Architecture & Sculpture UPSC PYQ

The famous female figurine known as 'Dancing Girl', found at Mohenjo-daro, is made of

1. Acarnelian
2. Bclay
3. Cbronze
4. Dgold

Consider the following properties included in the World Heritage List released by UNESCO:
1. Shantiniketan
2. Rani-ki-Vav
3. Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas
4. Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodhgaya

How many of the above properties were included in 2023?

1. AOnly one
2. BOnly two
3. COnly three
4. DAll four

The Prime Minister recently inaugurated the new Circuit House near Somnath Temple at Veraval. Which of the following statements are correct regarding Somnath Temple?
1. Somnath Temple is one of the Jyotirlinga shrines.
2. A description of the Somnath Temple was given by Al-Biruni.
3. Pran Pratishtha of Somnath Temple (installation of the present-day temple) was done by President S. Radhakrishnan.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1. A1 and 2 only
2. B2 and 3 only
3. C1 and 3 only
4. D1, 2 and 3

In which one of the following regions was Dhanyakataka, which flourished as a prominent Buddhist centre under the Mahasanghikas, located?

1. AAndhra
2. BGandhara
3. CKalinga
4. DMagadha

Consider the following pairs: Site — Well known for
1. Besnagar — Shaivite cave shrine
2. Bhaja — Buddhist cave shrine
3. Sittanavasal — Jain cave shrine
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

1. AOnly one
2. BOnly two
3. CAll three
4. DNone

With reference to the Chausath Yogini Temple situated near Mitaoli (Morena), consider the following statements:
1. It is a circular temple built during the reign of the Kachchhapaghata dynasty.
2. It is the only circular temple built in India.
3. It was meant to promote the Vaishnava cult in the region.
4. Its design has given rise to a popular belief that it inspired the Indian Parliament building.
Which of the statements given above are correct?

1. A1 and 2
2. B2 and 3 only
3. C1 and 4
4. D2, 3 and 4

Which one of the following statements is correct?

1. AAjanta Caves lie in the gorge of Waghora river.
2. BSanchi Stupa lies in the gorge of Chambal river.
3. CPandu-lena Cave Shrines lie in the gorge of Narmada river.
4. DAmaravati Stupa lies in the gorge of Godavari river.

Building ‘Kalyana Mandapas’ was a notable feature in the temple construction in the kingdom of

1. AChalukya
2. BChandela
3. CRashtrakuta
4. DVijayanagara

With reference to the cultural history of India, consider the following statements:
1. White marble was used in making Buland Darwaza and Khanqah at Fatehpur Sikri.
2. Red sandstone and marble were used in making Bara Imambara and Rumi Darwaza at
Lucknow. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. A1 only
2. B2 only
3. CBoth 1 and 2
4. DNeither 1 nor 2

Which of the following is/are famous for Sun temples?
1. Arasavalli
2. Amarkantak
3. Omkareshwar
Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1. A1 only
2. B2 and 3 only
3. C1 and 3 only
4. D1, 2 and 3

What is/are common to the two historical places known as Ajanta and Mahabalipuram?
1. Both were built in the same period.
2. Both belong to the same religious denomination.
3. Both have rock-cut monuments.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.

1. A1 and 2 only
2. B3 only
3. C1 and 3 only
4. DNone of the statements given above is correct

With reference to the art and archaeological history of India, which one among the following was made earliest?

1. ALingaraja Temple at Bhubaneswar
2. BRock-cut Elephant at Dhauli
3. CRock-cut Monuments at Mahabalipuram
4. DVaraha Image at Udayagiri

With reference to the cultural history of India, the term ‘Panchayatan’ refers to

1. Aan assembly of village elders
2. Ba religious sect
3. Ca style of temple construction
4. Dan administrative functionary

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?

