Which of the following features distinguishes the Elephanta Caves from other rock-cut sites of early India?
The caves focus on Shaivite themes and feature sculptural depth through light and shadow.
The Elephanta Caves, on Gharapuri island near Mumbai, are a UNESCO World Heritage Site dedicated primarily to Lord Shiva and dating to the 5th–8th centuries CE.
What sets them apart is their distinctly Shaivite iconography — the iconic three-headed Trimurti Sadashiva, Nataraja, Yogishvara, Ardhanarishvara, Kalyanasundara — and the masterful use of light and shadow through deep relief sculpting and the placement of fluted columns, which gives the carvings a striking three-dimensional quality.
The other options are incorrect: the caves are Hindu (not primarily Buddhist), they are not a Jain–Vaishnavite mix, and they are post-Mauryan rock-cut excavations attributed to dynasties such as the Kalachuris.
Hence, the correct answer is option B.
Similar Questions
Read the below statements marked as Assertion (A) and Reason (R). Mark the correct options:
Assertion (A): Gandhara images frequently feature halo and curly hair.
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The rock at Dhauli (Orissa) has been sculpted to resemble which animal?
Important Questions from Sculpture
People who work with visual images include ______.
I. painters
II. sculptors
Which among the following is NOT a component of Lion Capital at Sarnath, India?
Who is Devi Rai Prasad Choudhary?
Who among them is not a sculptor?
The 'Bauhaus School' was located at
