Earth and Space News: Bhimbetka rock shelter Madhya Pradesh

Showing posts with label Bhimbetka rock shelter Madhya Pradesh. Show all posts

Friday, January 17, 2020

Ajanta Cave Wall Paintings and Gardens and Bhimbetka Sanctuary Gardens

Summary: Perhaps Bhimbetka rock shelters and Bhimbetka sanctuary gardens anticipate Ajanta cave wall paintings and Ajanta sanctuary gardens.

Bhimbetka rock shelters and their natural, unofficial Bhimbetka sanctuary gardens perhaps are artisanal antecedents in central-north India of Ajanta cave wall paintings and their natural, unofficial Ajanta sanctuary gardens in central-west India.

Water and wind erosion of geological break-ups and succession vegetation respectively built the 243 100,000-year-old Bhimbetka rock shelters and their Bhimbetka sanctuary gardens in Madhya Pradesh. Itinerant artisans and monks created the 1,300- to 2,300-year-old Ajanta cave wall paintings and sculptures and cliffside, cliff-top and riverside Ajanta sanctuary gardens in Maharashtra state. Ajanta's black-, blue-, green-, red-, white- and yellow-painted ceilings, pillars and walls and Bhimbetka's 1,000- to 30,000-year-old red and white paintings display wildlife for different reasons.

Ajanta cave wall paintings and Bhimbetka rock shelters respectively expose animals from Buddha's (from Sanskrit बुद्ध, "awakened") enlightened existences and from killing expeditions by village hunters.

The seven-hill, 4,677.71-acre (1,893-hectare) Bhimbetka rock shelters and their 21-village, 25,402.43-acre (10,280-hectare) buffer zone function as semi-cultivated, semi-wild, unofficial Bhimbetka rain gardens and Bhimbetka sanctuary gardens.

The 20,366.43-acre (8,242-hectare) World Heritage Centre site and 194,412.63-acre (78,676-hectare) buffer zone since 1983 generate natural, semi-cultivated, semi-wild, unofficial Ajanta rain gardens and Ajanta sanctuary gardens. Overlapping Ajanta rain gardens and Ajanta sanctuary gardens and overlapping Bhimbetka rain gardens and Bhimbetka sanctuary gardens harbor edible flowering, fruiting, leafing non-woody and woody homes. Major Robert Gill (Sept. 26, 1804-April 10, 1875) initiated ecosystem imbalance and site impairment by killing 250 tigers (Panthera tigris) and varnishing Ajanta cave wall paintings.

Construction, geology, hunts, pollution, tourism and vandalism jeopardize cultural and ecological balances of two United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) World Heritage Centre sites.

Bhimbetka sanctuary gardens traditionally kindle barking deer (Muntiacus muntjak), blue bulls (Boselaphus tragocamelus), blue-eared kingfishers (Alcedo meninting), brainfever birds (Hierococcyx varius) and crimson-breasted barbets (Psilopogon haemacephalus).

Bhimbetka sanctuary gardens traditionaly lodge Eurasian hoopoes (Upupa epops), four-horned antelopes (Tetracerus quadricornis), golden jackals (Canis aureus), green bee-eaters (Merops orientalis) and Indian antelopes (Antilope cervicapra).They maintain Indian cobras (Naja naja), foxes (Vulpes bengalensis), gazelles (Gazella bennettii), grey mongooses (Herpestes edwardsi), hares (Lepus nigricollis), kraits (Bungarus caeruleus) and langurs (Semnopithecus entellus). Indian peafowl (Pavo cristatus), porcupines (Hystrix indica), pythons (Python molurus), ratsnakes (Ptyas mucosa), robins (Copsychus fulicatus) and scaly anteaters (Manis crassicaudata) nestle near Bhimbetka rock shelters.

Semi-cultivated, semi-wild, Bhimbetka sanctuary gardens offer jungle cats (Felis chaus), monitor lizards (Varanus varius), oriental magpie-robins (Copsychus saularis), panthers (Panthera pardus) and rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta).

