Bagh Cave Paintings Added to UNESCO’s Tentative List of World Heritage Sites for India

Bagh Caves are one of the five new additions to UNESCO Tentative List of World Heritage for India. The Bagh caves comprise a group of 9 rock-cut Buddhist caves located on the southern slope of the Vindhyan range at the banks of the Baghni river in western Madhya Pradesh.

Painting was a highly developed art in ancient India, as testified by the celebrated cave paintings of Ajanta. The murals at the Bagh Caves provide further evidence of the high artistic achievements of ancient Indian painters. Located in the Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh, the Bagh Caves are renowned for their remarkable wall paintings. These caves were developed around the 4th and 6th century CE.

Among the notable works of art at Bagh is a painting depicting a procession of elephants. Some experts have considered this painting particularly impressive, even comparing it favourably with the paintings at Ajanta.

Bagh caves are the only outcrop of sandstone in an otherwise basaltic region, a significant factor which influenced their architectural forms and preservation of mural paintings.

A site must first be included on UNESCO’s Tentative List before it can be considered for World Heritage status.

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