With reference to the Indian history of art and culture, consider the following pairs :

Famous work of sculpture site

1 A grand image of Buddha\'s Mahaparinirvana with numerous celestial musicians above and the sorrowful figures of his followers below Ajanta

2 A huge image of Varaha Avatar (boar incarnation) of Vishnu, as he rescues Goddess Earth from the deep and chaotic waters, sculpted on rock Mount Abu

3 Arjuna\'s Penance / \"Descent of Ganga\" sculpted on the surface of huge boulders Mamallapuram

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched? (UPSC Prelims 2014)

Question

The correct answer is [C] 1 and 3 only.

Pair 1 – Correct (Ajanta): The Mahaparinirvana of Buddha is a colossal sculpture located in Cave 26 at Ajanta. It depicts the reclining Buddha at the moment of his death/liberation, flanked by celestial musicians in the upper registers and his grieving disciples and followers below.
Pair 2 – Incorrect (Udayagiri, not Mount Abu): The famous rock-cut relief of the Varaha Avatar (Boar incarnation) of Vishnu rescuing Goddess Earth is located at the Udayagiri Caves in Madhya Pradesh (dating to the Gupta period). Mount Abu is primarily renowned for the Dilwara Jain Temples, which feature intricate white marble carvings rather than early rock-cut Vaishnavite reliefs.
Pair 3 – Correct (Mamallapuram): This massive open-air relief, carved on two monolithic boulders, is famously known as \"Arjuna\'s Penance\" or the \"Descent of Ganga.\" It is a hallmark of Pallava art in Tamil Nadu, depicting a rich tapestry of gods, humans, and animals converging toward a central cleft representing the holy river.

GKToday Admin · Accepted Answer

1 and 3 only The correct answer is [C] 1 and 3 only.

Pair 1 – Correct (Ajanta): The Mahaparinirvana of Buddha is a colossal sculpture located in Cave 26 at Ajanta. It depicts the reclining Buddha at the moment of his death/liberation, flanked by celestial musicians in the upper registers and his grieving disciples and followers below.
Pair 2 – Incorrect (Udayagiri, not Mount Abu): The famous rock-cut relief of the Varaha Avatar (Boar incarnation) of Vishnu rescuing Goddess Earth is located at the Udayagiri Caves in Madhya Pradesh (dating to the Gupta period). Mount Abu is primarily renowned for the Dilwara Jain Temples, which feature intricate white marble carvings rather than early rock-cut Vaishnavite reliefs.
Pair 3 – Correct (Mamallapuram): This massive open-air relief, carved on two monolithic boulders, is famously known as \"Arjuna\'s Penance\" or the \"Descent of Ganga.\" It is a hallmark of Pallava art in Tamil Nadu, depicting a rich tapestry of gods, humans, and animals converging toward a central cleft representing the holy river.

Current Affairs

	Famous work of sculpture	site
1	A grand image of Buddha's Mahaparinirvana with numerous celestial musicians above and the sorrowful figures of his followers below	Ajanta
2	A huge image of Varaha Avatar (boar incarnation) of Vishnu, as he rescues Goddess Earth from the deep and chaotic waters, sculpted on rock	Mount Abu
3	Arjuna's Penance / "Descent of Ganga" sculpted on the surface of huge boulders	Mamallapuram