History · Society and Culture
UGC NET June 2025 History
Passage
Brown states that this temple, standing high on its base, has a porch on its western side accessible by stairs, and it is here that the designer reached his greatest heights. The traditional combination of mandapa and vimana has not been abandoned, but the way in which all the sharp outward-facing architectural elements such as cornices, niches and porticoes have been arranged in an orderly and artistic manner is a sign of great skill. The three-tiered vimana, prominently displaying its gabled front and crowned with a sculpted cupola, reaches a total height of 95 feet. Around the broad platform at the base of the vimana are five subsidiary shrines carved from rock, each a reduced reproduction of the main theme. The hall measures 70 feet by 62 feet, with 16 square cells in groups of four producing the effect of a diagonal central gallery of great dignity. On either side of Nandi stand two flagpoles 51 feet high, marking an important stage in the development of the Dravidian style. The depiction of Ravana shaking Mount Kailash is particularly noteworthy.
Which of the following statements is true regarding this temple?
AThis temple has the largest gopuram among the Dravidian temples in India
BThis temple has the largest mandapa among all Dravidian temples
CThe monuments at the site where the temple is located are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites ✓ Correct
DConstruction of this temple began with a wide foundation at the base of the structure
Correct answer: (C) The monuments at the site where the temple is located are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites — The answer is that the site's monuments are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Explanation
★The answer is that the site's monuments are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
★The Ellora Caves, including the Kailash Temple, were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1983.
★The Kailash Temple stands on the Ellora hill in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra.
★The site includes monuments of the Hindu, Buddhist and Jain religions.
★The temple was carved from the top downward, not from a wide base foundation upward.
★So the true statement is that the site's monuments are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
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