Rock Art in Maharashtra, India

7/21/2019 Rock Art in Maharashtra, India

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A DETAILED NOTE ON

‘KUDOPI ROCK ART GALLERY’

PETROGLYPHS ON LATERITE SURFACE INCOASTAL DISTRICT SINDHUDURG

IN MAHARASHTRA

BYSATISH LALIT

[email protected] m

KUDOPI ROCK ART GALLERY

Petroglyphs in Sindhudurg by Satish Lalit Page 0



PETROGLYPHS ON LATERITE SURFACEIN COASTAL DISTRICT SINDHUDURG

IN MAHARASHTRA

Satish Lalit

Abstract: The southern ost an! coasta" Sindhudurg !#str#ct #n Maharashtra #sa narro$% h#""& str#' o( "an! bet$een the Sahyadris (Western Ghats) an! the Arab#anSea) Fa ous (or #ts natura" beaut&% th#s !#str#ct #s no$ on the a' o( Anc#ent Roc* Arta"so) Recent"&% Petro+"&'hs on Later#te sur(ace #n "ar+e nu bers are (oun! at Hiwalean! Kudopi ,#""a+es #n Malwan Tehs#") Th#s treasure $as (or the (#rst t# e brou+ht to

"#+ht b& the author) The Petro+"&'hs #nc"u!e hu an (#+ur#nes% (#sh% an# a"s% s'#ra"c#rc"e% r#n+ an! abo,e a"" a -. (eet # a+e o( Mother Go!!ess)

Here #s +oo! ne$s (or roc* art enthus#asts #n In!#a) The southern ost coasta"

!#str#ct o( Sindhudurg #n Maharashtra #s no$ on the a' o( roc* art) A 'etro+"&'hs

s#te #s (oun! #n th#s !#str#ct #n Kudopi ,#""a+e #n Malvan tehs#") The s#te cons#sts o(

near"& /0 'etro+"&'hs car,e! on "ater#te sur(ace $h#ch #nc"u!es hu an (#+ur#nes% (#sh%

an# a"s% s'#ra" c#rc"e% r#n+ an! abo,e a"" a -. (eet # a+e rese b"es to Mother

Go!!ess)

L cati !" Sindhudurg !#str#ct #s s#tuate! bet$een Lat#tu!es -.)/1 an!

-2)30 North% an! "on+#tu!es 1/)-4 an! 13)-5 East) It #s boar!e! b& the Arab#an Sea on

the 6est an! Sahyadri h#"" ran+es to the East $#th a tota" area o(

.%701s8)* ) Sindhudurg #s #n the Konkan area o( Maharashtra ha,#n+ '#ctures8ue

stretch o( "an! on the $est cost o( In!#a% en!o$e! $#th the beaut#(u" seashore%

'#ctures8ue Mounta#ns an! scen#c natura" beaut& an! *no$n (or tro'#ca" (ru#t "#*e the

$or"! (a ous A"'honso an+oes% cashe$s etc)

The Roc* Art s#te #s at Kudopi ,#""a+e $h#ch "#es bet$een $est coast an!

Sahyadri Mounta#ns) The coast o( Arab#an Sea #s a''ro9) -7 Ms) The "ocat#on #s at




-2;-.<.0)00 N an! 1/;/0<33)00 E at an a"t#tu!e o( 750 (t) (ro MSL =Mean Sea

Le,e">) It can be a''roache! b& Mu ba#?Goa Nat#ona" H#+h$a& =NH -1>% on*an

Ra#"$a& an! the nearest a#r'ort #s Bambolim, Goa ) Nearest c#t& #s Kanakawali =/0

Ms> on NH -1) A(ter reach#n+ Kanakawali &ou ha,e to turn $est$ar!s on !hararoa!% then ta*e r#+ht turn at "hindar ,#""a+e% (ro here Kudopi #s 2 Ms) Kanakawali

#s an # 'ortant stat#on on on*an Ra#"$a&)

Climat#" The c"# ate o( th#s '"ace #s a#n"& hu #!) M#n) te ') #s -2)/ Ce"s#us

an! a9) te ') #s //)5 Ce"s#us) S#n!hu!ur+ $#tnesses ra#n (or (u"" (our onths @une%

@u"&% Au+ust an! Se'te beran! a,era+era#n(a"" #s /%751 )Most o( the !#str#ct area

co,ere! b& !ense ra#n (orest% mboli h#"" stat#on area #s ost su#tab"e hab#tat (or $#"!

