Daily Static Quiz Prelims Practice 2027
Option (c) is correct — the Vedika (railing/enclosure) surrounds the stupa, separating the circumambulatory path and sacred precinct from the outer world; the Sanchi Vedika, carved in stone but replicating earlier wooden designs, is a celebrated example. Option (a) describes the Torana (gateway), not the Anda, which is actually the hemispherical dome enclosing the relics. Option (b) is wrong — the Harmika is the square railed platform atop the dome, representing the abode of the gods, not the dome itself. Option (d) describes the Yashti (or Chhatravali), the central mast topped by umbrella-like discs, not the Torana, which is the gateway.
- The Great Stupa at Sanchi was originally built by Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE and was later enlarged during the Shunga and Satavahana periods.
- The four Toranas (gateways) of Sanchi are carved with elaborate scenes from the Jataka tales and the life of the Buddha, but represent the Buddha only through symbols such as the Bodhi tree, footprints, an empty throne, and a wheel.
- The Sanchi Stupa was built on the instructions of the Buddha himself before his Mahaparinirvana.
- Sanchi is located in the present-day state of Madhya Pradesh and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Statements 1, 2 and 4 are correct. The Great Stupa was originally built by Ashoka as a simple brick structure, later enlarged during the Shunga period with elaborate stone Toranas added under the Satavahanas. The Toranas depict Jataka scenes and the Buddha's life using aniconic symbols — footprints, Bodhi tree, empty throne, Dhammachakra — rather than his human form, which came later with Gandhara and Mathura. Sanchi is located near Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, and was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1989. Statement 3 is incorrect — the stupa was built by Ashoka, not on the Buddha's instructions; the Buddha predated Ashoka by roughly two centuries.
Option (c) is correct — Gandhara (present-day Pakistan/Afghanistan), under Kushana patronage, shows Hellenistic influence: wavy hair, toga-like drapery, muscular build, realistic features. Mathura (Uttar Pradesh), also under Kushana patronage but distinctly indigenous, depicted the Buddha with Indian features, transparent clinging robes, and a serene, spiritualised expression. Option (a) is wrong — the materials are reversed: Gandhara used grey schist and stucco, Mathura used red sandstone from Sikri quarries. Option (b) is wrong — both schools were patronised by the Kushanas, not the Guptas, whose era is instead associated with the Sarnath School, and the geography is also reversed. Option (d) is wrong — the two schools are stylistically very different, which is the central point of examination.
- A. Ajanta Caves 1. Uttar Pradesh (Sarnath)
- B. Nalanda Mahavihara 2. Andhra Pradesh
- C. Dhamek Stupa 3. Maharashtra (Aurangabad)
- D. Amaravati Stupa 4. Bihar
The Ajanta Caves are near Aurangabad, Maharashtra, famous for their rock-cut paintings and sculptures. Nalanda Mahavihara, in Bihar, was the greatest Buddhist monastic university of the ancient world, flourishing from the 5th to 12th centuries CE. The Dhamek Stupa at Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh, marks the site of the Buddha's First Sermon. The Amaravati Stupa in Andhra Pradesh is renowned for its distinctive white marble carvings — giving A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2.
- The Chaitya was a rock-cut prayer hall with a semi-circular apse at one end housing a stupa, used for congregational worship.
- The Vihara was the residential monastery for Buddhist monks, typically comprising cells arranged around a central courtyard.
- The Karla Caves in Maharashtra contain one of the finest and best-preserved Chaitya halls from the early centuries CE, featuring a distinctive horseshoe-shaped entrance window (Chaitya arch) that allowed light inside.
- The Ellora Caves are exclusively Buddhist in character, with no Brahmanical or Jain monuments present at the site.
Statements 1, 2 and 3 are correct. The Chaitya is a rock-cut worship hall with a barrel-vaulted roof, pillared nave, and a stupa in the apse for circumambulation. The Vihara served as monastic residence, with cells around a central hall, often featuring pillared verandahs and shrines. The Karla Chaitya (1st–2nd century CE) is one of India's largest and best-preserved early rock-cut halls, noted for its grand horseshoe Chaitya arch window. Statement 4 is incorrect — Ellora is celebrated precisely for housing three traditions side by side: Buddhist (caves 1–12), Brahmanical/Hindu (caves 13–29, including the Kailasa Temple), and Jain (caves 30–34), making the exclusivity claim a classic factual error.