1. A1 and 2 only
2. B3 only
3. C1 and 3 only
4. D1, 2 and 3

With reference to Buddhist history, tradition and culture in India, consider the following pairs: Famous shrine — Location
1. Tabo monastery and temple complex : Spiti Valley
2. Lhotsava Lhakhang temple, Nako : Zanskar Valley
3. Alchi temple complex : Ladakh
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

1. A1 only
2. B2 and 3 only
3. C1 and 3 only
4. D1, 2 and 3

With reference to the history of Indian rock-cut architecture, consider the following statements:
1. The caves at Badami are the oldest surviving rock-cut caves in India.
2. The Barabar rock-cut caves were originally made for Ajivikas by Emperor Chandragupta
Maurya.
3. At Ellora, caves were made for different faiths.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. A1 only
2. B2 and 3 only
3. C3 only
4. D1, 2 and 3

Some Buddhist rock-cut caves are called Chaityas, while the others are called Viharas. What is the difference between the two?

1. AVihara is a place of worship, while Chaitya is the dwelling place of the monks
2. BChaitya is a place of worship, while Vihara is the dwelling place of the monks
3. CChaitya is the stupa at the far end of the cave, while Vihara is the hall axial to it
4. DThere is no material difference between the two

The Nagara, the Dravida and the Vesara are the

1. Athree main racial groups of the Indian subcontinent
2. Bthree main linguistic divisions into which the languages of India can be classified
3. Cthree main styles of Indian temple architecture
4. Dthree main musical Gharanas prevalent in India

Lord Buddha's image is sometimes shown with the hand gesture called 'Bhumisparsha Mudra'. It symbolizes

1. ABuddha's calling of the Earth to watch over Māra and to prevent Māra from disturbing his meditation
2. BBuddha's calling of the Earth to witness his purity and chastity despite the temptations of Māra
3. CBuddha's reminder to his followers that they all arise from the Earth and finally dissolve into the Earth, and, thus this life is transitory
4. DBoth the statements (a) and (b) are correct in this context

In which State is the Buddhist site Tabo Monastery located?

1. AArunachal Pradesh
2. BHimachal Pradesh
3. CSikkim
4. DUttarakhand

Recently, which one of the following was included in the UNESCO's World Heritage list ?

1. ADilwara Temple
2. BKalka-Shimla Railway
3. CBhitarkanika Mangrove Area
4. DVisakhapatnam to Araku valley railway line

Where is the famous Virupaksha temple located ?

1. ABhadrachalam
2. BChidambaram
3. CHampi
4. DSrikalahasti

Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the code given below the lists :
List I (Famous Temple) List II (State)
A. Vidyashankara temple
1. Andhra Pradesh
B. Rajarani temple
2. Karnataka
C. Kandariya Mahadeo temple
3. Madhya Pradesh
D. Bhimesvara temple
4. Orissa
Code : A B C D

1. A2 4 3 1
2. B2 3 4 1
3. C1 4 3 2
4. D1 3 4 2

Near which one of the following cities are Palitana Temples located?

1. ABhavnagar
2. BMount Abu
3. CNasik
4. DUjjain

Where is the famous Vijaya Vittala Temple having its 56 carved pillars emitting musical notes located?

1. ABelur
2. BBhadrachalam
3. CHampi
4. DSrirangam

Match List – I with List – II and select the correct answer using the code given below the lists:
List – I (Place of Archaeological Monument)
A. Sisupalgarh
B. Piprahwa
C. Goalpara
D. Bishnupur
List – II (State)
1. Assam
2. Manipur
3. Orissa
4. Uttar Pradesh
Code: A B C D

1. A4 1 3 2
2. B1 2 3 4
3. C3 4 1 2
4. D1 3 2 4

Which one of the following pairs is correctly matched?

1. AVikramsila Monastery : Uttar Pradesh
2. BHemkund Gurudwara : Himachal Pradesh
3. CUdayagiri Caves : Maharashtra
4. DAmaravati Buddhist Stupa : Andhra Pradesh

Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched? Monastery — State

1. ADhankar Monastery — Himachal Pradesh
2. BRumtek Monastery — Sikkim
3. CTabo Monastery — Himachal Pradesh
4. DKye Monastery — Arunachal Pradesh

The initial design and construction of which massive temple took place during the reign of Suryavarman II?

