Q. Consider the following pairs:

1. Besnagar : Shaivite cave shrine
2. Bhaja : Buddhist cave shrine
3. Sittanavasal : Jain cave shrine

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched? (UPSC Prelims 2023)
Answer: Only two
Notes: The correct answer is [B] Only two. Pairs 2 and 3 are correctly matched, while Pair 1 is incorrect regarding the nature of the shrine.

• Besnagar (Pair 1 – Incorrect): Located in Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh, Besnagar is famous for the Heliodorus Pillar, a stone column erected by a Greek ambassador in honor of Vasudeva (Vishnu). It is associated with Bhagavatism (Vaishnavism), not Shaivism. While there are ancient Brahmanical remains, it is primarily known for the pillar rather than a Shaivite cave shrine.
• Bhaja (Pair 2 – Correct): Located in Pune, Maharashtra, the Bhaja Caves are a group of 22 rock-cut caves dating back to the 2nd century BC. They are prominent Hinayana Buddhist cave shrines, featuring a famous chaitya (prayer hall) and several viharas (monasteries).
• Sittanavasal (Pair 3 – Correct): Located in Pudukkottai, Tamil Nadu, these are famous rock-cut Jain cave shrines. They date from the 7th to 9th centuries AD and are renowned for their exquisite mural paintings (Arivar Koil), which depict themes related to Jainism, such as the Samavasarana.

Historically, Besnagar is a critical site for understanding the spread of Vaishnavism among Indo-Greeks, while Bhaja and Sittanavasal represent the architectural excellence of Buddhist and Jain monastic traditions respectively.