Defence
The Vikramkhol cave, known for its ancient inscriptions, is located in:
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Answer: Option B — Odisha
Detailed Solution
The Vikramkhol cave is a natural rock shelter located near Belpahar, in the Jharsuguda district of western Odisha.
About the Vikramkhol cave:
It is famous for its ancient inscriptions (engravings) on the rock surface of the shelter.
It was brought to scholarly attention in 1933 by the historian K. P. Jayaswal.
The inscriptions consist of more than a hundred signs or symbols, engraved and painted on the rock.
Their date and meaning are not known for certain, as the script has not been deciphered.
Some scholars, including Jayaswal, suggested that the script might be a link between the Indus (Harappan) script and the later Brahmi script. Other scholars disagree and believe the marks are much later or are not a true script.
The site is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India.
Other prehistoric and rock art sites in Odisha:
- Gudahandi: in Kalahandi district; rock paintings.
- Yogimath: in Nuapada district; prehistoric rock paintings.
- Ushakothi: in Sundargarh district; rock paintings.
Udayagiri and Khandagiri caves: near Bhubaneswar; Jain rock-cut caves of the 2nd-1st century BCE. The "Hathigumpha inscription" of King Kharavela of Kalinga is in the Udayagiri caves.
About the Indus script:
- The script of the Harappan (Indus Valley) civilisation has about 400 signs and is written mostly from right to left.
- It has not yet been deciphered.
- In 2025, the Tamil Nadu government announced a prize of 1 million US dollars for anyone who can decipher it.
About the Brahmi script:
- It is the ancestor of most modern Indian scripts.
- It was used in Ashoka's inscriptions (3rd century BCE) and was first deciphered by James Prinsep in 1837.
Other prehistoric rock art sites in India:
- Bhimbetka (Madhya Pradesh): UNESCO World Heritage Site (2003).
- Edakkal Caves (Kerala).
- Jogimara Caves (Chhattisgarh).
Why not the other options?
- ✗Chhattisgarh has the Jogimara and Sitabenga caves.
- ✗Jharkhand has the Isko rock art site.
- ✗Madhya Pradesh has the Bhimbetka rock shelters.
Quick tip
Remember: Vikramkhol cave = Jharsuguda, Odisha (undeciphered engravings; noticed by K. P. Jayaswal in 1933; possibly linking the Indus and Brahmi scripts); Hathigumpha inscription = Udayagiri, Odisha (Kharavela).
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Monuments & Religious Places — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Monuments & Religious Places, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers India's important monuments, temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras and pilgrimage sites, who built them and when, their architectural styles, and India's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Questions ask who built a monument, where it is located, or which dynasty or style it belongs to. For example, the Qutub Minar was begun by Qutbuddin Aibak, and the Sun Temple at Konark was built by the Eastern Ganga king Narasimhadeva I. Revise the UNESCO World Heritage Sites as a list, noting the most recent additions. Practise the monuments and religious places questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.