Bhimbetka sanctuary gardens around Bhimbetka rock shelters possess rufous treepies (Dendrocitta vagabunda), sambar deer (Rusa unicolor), sloth bears (Melursus ursinus) and small Indian civets (Viverricula indica).

Semi-cultivated, semi-wild, unofficial Bhimbetka sanctuary gardens traditionally queue up spotted deer (Axis axis), striped hyenas (Hyaena hyaena) and swamp deer (Rucervus duvaucelii) around Bhimbetka rock shelters. They traditionally receive tigers (Panthera tigris), white wagtails (Motacilla alba) and wild boar (Sus scrofa) as well as various babblers (Timaliidae family) and bats (Chiroptera order). They shelter bulbuls (Pycnonotidae family), doves and pigeons (Columbidae), drongos (Dicruridae), flycatchers (Tyrannidae), mynas (Sturnidae), parakeets (Psittacidae), partridges and quail (Phasianidae), vipers (Viperidae) and woodpeckers (Picidae).

Ajanta cave wall paintings and Bhimbetka rock shelters transmit something about Ajanta sanctuary gardens and much about Bhimbetka sanctuary gardens, whose wildlife ancient artisans once treasured.

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Paintings in the Bhimbetka rock shelters suggest the area's faunal abundance; Bhimbetka Rock Shelter 9 (No. III C-30) depicts a white horse facing a green, white and yellow floral setting (center) and a whitish elephant followed by a shrouded figure (right); Bhimbetka rock shelters, Madhya Pradesh, central India; Friday, Sep. 20, 2013, 15:09: Dinesh Valke from Thane, India, CC BY SA 2.0 Generic, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bhimbetka_rock_shelters_(9971329895).jpg; Dinesh Valke (Dinesh Valke), CC BY SA 2.0, Generic, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/dinesh_valke/9971329895/

Bhimbetka Rock Shelter 10 (No. III C-29) details a bird in a tree (on upper left branch); Bhimbetka rock shelters, Madhya Pradesh, central India; Friday, Sep. 20, 2013, 15:11: Dinesh Valke from Thane, India, CC BY SA 2.0 Generic, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bhimbetka_rock_shelters_(9971309344).jpg; Dinesh Valke (Dinesh Valke), CC BY SA 2.0 Generic, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/dinesh_valke/9971309344/

For further information:

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Barrett, Douglas E.; and Basil Gray. 1963. Painting of India. Geneva, Switzerland: Skira, Treasures of Asia. Distributed in the United States by World Publishing Co., Cleveland OH.

