Rock paintings have always been a medium to express human
thought and philosophy. The rock paintings found in Sebalpani, have their own
story to tell.
For art enthusiasts interested in what works of art can tell
us about the time in which they were made, the rock paintings found in the
caves of Sebalpani village in Banaskantha district pose a unique challenge.
Very few people know of these paintings and no historian or
archaeologist seems to have mentioned them in his writings.
But what is evident from the paintings themselves is that
they do not belong to a pre-historic period.
They depict life and activities of a period that must have a
record in history but no one knows which period it is.
Sebalpani village is about 10 km from Ambaji town. Close to
the village is a big formation of rocks and it is here that you will find the
caves with the unique rock paintings.
Most of the paintings depict scenes of war with images of
men carrying swords and riding horses.
The paintings seem to have been made first with white colour
but some were later given a coating of red.
At another place on the rocks, there is a small image that
looks like two women extracting butter from a pot full of buttermilk. There is
almost no information on who painted these works of art or when they were
painted.
In the mountain ranges in the north-east of Gujarat, there
are several places like Tejgadh near Chhota Udepur and Tarsang near Lunavada,
where such rock paintings have been found. But that such rock art exists near
Banaskantha is definitely something new. The period when they were painted has
to be ascertained first before one can come to any conclusion about their
significance,
The rock paintings found in the caves of Sebalpani village
in Banaskantha district poses a challenge to historians and archaeologists
alike.
It is in human nature to express life and experiences in one
form or another. Human beings have expressed themselves through rock paintings
since pre-historic times, and passed on to the coming generations an account of
life as they had lived it.
Some of the Sebalapani paintings have coatings of two
colours, like red on white. There may be many more rock paintings in the area
and they can be found with some archaeological research. As it is close to
Ambaji which is famous as a place of religious significance, Sebalapani village
can also be developed as a tourist destination of historic interest.
Incidentally, rock paintings have also been found at
Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh and because of them the place has been listed as a
Unesco world heritage site.
For more details you can contact Mr.Kiransinh Chavda –
Director – Lokniketan - Ratanpur