1. ASri Mariamman Temple
2. BAngkor Vat
3. CBatu Caves Temple
4. DKamakhya Temple

Indian Airlines (now renamed ‘Indian’) have redesigned their logo which is a graphic wheel. This logo has been inspired from which one of the following?

1. AHampi Temples
2. BMamallapuram Temples
3. CSun Temple, Konark
4. DKhajuraho Temple

Consider the following statements:
1. Champaner - Pavagadh Archaeological Park
2. Chhatrapati Shivaji Railway Station, Mumbai
3. Mamallapuram
4. Sun Temple (Konark Temple)
Which of the above are included in the World Heritage List of UNESCO?

1. A1, 2 and 3
2. B1, 3 and 4
3. C2 and 4
4. D1, 2, 3 and 4

Which one of the following statements is correct?

1. AThe statue of Gomateshwara at Sravanabelagola represents the last Tirthankara of Jains
2. BIndia’s largest Buddhist monastery is in Arunachal Pradesh
3. CThe Khajuraho temples were built under Chandela Kings
4. DThe Hoysalesvara temple is dedicated to Siva

In which one of the following cities is the Lingaraja Temple located?

1. ABhubaneswar
2. BBijapur
3. CKolkata
4. DShravanabelagola

Hoysala monuments are found in

1. AHampi and Hospet
2. BHalebid and Belur
3. CMysore and Bangalore
4. DSringeri and Dharwar

Which one of the following pairs is correctly matched?

1. AHarappan Civilisation … Painted Grey Ware
2. BThe Kushans … Gandhara School of Art
3. CThe Mughals … Ajanta Paintings
4. DThe Marathas … Pahari School of Painting

Consider the following statements: The striking feature of the Jama Masjid in Kashmir completed by Zain-ul-Abidin include(s)
I. Turret.
II. Similarity with Buddhist pagodas.
III. Persian style.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?

1. AI alone
2. BI, II and III
3. CII and III
4. DI and III

Assertion (A): The Gandhara School of art bears the mark of Hellenistic influence. Reason (R): Hinayana form was influenced by that art.

1. ABoth A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A
2. BBoth A and R are true, but R is NOT a correct explanation of A
3. CA is true, but R is false
4. DA is false, but R is true

Which of the following pairs are correctly matched?
I. Lothal: Ancient dockyard
II. Sarnath: First Sermon of Buddha
III. Rajgir: Lion capital of Asoka
IV. Nalanda: Great seat of Buddhist learning
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
Codes:

1. AI, II, III and IV
2. BIII and IV
3. CI, II and IV
4. DI and II

Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the code given below the lists:
List I
I. Gupta
II. Chandella
III. Chalukya
IV. Pallava
List II
A) Badami
B) Panamalai
C) Khajuraho
D) Deogarh
Codes:

1. AI–D, II–C, III–A, IV–B
2. BI–D, II–B, III–C, IV–A
3. CI–B, II–C, III–D, IV–A
4. DI–C, II–D, III–A, IV–B

Which one of the following statements regarding Asokan stone pillars is incorrect?

1. AThese are highly polished
2. BThese are monolithic
3. CThe shaft of pillars is tapering in shape
4. DThese are parts of architectural structures

In the Mahayana Buddhism, the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara was also known as

1. AVajrapani
2. BManjusri
3. CPadmapani
4. DMaitreya

Which one of the following sculptures invariably used green schist as the medium?

1. AMaurya sculptures
2. BMathura sculptures
3. CBharhut sculptures
4. DGandhara sculptures

The Nagara, the Dravida and the Vesara are

1. Athe three main racial groups of the Indian subcontinent
2. Bthe three main linguistic divisions into which the languages of India can be classified
3. Cthe three main styles of Indian temple architecture
4. Dthe three main musical gharanas of Indian classical music

Bronze icons of Nataraja cast during the Chola period invariably show the deity with

1. Aeight hands
2. Bsix hands
3. Cfour hands
4. Dtwo hands

Which one of the following monuments has a dome which is said to be one of the largest in the world?

1. ATomb of Sher Shah, Sasaram
2. BJama Masjid, Delhi
3. CTomb of Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq, Delhi
4. DGol Gumbaz, Bijapur