Indian Architecture: UPSC Previous Year Questions (Art and Culture)
2 previous year UPSC Prelims questions on Indian Architecture (Art and Culture). Choose an option to see the answer and explanation.
Explanations state facts as of the year each question was asked; words like “recently” refer to that year.
Showing 1–2 of 2 questions
UPSC 2014Art and Culture · Indian Architecture
Q1. With reference to the Indian history of art and culture, consider the following pairs.
S.No. Famous works 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 the 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?
Explanation
Pair 1 is correctly matched: The Ajanta Caves (Maharashtra) are famous for their rock-cut Buddhist architecture including sculptures and paintings from the 2nd century BCE to the 6th century CE. The Mahaparinirvana of Buddha (his final passing away) is depicted in Cave 26 where a huge reclining Buddha (over 23 feet long) is shown lying on his right side, with his disciples mourning below and celestial beings above. They were built under the patronage of Satavahana and Vakataka rulers.
Pair 2 is incorrectly matched: The Varaha Avatar sculpture is not located at Mount Abu. It is found at Udayagiri Caves near Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh. The Udayagiri Caves are famous for their early Gupta period rock-cut sculptures, including the iconic Varaha panel depicting Vishnu rescuing Goddess Earth (Bhudevi) from the ocean. Mount Abu (Rajasthan) is primarily known for its Dilwara Temples (11th-13th century CE) of Jain architecture.
Pair 3 is correctly matched: The Arjuna’s Penance or Descent of the Ganges is a massive open-air rock relief located at Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram) in Tamil Nadu. It depicts scenes from Hindu mythology such as the story of Arjuna’s penance and the descent of the Ganges to earth. It is one of the largest open-air rock reliefs in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
UPSC 2014Art and Culture · Indian Architecture
Q2. Ibadat Khana at Fatehpur Sikri was:
Explanation
The Ibadat Khana was built by Emperor Akbar in 1575 as a place for holding discussions with scholars of various religions, including Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, Jainism, and Zoroastrianism. These discussions were part of Akbar’s efforts to promote religious tolerance and understand different faiths, which eventually led to the formulation of his Din-i-Ilahi (Divine Faith)-a synthesis of various religious principlesand a syncretic religious doctrine.
Option (a), (b) and (d) are incorrect:
The mosque at Fatehpur Sikri is the Jama Masjid which was built for public worship and is one of the largest mosques in India. The Ibadat Khana was not Akbar’s private prayer chamber. Akbar’s private prayer chamber was likely located within the palace complex. While the Ibadat Khana was a place for religious discussions but it was not specifically a room for nobles.
Answer key for these questions
Q
UPSC year
Correct answer
1
2014
(c) 1 and 3 only
2
2014
(c) The hall in which Akbar held discussions with scholars of various religions.
Frequently asked questions
How many previous year UPSC questions are there on Indian Architecture?
This page covers 2 previous year UPSC Prelims GS Paper-I questions on Indian Architecture (Art and Culture), asked from 2013 to 2023. Each has the correct answer and an explanation.
How should I use previous year UPSC questions for Prelims?
Attempt each question first, then open the answer and read the explanation for every option. Repeat by chapter, and track which statements UPSC reuses across years. Previous year questions show the exam pattern and difficulty level.
Which years are covered for Indian Architecture?
Questions on Indian Architecture (Art and Culture) are available for 7 years, from 2013 to 2023. Use the Year filter to practise a single paper.