an# a"s "#*e "eo'ar!% $#"! cats% rabb#ts% $#"! hen an! so et# es $#"! bu((a"o a"so

a''ears #n $#nter season) 6#"! bu((a"os co e !o$n (ro #adhanagri (orest

= Kolhapur D#str#ct> (or search o( (oo! an! $ater) Recent"& E"e'hants are a"so a*#n+

entr& #nto Sindhudurg D#str#ct (ro Karnataka state throu+h Khanapur un+"e) Th#s #s

the (#rst t# e% e"e'hants (#n!#n+ hab#tat#on #n Maharashtra state)

R c$ A%t ! &#st C ast ' I!(ia"

$onsaimal, Goa

A"on+ $#th 6est Coast o( In!#a there are an& *no$n an! un*no$n Roc* ArtS#tes) The on"& (a ous s#te #s #n South Goa at %sgalimal, a"so ca""e! $anasaimol, near

Sanguem&Th#s s#te o( a 'reh#stor#c r#,ers#!e no a!#c (#sh#n+ ca ' o( the 'eo'"e o(

B Kushavati cu"ture< at $anasaimol, Sanguem $as !#sco,ere! an! re'orte! #n -44/)




Kushavati #s the na e o( the r#,er% $h#ch ("o$s near the s#te) More than -7. (or s

$ere (oun! scattere! #n the area)

'he irdi Boulder&

The Secon! s#te #s irdi, on Maharashtra?Goa bor!er) At irdi $e can see so ean# a"s car,e! on a $a"" "#*e hu+e basa"t stone) Here $e can see a '#+% a +#ra((e "#*e

an# a" "oca""& ca""e! ebu % an! a cou'"e o( hu 'e! bu""s) Un(ortunate"& th#s hu+e

stone #s !estro&e! (#,e &ears a+o $h#"e construct#n+ a !a ) Luc*#"&% I ha,e

'hoto+ra'he! #t ear"#er) The th#r! s#te #s at Hiwale #n Sindhudurg& Here $e can see

hu an (#+ures% b#r!s% (#sh an! c#rc"es) The count #s aroun! ten) Another s#te #s at

*iwali #n #atnagiri !#str#ct) Here $e can see a co '"#cate! a') There are a"so so e

s#tes "#*e Khudi (Malvan), Malapwadi, Mervi (*ivali), %pale,Khanawali (#a+apur),

$alshet (Guhagar) on the $est coast) 6e can see a "#nea+e bet$een a"" these s#tes)

K)( *i’s +Hill ' th# D lls,"

The Kudopi s#te #nSindhudurg !#str#ct% $h#ch I ha! brou+ht #nto "#+ht (or the

(#rst t# e%$here $e can see ore than /0 'etro+"&'hs on a hu+e "ater#te

'"ateau) Kudopi #s a s a"" ,#""a+e #n Malvan tehs#" o( Sindhudurg !#str#ct) The s#te #s

s#tuate! on to' o( a h#"" "oca""& *no$n as Bawlyan!he temb- =#n Marathi > eans the

h#"" o( !o""s ) A r#,er ("o$s be"o$ the h#"" an! there #s s a"" sett"e ent o( "oca"s) The

s#te #s sec"u!e! an! the 'etro+"&'hs are car,e! on "ater#te sur(ace) The coast #s about

7. * a$a& to the $est) These 'etro+"&'hs can be !ate! bac* to the 're?h#stor#c




Neo"#th#c 'er#o!) The s#te conta#ns ore than /0 'etro+"&'hs s'rea! o,er the area o(

a''ro9) ha"( acre an! so e o( the be#n+ as "ar+e as 70 -. (eet #n !# ens#ons) The

!ra$#n+s cons#st o( hu an (#+ur#nes% c#rc"es an! other s& bo"#c abstract !es#+ns)

Human .igures at Kudopi, Sindhudurg

H)ma! -ig)%i!#s" On u!o'# '"ateau there are t$o hu an (#+ur#nes) The (#rst one #s

/ 3 (eet #n s# e an! has a (ra e aroun! #t) The other hu an (#+ure #s o( the s# e o(

. / (eet)

Ci%cl#s" There are (#,e t&'es o( c#rc"es (oun! here) One #s s'#ra" an! has a

!ir!les at Kudopi

!#a eter o( 30 #nches) Other one #s /0 #nches !#a eter an! #t #s abra!e!% e9ce't at

center) Th#r! c#rc"e #s "#*e a r#n+ an! has !#a eter o( 30 #nches) The (ourth c#rc"e

(oun! here #s a!e b& !#++#n+ 3 #nches !ee') The !#a eter #s 5 #nches) The "ast one #s

ob"on+ an! #ns#!e #t has t$o roun! oun!s)




-ish" There #s a 'a#r o( (#sh art#st#ca""& car,e! e,en the art#st has sho$n the

$ater bo!& a"so) The (#sh are s$# #n+ #n a ro$% one beh#n! the other) The#r (#ns are

beaut#(u""& car,e!)

