UPSC Prelims 2021 Q49: Buddhist Caves, Stupas and Their Rivers
Which one of the following statements is correct?
- Ajanta Caves lie in the gorge of Waghora river.
- Sanchi Stupa lies in the gorge of Chambal river.
- Pandu-lena Cave Shrines lie in the gorge of Narmada river.
- Amaravati Stupa lies in the gorge of Godavari river.
Answer: (a) Ajanta Caves lie in the gorge of Waghora river.
Statement-wise explanation
- a: correct — The Ajanta caves are cut into a horseshoe-shaped basalt cliff in a gorge above the Waghora river, in Aurangabad (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar) district, Maharashtra. Work on the roughly 30 caves happened in two phases: the early Buddhist caves of about the 2nd–1st century BCE, and the later Mahayana caves of the 5th century CE under the Vakatakas. The river rises in a series of waterfalls called Sat Kund near the last caves. UNESCO inscribed Ajanta as a World Heritage Site in 1983.
- b: incorrect — The Great Stupa of Sanchi stands on top of a hill in Raisen district, Madhya Pradesh, about 10 km from Vidisha. It is not in any gorge. The nearest river is the Betwa, near Vidisha, not the Chambal, which flows through western Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Ashoka began the stupa in the 3rd century BCE, and the 'Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi' became a World Heritage Site in 1989.
- c: incorrect — The Pandu-lena (Pandavleni) caves are about 24 Buddhist rock-cut caves on Trirashmi hill, about 8 km south of Nashik, Maharashtra. Nashik lies on the Godavari, not the Narmada. The Narmada flows several hundred kilometres to the north, between the Vindhyas and the Satpuras. The caves date from about the 2nd century BCE to the 2nd century CE, and their inscriptions record Satavahana and Kshaharata donors.
- d: incorrect — The Amaravati stupa was built on the flat south bank of the Krishna river in Andhra Pradesh, at ancient Dhanyakataka (Dharanikota). It was not on the Godavari, and it was not in a gorge. It grew under the Satavahanas from about the 2nd century BCE and was later enlarged and decorated.
How to eliminate
This question mostly tests whether you know each site's river. A little geography still helps. The Narmada does not flow through Nashik, which every map places in the Godavari basin, so the Pandu-lena statement can go. Sanchi is a hilltop stupa near Bhopal and Vidisha, a long way from the Chambal valley. Amaravati is a well-known Krishna-river site, and it gives its name to the Amaravati school of art in the Krishna valley. Also notice the word 'gorge'. Free-standing stupas such as Sanchi and Amaravati were built on hills or open plains. Rock-cut cave complexes like Ajanta were cut into cliff faces above river ravines. So the statement about a cave complex in a gorge is the likely answer. Fact to remember: Ajanta lies above the Waghora.
Know more
Buddhist sites and their landscapes
Early Buddhist builders used two kinds of setting:
- Rock-cut caves were carved into the basalt cliffs of the Western Ghats and the Deccan, often above a stream. Caves were cool, offered seclusion for monsoon retreats (varsha-vasa), and stood near trade routes from the coast to the plateau.
- Structural stupas were solid domes of brick or stone over relics. They were built on hilltops or plains near towns and river crossings, where pilgrims and merchants could reach them easily.
| Site | Type | State | Setting / river | Main period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ajanta | Chaityas and viharas, murals | Maharashtra | Gorge of the Waghora | c. 2nd c. BCE; 5th c. CE (Vakataka) |
| Ellora | Buddhist, Hindu and Jain caves | Maharashtra | Charanandri hills, near Aurangabad | c. 6th–10th c. CE |
| Pandu-lena (Nasik) | Chaityas and viharas, inscriptions | Maharashtra | Trirashmi hill, Godavari basin | c. 2nd c. BCE–2nd c. CE |
| Karle / Bhaja | Chaitya halls | Maharashtra | Bhor Ghat trade route | c. 2nd–1st c. BCE |
| Sanchi | Stupa with toranas | Madhya Pradesh | Hilltop near the Betwa, Vidisha | 3rd c. BCE onward (Ashoka) |
| Bharhut | Stupa railing | Madhya Pradesh | Satna district | c. 2nd c. BCE (Shunga) |
| Amaravati | Stupa, marble reliefs | Andhra Pradesh | South bank of the Krishna | c. 2nd c. BCE onward (Satavahana) |
| Nagarjunakonda | Stupas, viharas | Andhra Pradesh | Krishna valley | 3rd–4th c. CE (Ikshvaku) |
Key terms:
- A chaitya is a prayer hall with a stupa at the far end.
- A vihara is a monastery with cells for monks.
- Ajanta's murals are among the finest surviving examples of early Indian painting.
- Amaravati gives its name to a separate school of sculpture, alongside Gandhara and Mathura.
UNESCO inscribed Ajanta and Ellora in 1983 and Sanchi in 1989.
NCERT Concepts to Revise
- Ajanta caves: One statement places the Ajanta cave complex in a specific river gorge, so you need to know where these caves are.
- Sanchi stupa: One statement links the Sanchi stupa to a river gorge, so the stupa's setting and region matter.
- Nasik caves: The Pandu-lena shrines are the Nasik caves. Knowing their city tells you which river basin they belong to.
- Amaravati stupa: One statement ties the Amaravati stupa to a river, so check which river valley it stood in.
- Chaitya and vihara: Ajanta and Pandu-lena are chaitya–vihara complexes. This explains why cave sites sit in cliffs and gorges.
- Stupa: Sanchi and Amaravati are structural stupas. Knowing how stupas were built helps you judge whether a gorge setting is plausible.