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Q.Match Column I with Column II and choose the correct option : Column I (Ancient Temples) | Column II (Locations) 1. Deogarh |

(i) Tamil Nadu 2. Mahabalipuram |
(ii) Maharashtra 3. Kailashnatha |
(iii) Bihar 4. Barabar |
(iv) Uttar Pradesh Options : (A) 1-(i), 2-(ii), 3-(iii), 4-(iv) (B) 1-(ii), 2-(iii), 3-(iv), 4-(i) (C) 1-(iv), 2-(i), 3-(ii), 4-(iii) (D) 1-(iii), 2-(iv), 3-(i), 4-(ii)
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The correct matches are Deogarh (Uttar Pradesh), Mahabalipuram (Tamil Nadu), Kailashnatha (Maharashtra), and Barabar (Bihar) — option (C).

Ancient Indian temple architecture tells a story of regional genius and evolving religious expression. Each of these four sites represents a distinct chapter in that story, rooted firmly in its geographical and cultural context.

Deogarh stands in Uttar Pradesh, a site celebrated for its early Gupta-period Dashavatara temple. This temple, dating to the late 5th or early 6th century CE, marks a pivotal moment when the structural stone temple began to replace earlier rock-cut forms. The temple's relief panels depicting Vishnu's incarnations are masterpieces of Gupta sculptural art. Its location in the Lalitpur district of modern Uttar Pradesh places it squarely in the Gangetic heartland where Gupta power flourished.

Mahabalipuram (also called Mamallapuram) lies on the Coromandel coast of Tamil Nadu. This 7th-century Pallava port-city is a UNESCO World Heritage site, famous for its rock-cut cave temples, monolithic rathas (chariot-shaped shrines), and the magnificent Shore Temple. The Pallavas, who ruled from Kanchipuram, transformed this coastal settlement into an architectural laboratory. The open-air relief of the Descent of the Ganga and the five rathas named after the Pandavas showcase the Pallava genius for carving entire temples from single granite outcrops.

Note

Mahabalipuram's Shore Temple is one of the oldest structural stone temples in South India, built by Narasimhavarman II in the 8th century, and it withstands the Bay of Bengal's waves to this day.

Kailashnatha at Ellora in Maharashtra represents perhaps the most audacious architectural feat in Indian history. This 8th-century Rashtrakuta creation is not built but excavated — carved top-down from a single basalt cliff. Commissioned by Krishna I, the temple replicates Mount Kailash, Shiva's abode. The scale is staggering: artisans removed an estimated 200,000 tonnes of rock to create this monolithic wonder. Ellora's location in the Deccan plateau made it a crossroads of Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain traditions, all represented in the cave complex.

Barabar caves in Bihar are the oldest surviving rock-cut caves in India, dating to the Mauryan period (3rd century BCE). These caves, bearing inscriptions of Ashoka and his grandson Dasharatha, were gifted to the Ajivika sect. Located in the Jehanabad district near Gaya, the Barabar caves are remarkable for their polished interiors — the "Mauryan polish" that gives the granite walls a mirror-like finish. Unlike later Hindu or Buddhist caves, these are austere, reflecting the ascetic Ajivika philosophy. …

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