Question

Which of the following statement with reference to Ellora cave is NOT correct?
1. It is located a hundred kilometres from Ajanta and has only Buddhist, and Jain caves.
2. The Ellora caves were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.
3. Ajanta also has excavated double-storeyed caves but at Ellora, the triple storey is a unique achievement.
4. The patrons of these caves range from the dynasties of Chalukyas to Rashtrakutas.

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 1 : It is located a hundred kilometres from Ajanta and has only Buddhist, and Jain caves.

The correct answer is It is located a hundred kilometres from Ajanta and has only Buddhist and Jain caves.

• The rock-cut cave temples in Ellora are in 32 caves, carved in Charanadri hills.
• It is a unique art-historical site in the country as it has monasteries associated with the three religions dating from the fifth century CE onwards to the eleventh century CE.
• Buddhist caves are big in size and are of single, double and triple storeys. Their pillars are massive. Ajanta also has excavated double-storeyed caves but at Ellora, the triple storey is a unique achievement. Hence, option 3 is correct.
• The patrons of these caves range from the dynasties of Chalukyas to Rashtrakutas. Hence, option 4 is correct.
• The Ellora caves were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. Hence, option 2 is correct.

• It is located a hundred kilometres from Ajanta and has thirty-two Buddhist, Brahmanical and Jain caves.
  • The heterodox sects first set the trend of creating this model of temples.
  • Later, orthodox sects adopted it as a medium of disseminating religious ideologies.
  • These temples were linked to Ajivikas, Jainism, Buddhism, and Brahmanism. Hence, option 1 is NOT correct.

• Many caves are dedicated to Shaivism, but the images of both Shiva and Vishnu and their various forms according to Puranic narrative are depicted.
• Among the Shaivite themes, Ravana shaking Mount Kailash, Andhakasurvadha, Kalyanasundara are profusely depicted whereas, among the Vaishnavite themes, the different avatars of Vishnu are depicted.
• Various guilds at Ellora came from different places like Vidarbha, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and carved the sculptures.
• Thereby it is the most diverse site in India in terms of the sculptural styles.