UPSC Prelims 2026 Q6: Hallisalasya Painting, Bagh Caves — Explained
The Hallisalasya painting in the Bagh Caves represents:
- A joyous folk dance
- Buddha in a meditative pose
- The depiction of Shiva and Parvati on Kailasha
- Samudramanthan (Churning of the Ocean)
Answer: (a) A joyous folk dance
Statement-wise explanation
- a: correct — The Hallisalasya mural is in the veranda of Cave 4 (the 'Rang Mahal') at Bagh, Dhar district, Madhya Pradesh. It shows a hallisaka: a ring dance in which women dance in a circle around a central performer, while women musicians play drums and cymbals. It is a lively secular scene of music and dance, not a religious one.
- b: incorrect — The Bagh caves are Buddhist viharas, and they do contain Buddha and Bodhisattva images. The Hallisalasya panel is not one of them. Its subject is a group dance with musicians, not a seated Buddha in meditation.
- c: incorrect — Shiva and Parvati on Mount Kailasha is a Brahmanical theme. It is famous in rock-cut art from Ellora (Kailasa temple, Cave 16) and Elephanta, not from the Buddhist caves at Bagh. Nothing in the Hallisalasya panel shows Shiva or Parvati.
- d: incorrect — Samudramanthan, the churning of the ocean by gods and asuras, is a Puranic Vaishnava story. It is not the subject of the Bagh mural. The name 'Samudra Manthan' was in the news in 2026 as the Petroleum Ministry's offshore exploration scheme, which may make it look familiar, but that has nothing to do with Bagh.
How to eliminate
The name helps. 'Hallisa' comes from hallisaka, the classical name of a circular group dance, and 'lasya' is the graceful, feminine mode of dance (as opposed to Shiva's tandava). A candidate who knows the word lasya can link the panel to dance and pick the folk-dance option. Basic knowledge also rules out two options. Bagh is a Buddhist cave site, so a Shaiva Kailasha scene and a Puranic Samudramanthan are unlikely as its signature painting. The meditative Buddha is the trap: it fits a Buddhist site, but it does not explain the name 'Hallisalasya'. If you do not know the word, you can only solve this by knowing the fact. Remember: Bagh Cave 4 (Rang Mahal) = hallisaka dance scene with women musicians.
Know more
Bagh caves: the companion site to Ajanta
The Bagh caves are Buddhist rock-cut monuments on the Baghani river in Dhar district, Madhya Pradesh. They were excavated around the 5th–6th century CE, in the late Gupta age. Nine caves are usually counted. They are mostly viharas (monastic halls with cells), and some have a stupa in the shrine.
The paintings were done in tempera on a lime-plastered ground over the rough sandstone. Most of the paint has flaked off. In the early 20th century, artists copied the surviving panels, and some sections were removed for safekeeping. The 1927 India Society volume The Bagh Caves in the Gwalior State recorded them.
What makes Bagh distinct
- Cave 4, the Rang Mahal ('painted palace'), carries the best-known murals on its long veranda wall.
- The hallisaka panel shows a ring of women dancers around a central performer, with women playing drums and cymbals. A procession of elephants and horses runs alongside.
- The themes are largely secular and courtly, while Ajanta concentrates on Jataka stories and the life of the Buddha.
- The ASI notes that a Padmapani Bodhisattva at Bagh is a prototype of the famous Padmapani at Ajanta.
| Feature | Ajanta | Bagh |
|---|---|---|
| State | Maharashtra (Aurangabad) | Madhya Pradesh (Dhar) |
| River | Waghora | Baghani |
| Main phase | 2nd c. BCE; 5th c. CE | c. 5th–6th c. CE |
| Dominant themes | Jatakas, life of Buddha | Secular scenes: music, dance, processions |
| Famous image | Padmapani, Dying Princess | Hallisaka dance (Cave 4) |
| UNESCO status | World Heritage (1983) | Not inscribed |
Key terms: Lasya is the graceful dance associated with Parvati. Tandava is Shiva's vigorous dance. Hallisaka is a circular group dance described in Sanskrit texts and treated as a precursor of ring dances like Garba and Raas.
NCERT Concepts to Revise
- Bagh caves: The question turns on what the Hallisalasya mural in Cave 4, the 'Rang Mahal' at Bagh in Dhar district, actually depicts.
- Ajanta paintings: Bagh murals are often compared with Ajanta's in style and technique, so knowing Ajanta's themes helps you judge what a Bagh panel might show.
- Ajanta caves: Ajanta and Bagh are both Buddhist cave sites, so confusing their famous panels is a common trap when you pick a subject for the mural.
- Chaitya and vihara: Bagh's caves are Buddhist viharas, which bears on whether Brahmanical themes like Shiva on Kailasha or the Samudramanthan would appear there.
- Gupta art: The Bagh murals belong to Gupta-era painting, which covered both religious and lively secular scenes of music and dance.