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Burgess, J. (James). 1879. "Notes on the Bauddha Rock-Temples of Ajanta, Their Paintings and Sculptures, and on the Paintings of the Bagh Caves, Modern Bauddha Mythology, &c." Archaeological Society of Western India, no. 9. Bombay, India: Government Central Press.
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Fergusson, James. 1845. Illustrations of the Rock-Cut Temples of India: Selected From the Best Examples of the Different Series of Caves at Ellora, Ajunta, Cuttack, Salsette, Karli, and Mahavellipore. Drawn on Stone by Mr. T.C. Dibdin, From Sketches Carefully Made on the Spot, With the Assistance of the Camera-Lucida, in the Years 1838-9. London, England: John Weale, M.DCCC.XLV.
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Marriner, Derdriu. 10 January 2020. “Ajanta Cave Wall Paintings, Ajanta Rain Gardens, Bhimbetka Rain Gardens.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/01/ajanta-cave-wall-paintings-ajanta-rain.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 3 January 2020. "Bhimbetka: 200th Anniversary of Ajanta Cave Wall Paintings." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/01/bhimbetka-200th-anniversary-of-ajanta.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 27 December 2019. "Ajanta Sanctuary Gardens: 200th Anniversary of Ajanta Cave Wall Paintings." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/12/ajanta-sanctuary-gardens-200th.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 20 December 2019. "200th Anniversary Year of Ajanta Cave Wall Paintings: Ajanta Rain Gardens." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/12/200th-anniversary-of-ajanta-cave-wall.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 13 December 2019. "Ajanta Herbal Gardens: 200th Anniversary Year of Ajanta Cave Wall Paintings." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/12/ajanta-herbal-gardens-200th-anniversary.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 6 December 2019. "Maharashtran Tiger Ambles Through Ajanta Caves 200th Anniversary Year." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/12/maharashtran-tiger-ambles-through.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 29 November 2019. "Ajanta Cave 28: 200th Anniversary Year of Ajanta Cave Wall Paintings." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/11/ajanta-cave-28-200th-anniversary-year.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 22 November 2019. "200th Anniversary Year of Ajanta Cave Wall Paintings: Ajanta Cave 27." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/11/200th-anniversary-year-of-ajanta-cave_22.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 15 November 2019. "200th Anniversary Year of Ajanta Cave Wall Paintings: Ajanta Cave 24." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/11/200th-anniversary-year-of-ajanta-cave_15.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 8 November 2019. “200th Anniversary Year of Ajanta Cave Wall Paintings: Ajanta Cave 14.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/11/200th-anniversary-year-of-ajanta-cave.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 1 November 2019. "Ajanta Cave 3: 200th Anniversary Year of Ajanta Cave Wall Paintings." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/11/ajanta-cave-3-200th-anniversary-year-of.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 25 October 2019. "Ajanta Cave 5: 200th Anniversary Year of Ajanta Cave Wall Paintings." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/10/ajanta-cave-5-200th-anniversary-year-of.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 18 October 2019. "Ajanta Cave 4: 200th Anniversary Year of Ajanta Cave Wall Paintings." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/10/ajanta-cave-4-200th-anniversary-year-of.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 11 October 2019. "200th Anniversary Year of Ajanta Cave Wall Paintings: Ajanta Cave 22." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/10/200th-anniversary-year-of-ajanta-cave_11.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 4 October 2019. "200th Anniversary Year of Ajanta Cave Wall Paintings: Ajanta Cave 20." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/10/200th-anniversary-year-of-ajanta-cave.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 27 September 2019. "Ajanta Cave 23: 200th Anniversary Year of Ajanta Cave Wall Paintings." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/09/ajanta-cave-23-200th-anniversary-year.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 20 September 2019. "Ajanta Cave 21: 200th Anniversary Year of Ajanta Cave Wall Paintings." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/09/ajanta-cave-21-200th-anniversary-year.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 13 September 2019. "Ajanta Cave 15: 200th Anniversary Year of Ajanta Cave Wall Paintings." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/09/ajanta-cave-15-200th-anniversary-year.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 6 September 2019. "200th Anniversary Year of Ajanta Cave Wall Paintings: Ajanta Cave 7." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/09/200th-anniversary-year-of-ajanta-cave.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 30 August 2019. "Mandana Wall Paintings: 200th Anniversary of Ajanta Cave Wall Paintings." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/08/mandana-wall-paintings-200th.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 23 August 2019. "Warli Wall Paintings: 200th Anniversary of Ajanta Cave Wall Paintings." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/08/warli-wall-paintings-200th-anniversary.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 16 August 2019. "200th Anniversary Year of Ajanta Cave Wall Paintings: Ajanta Cave 11." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/08/200th-anniversary-year-of-ajanta-cave.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 9 August 2019. "Ajanta Cave 6: 200th Anniversary Year of Ajanta Cave Wall Paintings." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/08/ajanta-cave-6-200th-anniversary-year-of.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 2 August 2019. "200th Anniversary Year of Ajanta Cave Wall Paintings: Ajanta Cave 18." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/08/200th-anniversary-year-of-ajanta-cave_2.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 26 July 2019. "Ajanta Cave 25: 200th Anniversary Year of Ajanta Cave Wall Paintings." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/07/ajanta-cave-25-200th-anniversary-year.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 19 July 2019. "Thich Nhat Hanh Achieved at An Quang the Aims of Ajanta Jataka Tales." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/07/thich-nhat-hanh-achieved-at-quang-aims.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 12 July 2019. "Engaged Buddhism of Thich Nhat Hanh Allies With Ajanta Jataka Tales." Earth and Space News. Friday.
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Marriner, Derdriu. 5 July 2019. “Thich Nhat Hanh and Indra's Net at Parallax Press and Ajanta Cave 17.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/07/thich-nhat-hanh-and-indras-net-at.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 28 June 2019. “Thich Nhat Hanh, La Boi and Ajanta Cave 16 Ace Outstanding Inner Peace.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
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Marriner, Derdriu. 21 June 2019. “Thich Nhat Hanh and Indra's Net at Van Hanh and Ajanta Cave 1.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/06/thich-nhat-hanh-and-indras-net-at-van.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 14 June 2019. “Indra's Net Affects Thich Nhat Hanh, Phap Van and Ajanta Cave 2.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/06/indras-net-affects-thich-nhat-hanh-phap.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 7 June 2019. "Thich Nhat Hanh, Indra's Net at Phuong Boi and Ajanta Cave Wall Paintings." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/06/thich-nhat-hanh-indras-net-at-phuong.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 31 May 2019. "Thich Nhat Hanh, Indra's Net at Bat Nha and Ajanta Cave Wall Paintings." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/05/thich-nhat-hanh-indras-net-at-bat-nha.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 24 May 2019. “Thich Nhat Hanh, Stream Entering Monastery and Ajanta Cave Wall Paintings.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/05/thich-nhat-hanh-stream-entering.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 17 May 2019. “Thich Nhat Hanh, Thai Plum Village and Ajanta Cave Wall Paintings.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
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Marriner, Derdriu. 10 May 2019. “Thich Nhat Hanh, AIAB Hong Kong and Ajanta Cave Wall Paintings.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
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Marriner, Derdriu. 3 May 2019. “Thich Nhat Hanh, EIAB Germany and Ajanta Cave Wall Paintings.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
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Marriner, Derdriu. 26 April 2019. “Thich Nhat Hanh, Deer Park Monastery and Ajanta Cave Wall Paintings.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
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Marriner, Derdriu. 19 April 2019. “Thich Nhat Hanh, Blue Cliff Monastery and Ajanta Cave Wall Paintings.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
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Marriner, Derdriu. 5 April 2019. “Thich Nhat Hanh, Tu Hieu Temple Walks and Ajanta Cave Wall Paintings.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/04/thich-nhat-hanh-tu-hieu-temple-walks.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 29 March 2019. "Thich Nhat Hanh, Walking Meditations and Ajanta Cave Wall Paintings." Earth and Space News. Friday.
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Marriner, Derdriu. 22 March 2019. “200th Anniversary Year of Ajanta Cave Wall Paintings: Ajanta Cave 13.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/03/200th-anniversary-year-of-ajanta-cave_22.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 15 March 2019. “200th Anniversary Year of Ajanta Cave Wall Paintings: Ajanta Cave 12.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
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Friday, January 10, 2020

