Cave paintings of prehistoric age have been found in several caves located in the Patdarha forests of Nuapada district. The paintings have been drawn on the rock surface of the walls and ceilings of the caves distinctly in red, dark red ochre and black colours depicting pictures of a wide range of animals, flowers, leaves, geometric, ageometric shapes and human beings.
Renowned archeologist Dr SN Rajguru had first explored the rock paintings of the Kalahandi region found in caves of Gudahandi in 1950. Paintings of Jogimath cave of the Khariar region were brought to limelight by Jitamitra Singh Deo in 1970. The important features in the Jogimath painting were pictures of a bull followed by a cow, a calf and a human being.
A team led by Prof Ranvir Singh, Head of the Department of Archaeology and Museology of Khariar Autonomous College, visited the site to trace the paintings which are located deep inside the Patdarha forests. "The paintings are contemporary to those found in Gudahandi and can be 10 thousand years old. They depict the past glory of this place, which still remains unexplored" said Singh.