NIMBU BHOJ SHELTERS

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 28/03/2016

At least three »shelters« containing rock art (RAMAMURTHY 1988: 96 table 5; PACHMARHI GUIDE MAP 1996). ETYMOLOGY: »… close to the Jata Shankar Shrine is Harper’s Cave: It is so named because of one of its paintings – a man seated and playing a harp« (TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE 2002.09.15). When we come to Internet resources, however, we learn that »very close to Jata Shankar Shrine is Harper's Cave, so named because of one of its paintings depicting a man seated, playing a harp« (webindia123.com/tourism/scenic/hill/pachmarhi.htm accessed 06.09.2004). SITUATION: In a north-east projecting corner above the Nimbu Bhoj Ashram above the shrine –>Jata Shankar Gufa in the Jambu Dwip Valley north of –>Pachmarhi town (22°28'N: 78°26'E). CULTURAL HISTORY -- rock art: »In the historic pictures of the Mahadeo Hills musical instruments are frequently shown. … Depictions of harp players are mostly embedded in camp scenes. Quite famous is the picture of the harp player in a small shelter above the cave sanctuary Jota Shanka [sic!] close to the village of Panchmarhi [sic!]. The painting shows a man who plays a five-stringed harp. The resonant body is basket shaped. Beside the musician are his weapons, bow and arrows and an axe. Three women and a child are sitting close by« (NEUMAYER, E 1993: 268). »Three shelters … The best, though quite a small shelter, can be found by scrambling up the hillside a few metres from the the path to Jata Shankar at the point where it turns west… There is also an interesting picture (white outlined in red) of a man on an X-shaped horse« (GHATE, R circa 2000 s.a.).