Consider the following statements about Ajanta Cave paintings : 1. The paintings depict yakshas, gandharvas and apsaras. 2. The artists have used the technique of providing "multiple perspectives". Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- A.1 only
- B.2 only
- C.Both 1 and 2
- D.Neither 1 nor 2
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is C, Both 1 and 2. The Ajanta paintings show yakshas, gandharvas and apsaras among their figures, and their painters used multiple perspectives to show crowded scenes.
The Ajanta caves in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) district were cut in two phases, from about the 2nd century BCE and again in the 5th century CE under the Vakatakas. Their murals mainly tell the Jataka stories and the life of the Buddha, but they also fill the walls and ceilings with heavenly beings such as yakshas, gandharvas and flying apsaras. The painters showed one scene from several viewpoints at once, so that figures, buildings and landscapes in different planes could be seen together, a technique called multiple perspectives. The famous Padmapani Bodhisattva is in Cave 1.
A is wrong because statement 2 is also correct. B is wrong because statement 1 is also correct. D is wrong because both statements describe Ajanta painting accurately.
Exam tip: Ajanta paintings were made by the fresco-like tempera method, and Ajanta has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983.
Practice Questions
View allIn which one of the following states are the Guntupalle Buddhist Caves located ?
- A.Andhra Pradesh
- B.Karnataka
- C.Tamil Nadu
- D.Kerala
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The Guntupalle Buddhist caves lie in the Eluru region of Andhra Pradesh, in the old West Godavari district. Guntupalle is one of the oldest Buddhist sites of the Andhra country, dating back to around the 2nd century BCE.
Read the full explanation →With reference to the religious history of India, consider the following statements:
1. Sautrantika and Sammitiya were the sects of Jainism.
2. Sarvastivadin held that the constituents of phenomena were not wholly momentary, but existed forever in a latent form.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- A.1 only
- B.2 only
- C.Both 1 and 2
- D.Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Sautrantika and Sammitiya were schools of Buddhism, not Jainism, while the Sarvastivada view is correctly stated. After the Buddha's death the Buddhist order split into several early schools, traditionally counted as eighteen.
Read the full explanation →With reference to the cultural history of India, consider the following pairs:
1. Parivrajaka - Renunciant and Wanderer
2. Shramana - Priest with a high status
3. Upasaka - Lay follower of Buddhism
Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
- A.1 and 2 only
- B.1 and 3 only
- C.2 and 3 only
- D.1, 2 and 3
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A parivrajaka is a wandering renunciant and an upasaka is a lay follower, but a shramana is an ascetic, not a high-status priest.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following statements about Ellora:
1. This art-historical site is associated exclusively with Buddhism.
2. The Kailasa temple at Ellora has been built of dressed stone and kiln fired bricks.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- A.1 only
- B.2 only
- C.Both 1 and 2
- D.Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Ellora has Buddhist, Hindu and Jain caves, and the Kailasa temple was carved out of a single rock, not built of stone blocks and bricks.
Read the full explanation →The art piece "In Memoriam" was a creation of which one of the following European painters?
- A.Thomas Jones Barker
- B.Joseph Noel Paton
- C.Thomas Daniell
- D.Charles D'Oyly
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The Scottish painter Joseph Noel Paton painted "In Memoriam" in 1858 in response to the revolt of 1857. The painting shows British women and children huddled together, clutching the Bible and waiting helplessly for an attack, an image meant to recall the killings at Kanpur (Cawnpore).
Read the full explanation →