With reference to the history of Indian rock-cut architecture, consider the following statements: 1. The caves at Badami are the oldest surviving rock-cut caves in India. 2. The Barabar rock-cut caves were originally made for Ajivikas by Emperor Chandragupta Maurya. 3. At Ellora, caves were made for different faiths. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

QUESTION

Hard

Art & Culture

Prelims 2013

With reference to the history of Indian rock-cut architecture, consider the following statements:

The caves at Badami are the oldest surviving rock-cut caves in India.
The Barabar rock-cut caves were originally made for Ajivikas by Emperor Chandragupta Maurya.
At Ellora, caves were made for different faiths.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Select an option to attempt

Explanation

The oldest caves in India are the Barabar rock-cut caves and not the Badami, so statement one is incorrect. The Barabar caves were built during the 3rd Century BC and belong to the period of Ashoka and his son Dasaratha. Those caves were used by the ascetics of the Ajivika sect. Thus, statement 2 is also incorrect.

Statement 3 is correct. The caves at Ellora depict Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.

On the other hand, the caves at Ajanta are mostly Buddhist.

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