Jogimara Caves

The Jogimara and Sitabenga Caves are ancient rock-cut monuments on the western slope of Ramgarh Hill in Surguja district, Chhattisgarh, dated to the 3rd-2nd century BCE. Jogimara contains India's oldest surviving fresco paintings, executed in crimson, white, and gamboge over a plaster base, depicting human figures, animals, and mythical motifs. Brahmi inscriptions in Magadhi Prakrit mention Sutanuka, a temple dancer, and Devadinna, a sculptor. The adjacent Sitabenga cave, with its terraced benches, is interpreted by some scholars as one of India's oldest performance theatres. Both are ASI-protected monuments.