Previous Year Question
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The Barabar rock-cut caves were originally made for Ajivikas by Emperor Chandragupta Maurya.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?
Correct Answer: C
Detailed Solution
Statement 1 is incorrect: The four principal rock-cut caves at Badami were created during the Chalukya period in the sixth century CE. Therefore, they are not the oldest surviving rock-cut caves in India. The Mauryan-period Barabar Caves date to the third century BCE and are considerably older.
Statement 2 is incorrect: The association of the Barabar Caves with the Ajivikas is correct, but their attribution to Chandragupta Maurya is incorrect. They were commissioned and dedicated to the Ajivikas during Emperor Ashoka’s reign. The nearby Nagarjuni Caves were dedicated to the Ajivikas by Ashoka’s successor Dasharatha Maurya.
Statement 3 is correct: Ellora contains caves associated with three faiths—Buddhism, Brahmanism or Hinduism, and Jainism. Its 34 principal cave temples and monasteries demonstrate religious coexistence.