History, unearthed.

You never really think about the place you live in. I’ve lived in the city of Amravati since I was born. I cross the city to go to school every morning, passing through streets and alleys so familiar they seem almost routine. It's a small-ish city, and I think I know it all. There’s a sort of indifference that comes when you've lived in one place your entire life. The city of one’s birth often becomes the background music to life: constant, habitual, and, after a while, almost invisible. But sometimes, even the most familiar places hold stories waiting to be uncovered. It was ironic; discovering that the city I thought I knew like the back of my hand, has carried within it a history beneath the dust of familiarity—a history that predates me by hundreds, if not thousands, of years.

History has a way of hiding in plain sight. Just a few kilometers outside the urban sprawl, researchers uncovered rock shelters and caves that held a treasure trove of ancient cave paintings and artifacts. This was concrete evidence that Amravati, our quiet little city, had once been witness to prehistoric human settlements. The discoveries inside these shelters were nothing short of fascinating. Across the cave walls were paintings of motifs, human figures, and animals in faded hues of red ochre and white. Faded and weathered by time, yet impossible to ignore; this was the very first glimpse into the lives of those who once inhabited these lands—the very place I now call home.

These paintings spanned an impressive timeline, stretching from the Upper Paleolithic Period to the pre-Vedic era. As I looked into the discoverer’s documentation, certain details offered fascinating clues about the lives of the early inhabitants of my home (who definitely didn’t leave a cleaning deposit.)

Among the many animals depicted on the cave walls are deer, Indian wild dogs, hyenas, bulls, cows, tortoises, fish, elephants, and jackals—but what stands out is the pattern in the way the animals are represented. Carnivorous and omnivorous creatures, such as wild dogs and jackals, are shown with thick, pronounced paws, while herbivores like deer and cows are absent of such detail. Was this a deliberate artistic choice, perhaps a subtle sign of the animal’s perceived danger?

Even more curious is the direction in which most of the animal heads face—toward the right. It's a small detail, but one that opens up an interesting line of speculation. Could the artist have been left-handed?

One of the most intriguing finds in the documentation was a pictograph that appeared to depict an ostrich—there has always been talk as to whether the ostrich has been a native bird to India. The answer remains elusive, but this discovery adds an intriguing new dimension to the conversation.

This, however, wasn't the only symbol with a story to tell. There were some that seemed spiritual: the unmistakable ‘Om’ symbol etched in white, a figure which contemplatively looked like Bhairava (an incarnation of Lord Shiva in Hindu mythology), a red helix figure on the ceiling. Are these symbolic, decorative, or perhaps even a representation of something celestial?  That remains completely open to interpretation. 

In another cave, the discovery of round cupules on the floor raised a few eyebrows. They certainly appeared to be man-made; ancient mortars, perhaps? An iron artifact was also added to the list of findings. (Sounds to me like there was just some really dedicated DIY going on here.)

Among the discoveries was an etching of a palm painting, alongside figurines that seemed to be the early forerunners of the iconic Indian Warli style. There were pictographs of what seemed like an ancient Marvel Comic: vivid war scenes, paintings of soldiers riding horseback, on elephants, and camels. The thing is, camels aren’t exactly native to Central India. In fact, they’re more at home in the deserts of Rajasthan and Gujarat, some 150 kilometers away at least. Could these ancient folks have been in contact with people from distant regions? It certainly raises some fascinating questions about trade routes and migrations.

All this fascinating history, just a stone's throw away from where I live, sparked me to dive deeper into the history of my city. Like I said, history tends to lie in plain sight, and a perfect example of this is the famous Ambadevi Temple of Amravati. I’ve been many times but what I never realised is the whirlwind of history and local legends it has attached to it. This temple is dedicated to Goddess Ambadevi (said to be the city’s protector) and has been around for centuries. Legend has it that the temple marks the place where Goddess Ambadevi played a key role in one of the most legendary romances of ancient India. Flashback to the Dvapara Yuga, Rukmini, a royal princess, is all set to marry a man her family picked for her. But she’s got her eye on someone else—none other than Lord Krishna, the heroic incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Rukmini sends Krishna an invitation to elope, to whisk her away and save her from her unwanted wedding. Krishna does just that in the most dramatic way possible; he fights off the army Rukmini’s family raised to stop him from taking her away and humiliates her brother. After this, Krishna and Rukmini hid in the Ambadevi Temple on their way to Dwarka and it’s said that the goddess herself offered her divine protection. 

Well, talk about a city that’s seen some action. Now, as I walk the same streets and alleys, I can’t help but feel a little more connected to the history that has shaped this city. Who knows what else quaint little Amravati is hiding? Maybe it’s time to start looking more closely.