The book Indian Rock Art is a pioneering work in the field of rock paintings. The study is based on a thorough survey of the painted shelters of India, especially Madhya Pradesh, which is the richest area in the whole world. The rock art is a worldwide phenomenon. The studies in this field were initiated in Europe in the last quarter of the 19th century. These paintings were found connected with the last glaciation and were dated to the Palaeolithic times.
In India too, the rock paintings were discovered as early as their counterparts in Europe. But their proper studies could be conducted in the 1930s only by Col. D.H. Gordon. He dated the paintings between 700 B.C. and 1000 A.D.
In the 1960s, the author undertook studies in rock art. He not only surveyed the entire painted area but also added several new areas to the list. He also conducted an excavation at Bhimbetaka. His scientific studies pushed back the dates of Indian rock paintings to the upper Paleolithic period.
The rock paintings are the only surviving source through which we can peep into the life of prehistoric people. Now we are in a better position to know the process of the development, social changes, religion, and artistic sensibility of the people of the bygone age. The rock art is now being studied in its totality.