Ajanta Cave Wall Paintings, Ajanta Rain Gardens, Bhimbetka Rain Gardens

Summary: Ancient artisans of Bhimbetka rock shelters and Bhimbetka rain gardens are perhaps ancestors of Ajanta cave wall paintings and Ajanta rain gardens.

Bhimbetka Rock Shelter 9 (No. III C-30) depicts a white horse (right) facing yellow, white and green floral designs (left), described by English photographer Kevin Standage as representing a flower pot, three white lotus flowers, two white buds and two green leaves (Kevin Standage Photography, March 3, 2018); Bhimbetka rock shelters, Madhya Pradesh, central India; Saturday, Sep. 17, 2016, 12:21: Vijay Tiwari, CC BY SA 4.0 International, via Wikimedia Commons

Central-north India accommodates the Bhimbetka rock shelters and their natural, unofficial Bhimbetka rain gardens, perhaps artisanal antecedents of Ajanta cave wall paintings and their natural, unofficial Ajanta rain gardens of central-west India.

Natural processes of erosion, landslides and settlement and of succession vegetation respectively built the Bhimbetka rock shelters and their surrounding Bhimbetka rain gardens in Madhya Pradesh. Itinerant artisans and monks constructed the Ajanta caves, created Ajanta cave wall paintings and sculptures and perhaps cultivated natural Ajanta rain gardens in north-central Maharashtra state. The red- and white-painted, 1,000- to 30,000-year-old art in the 100,000-year-old Bhimbetka rock shelters depicts little of the surrounding animals and plants apart tigers (Panthera tigris).

