"Prehistoric Rock Paintings of Bhimbetka by Dr. Yashodhar Mathpal is the first exhaustive study of a single rock art site in India. It covers the entire art activity in the form of paintings found in 133 caves at Bhimbetka, Central India, the largest concentration of rock paintings in the country.

For the first time copies of prehistoric cave paintings have been made on the spot, in original colour, to scale and with original background. All the superimpositions of figures have been copied.

For the first time Indian rock paintings are dated 10,000 years back on the firm ground of the archaeological findings from the excavations of painted caves. For the first time Indian rock paintings have been studied in their historical perspective.

For example, the first discovery of rock paintings was made in India 12 years before their discovery of Altamira in Spain. India is also the first country to recognize the antiquity of rock paintings. For the first time too the maximum literary, ethnologic and archaeological evidences have been researched for evidence of drawing material, motivation and the antiquity of rock paintings.

In his foreword to this monumental work Professor H.D. Sankalia says: “This work is unique because for the first time prehistoric Indian paintings are evaluated by a scholar who is artist by nature and training and a trained prehistorian, and thus eminently qualified to write on the subject.”