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?
A
1 and 2 only
B
3 only
C
1 and 3 only
Correct Answer
D
1, 2 and 3
Explanation
Pair 1 is correct as Cave 26 at Ajanta features the iconic reclining Buddha depicting Mahaparinirvana, and Pair 3 correctly identifies the massive monolithic relief at Mamallapuram. Pair 2 is incorrect because the famous rock-cut Varaha sculpture rescuing Goddess Earth is located at the Udayagiri Caves in Madhya Pradesh, whereas Mount Abu is primarily known for its marble Dilwara Jain temples. This question tests the core concept of identifying landmark sculptural masterpieces and their specific geographical and architectural contexts in ancient Indian art.
Art and CultureAncient Indian Sculpture and SitesMahaparinirvana BuddhaAjantaVaraha AvatarMount AbuArjuna's PenanceDescent of GangaMamallapuramSculptureRock-cut architecture