The "en+th o( the (#sh #s -0 #nches) Interest#n+"&% the& are o,#n+ to$ar!s the $est%

$h#ch #s #nc#!enta""& seas#!e) There #s one ore # a+e o( (#sh% a b#+ one% aroun! / (eet

#n "en+th) The s'ec#es sho$n here #s !#((erent than the ear"#er 'a#r)

th#% G ((#ss /01" Th#s #s the ost a a #n+ an! #nterest#n+ # a+e o(

Mother Go!!ess = >) Here $e can see% not so 'ro'ort#onate% # a+e o( Mother Go!!ess

ho"!#n+ her bab& #n both han!s




) Mother Godess (/)

The car,e! on her bo!& #n!#cates her (e #n#n#t&) The 'r# #t#,e co un#t#es $ere

're!o #nant"& (e a"e !o #nate! an! the tr#bes $ere ost"& hea!e! b& $o en) In that

era $o en $ere accor!e! a h#+h status% $ere re,ere! an! $orsh#''e! b& hu an

tr#bes) The conce't o( Mother Go!!ess #s co on $or"!$#!e)

G# m#t%ical Imag#s" At u!o'# there are so e abstract an! +eo etr#ca"

# a+es% $h#ch are ,er& !#((#cu"t to !ec#'her) One such hu+e +eo etr#ca" # a+e #s o( a

(reehan! st&"e)Th#s # a+e #s art#st#ca""& car,e!) It "oo*s "#*e th#s # a+e #s o( so e

re"#+#ous # 'ortance or a& be use! (or 'ract#c#n+ sha an#s )

Geometri!al !arvings in .reehand styleIt "oo*s "#*e that these 're?h#stor#c 'eo'"e $ere 'ract#c#n+ sha an#s #n $hate,er

(or an! the& a!e these abstract # a+es as 'art o( the#r r#tua"s) It a& be note! that

Sha an#s #s st#"" 'ract#ce! #n so e 'art o( S#n!hu!ur+ !#str#ct an! Peo'"e here

be"#e,e #n +hosts an! s'#r#ts)




Shama!ism" Sha an#s !ates bac* to so e -0%000 &ears an! #s the (#rst

s'#r#tua" 'ract#ce *no$n to the $or"!) It $as use! as a 'rob"e ?so",#n+ techn#8ue #( #t

#s un!erstoo! an! trans"ate! #nto o!ern t# es)The $or! Jsha anJ or#+#nates (ro

the Tun+us#c "an+ua+e o( S#ber#a) The $or! Jsha anJ re(ers to a 'erson $ho a*es ourne&s to non?or!#nar& rea"#t& #n an a"tere! state o( consc#ousness) A"thou+h the

ter #s (ro S#ber#a% the 'ract#ce o( sha an#s e9#ste! on a"" #nhab#te! cont#nents)

Sha an#s $as% an! #s st#"" 'ract#ce!% b& 'eo'"e aroun! the +"obe) Sha an#s

e9#ste! be(ore re"#+#ons an! as the $e""?*no$n anthro'o"o+#st% Dr) M#chae" Harner%

ent#one!% the a#n e"e ents o( th#s anc#ent techn#8ue ha,e ,er& s# #"ar structures

aroun! the +"obe) K /R#'" 21

Recent"&% so e ore s#tes are e9'"ore! b& a ateurs at hu!#% G#r&e #n

S#n!hu!ur+ an! at U'a"e% hana$a"#% Mer,#% Ma"a'$a!# =N#$a"#> #n Ratna+#r# !#str#ct)

Khudi, Sindhudurg %pale,#atnagiri

C !cl)si !" To conc"u!e% the "#nea+e bet$een *no$n roc* art s#tes a"on+ the

$est coast su++ests that the 're?h#stor#c tr#bes $ho !$e""e! #n th#s coasta" area ust

ha,e tra,e""e! across the coasta" corr#!or) An! $h#"e o,#n+ or #+rat#n+ the& ha,e

"e(t beh#n! the#r (oot'r#nts #n the (or o( roc* art) To 'reser,e #t #s e,er&bo!& s !ut&)

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Rock Art in Maharashtra, India

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