Q. Consider the following art and architectural forms:
1. Rock-cut elephant at Dhauli in Orissa
II. Yakshi figure from Didarganj near Patna
III. Great Stupa at Sanchi in Madhya Pradesh
IV. 80-pillared hall at Kumrahar near Patna
Which of the above art and architectural forms belong to the Mauryan period?
(1) II, III and IV
(2) II and III only
(3) I, II, III and IV
(4) I, II and III
Answer: 3
Identify the incorrect statement on the contributions of Jainism:
The rock-cut sculpture of the Mauryan Period is Dhauli Elephant. Dhauli is located in the ancient territory of Kalinga, now the state of Orissa, which the emperor Ashoka Maurya conquered with appalling loss of life in about 260 BC. Rock-cut Elephant at Dhauli is the earliest Buddhist sculpture of Odisha constructed by Ashoka in 272-231 BC which carries sculpted elephant faces east. Rock-cut Monuments at Mahabalipuram was founded by Pallava Mahendravarman-I in 600-630 or 6th century AD.
Consider the following types of pottery:
It’s officially known as the Didarganj Yakshi (a word that denotes a goddess of nature) and stands at a height of five foot two, having been sculpted out of Chunar sandstone. Owing to the sculpture’s highly polished finish and detailed finery, many scholars date it to the Mauryan dynasty around the third century BCE. The monumental sculptural figure came to be identified as a Yakshi, a female nature spirit, who embodies fertility and prosperity with her wide hips, full breasts, and an enigmatic smile. Today she is widely known as the “Didarganj Yakshi,” because she was discovered in Didarganj Kadam Basul, in northeastern India.
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The Great Stupa at Sanchi is one of the oldest stone structures in India, and an important monument of Indian Architecture. It was originally commissioned by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka the Great in the 3rd century BCE. Its nucleus was a simple hemispherical brick structure built over the relics of the Buddha. The great stupa of Sanchi was constructed by the Mauryan King Ashoka in the 3rd Century BC.
The most striking ruin found is that of an 80-pillared hall made of sandstone, dating back to around 300 BC (the Mauryan period), which is said to be the location of the third Buddhist Council.