With reference to the Mesolithic art in India, consider the following statements :
- 1. Alexander Burns discovered the first rock paintings in India at Sohagighat in Uttar Pradesh.
- 2. Bhimbetka rock paintings were discovered when archaeologist V.S. Wakankar noticed the rocks out of a train window while travelling from Bhopal to Itarsi and got off at the nearest railway station to explore the site.
- 3. The paintings and engravings do not exist in the same shelter in the rock art of Orissa.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
1 only
2 only
2 and 3
1 and 2
Answer is Right!
Answer is Wrong!
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-2 – 2024
Statement 2 is correct. The discovery of the Bhimbetka rock shelters and paintings by archaeologist V.S. Wakankar in 1957 is often recounted with the detail that he noticed the formations resembling European rock shelters from a train window and decided to explore the area.
Statement 3 is incorrect. Rock art sites in Orissa, like Vikramkhol, are known to contain both paintings and engravings within the same shelters. It is not uncommon for both forms of rock art to coexist at sites across India.
Bhimbetka is a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its extensive collection of rock paintings.