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Rock-shelter paintings of Bhimbetka world-heritage site near Bhopal, India are investigated on-site using a portable Raman spectrometer and in the laboratory using a micro-Raman spectrometer on micron-sized fragments extracted from the rock paintings. These paintings in the rock shelters belong to periods starting from pre-historic to the 19th century AD. Based on the Raman spectra and energy dispersive elemental analysis, mineral-based pigments such as calcite, gypsum, hematite, whewellite, and goethite could be identified.