After two years of work and two more strokes due to the pandemic, Center d’Estudis Competitors managed to publish the book Rock art and tribal life at the sources of the Betwa Riverbringing together the campaigns 2019 and 2020 for document and catalog a dozen jacket sets (shallow caves) stone art in the lands of the Betwa river sources nestled in the mountains Vindhyainside Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.
The broadcast was to commemorate MSK’s 50th anniversary in 2021. Cocentaina in 1971 and dedicated to protecting and dissemination of cultural heritage, especially the prehistoric rock art, which he placed at about two hundred points in the province and consists of fifty members. But the pandemic delayed its edition.
Now, Center d’Estudis Contenders travel to india present the book this thursday At the Instituto Cervantes in New Delhiat the invitation of the director, Oscar Pujol Riembauhere writers from Alicante José Elias Esteve, Amparo Martí and Pere Ferrer together with the results of their work included in this publication. Indian co-authors KK Chakravarty, Rahas K. Mohanty and Narayan Vhyas.
Earlier CEC members will be received by the ambassador Jose Maria Ridao Dominguez at the headquarters Spanish Embassy in India and then plan to move bhopal -The capital of the state of Madhya Pradesh, where the Vindhya mountains are located, where the rock-painted sets of the book are located – for the purpose of delivering several copies to the representatives of various official Indian institutions related to the cultural heritage of that state.
Edited book 700 copiesis a volume 430 pages accompanying large format 1,500 photos and more 40 drawings and reproductions of documented areas with pictorial records “shows the complexity of ancient societies thriving in the lands of the Betwa river sources, some Pictures full of motifs and scenes from India’s prehistoric and historical past”Shows Pere Ferrer covering chronologically. since prehistoric times, more than 10,000 years olduntil the middle ages. The publication is also Hundreds of pages of work on ethnology and ethnography from the tribal villages in the region. “The documentation is important and excellent and the book one of the most complete publications About this area” points out CEC chairman Ferrer.
India is a country with one of the largest. concentrations of prehistoric paintings not many of the world and these regions is sufficiently known. As in 2003 UNESCO Declared a World Heritage Site bhimbetka set -In 2005 MSK began their trip to India-, the aim of these fans of prehistoric art is to contribute to the fact that all the lands of the sources of the Betwa river are like that. “What society knows and values Ferrer states that the purpose of the book is “the significance of the extraordinary legacy in rock art that exists in this part of India.” protection and preservation.
Published by the company Textilesolwhich also finances a large part of its campaigns and Cocentaina Town Hall. His next challenge is to see the possibility of doing something. English or Hindi edition and that some mentioned institutions are carrying out similar work in another part of Madhya Pradesh region.
various scenes
The vast majority of motifs are zoomorphic –elephants, buffaloes, bulls, deer, tigers, bears– With a very natural execution and great narrative beauty, according to the person in charge of MSK. There are also clashes between clans, descriptive scenes of social life, dances, games, as well as pictures of wars with warriors on horseback and on foot, parades, dances, and abstract symbols or scenes, many of which are of a sexual nature, painted in red and white. .
Cooperation with India since 2005
A pamphlet containing cave paintings from this country, which came to MSK through a friend, served as a magnet for the Cocentaina people to decide to broaden their horizons and recommend that the Indian authorities cooperate to study and catalog them. since his first visit to the valley Kathotiya Since 2005, the team has made numerous trips to this mountainous and forested area, where they have documented more than a hundred rock shelters in the mountains.