UPSC Prelims 2026 Q14: Amaravati Stupa and Its Sculpture — Explained
Which of the following statements on the Amaravati Stupa and its relief sculpture is/are correct?
1. It was located in the lower Krishna valley.
2. In India, it was next only to the Sanchi Stupa in size.
3. The Amaravati school of sculpture made a lasting impact on the later South Indian sculpture, and its products were carried to Sri Lanka and South-east Asia.
- 1 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (b) 1 and 3 only
Statement-wise explanation
- 1: correct — The Amaravati stupa stood at Amaravathi on the south bank of the Krishna river, in the historical Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh. This is the lower Krishna valley, close to the river's delta. Its ancient name was Dhanyakataka, near Dharanikota, which the Satavahanas held as a major centre.
- 2: incorrect — Amaravati was not second to Sanchi. It was bigger. Britannica calls it one of the largest stupas built in Buddhist India, about 50 m (160 ft) across and about 30 m high. The Great Stupa at Sanchi's dome is only about 36 m across. So the statement gets the order the wrong way round.
- 3: correct — Amaravati's narrative reliefs, carved in greenish-white limestone, shaped later South Indian sculpture. The style also travelled along the trade routes of the east coast. Britannica notes that it spread to Sri Lanka (seen at Anuradhapura) and to much of South-east Asia.
How to eliminate
Statement 1 is basic knowledge. Amaravati is on the Krishna in Andhra Pradesh, and every Satavahana chapter links it to the Krishna–Godavari region. Accepting it rules out the option that leaves 1 out. Statement 3 is the standard textbook line about Amaravati art and maritime trade, so most candidates can accept it too. That rules out the option that has 1 alone. Now the choice is between '1 and 3' and 'all three', and it turns only on statement 2. The precise ranking 'next only to Sanchi' is the kind of claim UPSC likes to falsify. Sanchi is famous because it survives well, not because it is the biggest. Still, you can only be certain if you know this fact: Amaravati was about 50 m across, Sanchi's dome about 36 m, so Amaravati was the bigger of the two.
Know more
Amaravati: the great stupa of the Deccan
- Built: in phases from about the 3rd–2nd century BCE to about 250 CE. It was enlarged mainly under the Satavahanas, whose capital region included Dhanyakataka (Dharanikota) on the Krishna.
- Material: greenish-white limestone, often called Palnad marble. The drum slabs and railings were covered with reliefs of the Buddha's life and Jataka stories.
- Phases of imagery: early panels show the Buddha aniconically, through symbols such as footprints, an empty throne, the Bodhi tree and the stupa. Later panels show him in human form.
- Style: crowded and lively scenes, slender figures, deep carving and strong movement. The flying figures are counted among its finest work.
- Fate: the stupa was largely dismantled before and during early colonial-era digging, starting with Colin Mackenzie's visit in 1797. Its slabs are now in the Government Museum, Chennai, the British Museum, London, and the ASI site museum at Amaravati.
- Spread: through east-coast ports, the style reached Sri Lanka (Anuradhapura) and South-east Asia. It shaped later art in the region, including the Ikshvaku work at Nagarjunakonda.
| Feature | Gandhara | Mathura | Amaravati |
|---|---|---|---|
| Region | North-west (Pakistan–Afghanistan) | Mathura, Uttar Pradesh | Lower Krishna valley, Andhra |
| Main patrons | Kushanas | Kushanas | Satavahanas, later Ikshvakus |
| Material | Grey-blue schist, stucco | Spotted red sandstone | Greenish-white limestone |
| Influence | Greco-Roman | Indigenous | Indigenous |
| Religion | Mainly Buddhist | Buddhist, Jain, Brahmanical | Mainly Buddhist |
| Signature | Wavy hair, heavy drapery | Fleshy, smiling Buddha | Narrative reliefs, dynamic scenes |
Size check: Amaravati was about 50 m across and about 30 m high. The Sanchi dome is about 36 m across.
NCERT Concepts to Revise
- Amaravati stupa: All three statements describe this monument, so knowing where it stood and how big it was underpins the whole question.
- Amaravati school of art: Statement 3 depends on how far the Amaravati school's limestone reliefs influenced later South Indian art and spread to Sri Lanka and South-east Asia.
- Sanchi stupa: Statement 2 asks you to compare Amaravati's size with Sanchi's, so you need Sanchi's dome width of about 36 m.
- Satavahana dynasty: The Satavahanas held Dhanyakataka near Amaravati, which helps you place the stupa in the lower Krishna valley for Statement 1.
- Aniconic representation of the Buddha: Early Amaravati reliefs show the Buddha through symbols, a key feature of the school's narrative sculpture in Statement 3.
- Bharhut stupa: Bharhut is another major early stupa, a useful comparison point when judging Amaravati's size and relief style in Statements 2 and 3.