With reference to the Mesolithic art in India, consider the following statements : 1. Alexander Burns discovered the first rock paintings in India at Sohaghat 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 ?

Statement 1 is incorrect because the first rock paintings in India were discovered at Sohaghat, Uttar Pradesh, by Archibald Carlleyle in 1867-68, not Alexander Burnes. Statement 2 is correct; V.S. Wakankar discovered the Bhimbetka rock shelters in 1957 after spotting the unique rock formations from a train window while traveling from Bhopal to Itarsi. He subsequently explored the site, revealing one of the world's largest prehistoric complexes [2]. Statement 3 is incorrect because in the rock art of Odisha (Orissa), such as at sites like Gudahandi and Yogimatha, paintings and engravings frequently coexist within the same rock shelters. While rock paintings are widely distributed across Central India and Madhya Pradesh [1], the specific archaeological record of Odisha shows a significant overlap of both artistic mediums in several prehistoric shelters.

Sources

1. [1] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 1: Early India: From the Beginnings to the Indus Civilisation > Art > p. 6
2. [2] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 1: Early India: From the Beginnings to the Indus Civilisation > Ways of Life and Main Characteristics > p. 5