Vikramkhol

Vikramkhol is a natural rock shelter in the Belpahar range reserved forest near Jharsuguda, 12 kilometres from Belpahar, known for its prehistoric inscriptions. The marks were painted in red ochre on uneven rock and later incised, over an area of about 35 feet by 7 feet. Found around the 1930s, they were first examined by K. P. Jayaswal, who tentatively dated them to about 1500 BC.

What they are remains disputed. Jayaswal read them as a picto-syllabic writing system bridging the Harappan and Brahmi scripts, pointing to regular lines, fixed sign forms and what may be dots and numerals. Others, including Richard Salomon, dismiss them as pseudo-inscriptions, while C. L. Fabri saw some likeness to Brahmi without accepting them as writing. Historians have warned that neglect, vandalism and coal mining in the surrounding hills are harming the site.