonged to the princely state of Rewa, a part of the Baghelkhand region. Singrauli has a history spanning form the emergence of the pre-historic man to the present age of industrialisation.
Its Famous caves include Vivah Mada, Ganesh Mada and Shankar Mada, Jaljalia and Ravan Mada. Besides rock cut caves, Singrauli also has Painted rock shelters. Ranimachi, Dholagiri and Goura pahad lie in Chitrangi tehsil of Singrauli.
It is a region with painted rock shelters belonging to the Mesolithic age of microlithic implements culture.
The Ajanta caves in Maharasthra are 30 rock cut buddhist temples that span 6 centuries,begining in the 1st century BCE.They are carved into the vertical side of gorge located in the hills of Sahyadari mountains.
Similar to the Barabar caves ,the Ajanta caves are suited close to the main trade routes. A great deal of decorative sculpture intricately carved columns and reliefs including cornices and pilaster are found here.
The Ellora caves were buildt between the 5th and 10th centuries.these caves are made up of 12 Buddhist,17 Hindu and 5 rock-cut temples, excavated out of Charanandri hills.
The rock cut shelters of Bhimbetka are a repository of rock paintings within natural rock shelters with archaelogical evidences of habitation and lithic industry, from the paleolithic and mesolithic periods through the chalcolitic to the medieval period.
They are located within the designated Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary in an area of abundant natural resources and shelter. The shelters exhibit earlier traces of human life in India its rock paintings are amongst the oldests.
The topmost Architectural building projecting forward from the main wall, originally used as a means of directing rainwater away from the buildings wall. A rectangular column that projects partially from the wall to which it is attached it gives the appearance of a support but is only for decoration. A medium used to bind pigments into paintings as well as associated artistic techniques.
There are more than 1500 rock cut temples in India most of which are religious in nature adorned with decorative paintings and exquisite stone carving reflecting a very high level of craftsmanship.
Bhimbetka is an ideal location to view rock paintings of mesolithic man. people are really intrested in this part of history ,when visiting Bhimbetka must also visit places around this region within Raisen district.
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 comparatively dense forests are five clusters of natural rock shelters displaying painting that appear to date from the Mesolitic period right through to the historical period .
'sThe cultural traditions of the inhabitants of the twenty- one villages adjacent to the site bear a strong resemblance to those in the rock paintings.
