Consider the following pairs :
| Site | Well known for |
|---|---|
| 1. Besnagar | Shaivite cave shrine |
| 2. Bhaja | Buddhist cave shrine |
| 3. Sittanavasal | Jain cave shrine |
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
Show answer
Answer: B. Pair 1 is wrong: Besnagar (Vidisha) is known for the Heliodorus pillar dedicated to Vasudeva (Vaishnava), not a Shaivite cave shrine. Pair 2 is correct: Bhaja in Maharashtra has early Buddhist rock-cut caves. Pair 3 is correct: Sittanavasal in Tamil Nadu is a Jain cave with paintings. So only two.
Watch for: Udayagiri near Vidisha has Hindu caves, which makes Besnagar sound like a cave site too.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Wrong because pairs 2 and 3 are correct.
- C. Wrong because Besnagar is not a Shaivite cave shrine.
- D. Wrong because Bhaja and Sittanavasal are correctly matched.
Source to check: NCERT Class 11 An Introduction to Indian Art Part I, chapters on post-Mauryan and later rock-cut caves; Archaeological Survey of India website
Answer from the official UPSC key. Written and fact-checked by AI against the official key. Spotted a mistake? Report it.