Question

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 of Vishnu, as he rescues 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 (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer 1

(c) 1 is correctly matched because Parinirvana of the Buddha in Cave 17 of Ajanta, with numerous celestial musicians above and the sorrowful figures of his followers below, is one of the grandest and yet most delicately expressive scenes ever made in stone. 2 is wrong because huge image of Varaha Avatar ofVishnu, as herescues Goddess Earth from the deepand chaotic waters, sculpted on rock is found in Mamallapuram. 3 is right because Arjuna’s Penance “Descent of Ganga” sculpted on thesurface of huge boulders is found in Mamallapuram.