Black-, blue-, green-, red-, white- and yellow-pigmented, 1,600- to 2,300-year-old Ajanta cave wall paintings and sculptures elaborate few animals and plants evident in Ajanta rain gardens.

Ancient artisans featured foragers felled by farmers and hunters in Bhimbetka rain gardens that still favor 4,677.71-acre (1,893-hectare) Bhimbetka rock shelters and 25,402.43-acre (10,280-hectare) buffer zones.

Ajanta rain gardens and Buddha's (from Sanskrit बुद्ध, "awakened") reincarnations generated iconic banyan, bodhi, elephants, horses, snakes and tigers in Ajanta cave wall paintings and sculptures. Ajanta rain gardens and Bhimbetka rain gardens have some common animals with Ajanta cave wall paintings and sculptures and Bhimbetka rock shelters and some common plants. Their incidence by village farmers, from seed dispersals and through wildlife pollinators impedes water erosion and increases atmospheric and soil holding capacities for surface stormwater runoff.

Construction and traffic jeopardize rainfall and runoff journeying downward for soil food webs and upward for atmospheric evaporation in Ajanta rain gardens and Bhimbetka rain gardens.

Semi-cultivated, semi-wild, unofficial Bhimbetka rain gardens traditionally kindle almondette (achar locally, Buchanania lanzan scientifically), Assyrian plum (gondi lasora, Cordia myxa) and banyan fig (bargad, Ficus benghalensis).

Bhimbetka rain gardens traditionally lodge Bengal quince (bel, Aegle marmelos), bitter oleander (kari girdu, Holarrhena antidysenterica), black acacia (khair, Senegalia catechu) and black plum (jamun, Syzygium cumini). They maintain bodhi (pipal, Ficus religiosa), cluster fig (gular, Ficus racemosa), dove tree (haldu, Haldina cordifolia), false myrobalan (bahera, Terminalia bellirica) and flame-of-the-forest (palas, Butea monosperma). They traditionally nurtured near Bhimbetka rock shelters gray downy balsam (gurjan, Garuga pinnata), green ebony persimmon (tendu, Diospyros tomentosa) and Indian butter (mahua, Bassia latifolia) trees.

Bhimbetka rain gardens traditionally offer Indian cedar (tun, Cedrela toona), Indian gooseberry (aonla, Phyllanthus emblica), Indian laburnum (amaltas, Cassia fistula) and Indian laurel (saj, Terminalia tomentosa).

Bhimbetka rain gardens possess male bamboo (bans, Dendrocalamus strictus), mango (am, Mangifera indica), milk-tree (khirni, Mimusops hexandra), mountain-ebony (kachnar, Bauhinia variegata) and neem (nim, Azadirachta indica).

Bhimbetka rain gardens quicken night-flowering jasmine (harsingar, Nyctanthes arbor-tristis), north Indian rosewood (shisham, Dalbergia sissoo), queen dogbane (dudhai, Wrightia tomentosa) and red date (ber, Ziziphus jujuba). They reap near Bhimbetka rock shelters red silk-cotton (semal, Bombax ceiba), tamarind (imli, Tamarindus indica), teak (sagun, Tectona grandis) and wild date palm (khajur, Phoenix sylvestris). Nothing suggests sure sources for Ajanta cave wall paintings and Ajanta rain gardens seeming respectively dissimilar and similar to Bhimbetka rock shelters and Bhimbetka rain gardens.

Ajanta rain gardens transported rainfall away from Ajanta cave wall paintings and toward cisterns even as Bhimbetka rain gardens transported runoff away from Bhimbetka rock shelters.

Annual vines such as lacy-fringed, white flowered snake gourd (Trichosanthes cucumerina) number among thriving flora in Bhimbetka's natural rain gardens; Bhimbetka rock shelters, Madhya Pradesh, central India; Saturday, Sep. 17, 2016, 11:09: Vijay Tiwari, CC BY SA 4.0 International, via Wikimedia Commons