CDS History · Ancient India
Art and Architecture
Stupas, the Sarnath capital and Buddhist sites, the Gandhara and Mathura schools and the Ajanta paintings, and the early temples and rock-cut caves.
Why this matters
Thirteen questions, eight of them HARD and nine from 2023 or later. Most give a monument and ask where it is, what it is made of or which faith it belongs to. The Deogarh temple was asked in 2023 (II) and again in 2026 (II).
Concept 1 of 3: Stupas, pillars and Buddhist sites
A stupa is a mound built over relics of the Buddha or a great monk. Ashoka spread the cult, merchants paid for the carvings, and the carvings borrowed freely from older popular beliefs.
Definition
- Stupas held relics of the Buddha and other monks. Ashoka did much to popularise them.
- They were built near towns and trade routes, where merchants and lay followers could visit and give money, not in remote countryside.
- At Sanchi (Madhya Pradesh) the gateways show the shalabhanjika, a woman holding the branch of a tree, a motif from popular tree-spirit beliefs, not from Buddhist teaching. A woman with lotuses and elephants is Gajalakshmi.
- The Sarnath Lion Capital: a tall polished shaft, a bell of inverted lotus petals, a round abacus carved with four animals and four wheels, and four lions back to back.
- Kanaganahalli in Kalaburagi district, Karnataka, on the Bhima river, has a stupa of the first to third centuries CE and a carved portrait labelled with Ashoka's name.
- The Guntupalle rock-cut Buddhist caves are in Eluru district, Andhra Pradesh.
| Site or object | Where | Key fact |
|---|---|---|
| Sanchi | Madhya Pradesh | Gateways carved with the shalabhanjika and GajalakshmiQ CDS 2022 (I): the woman with lotuses and elephants is Gajalakshmi, not the shalabhanjika. |
| Sarnath Lion Capital | Uttar Pradesh | Inverted lotus below a round abacus carved with animals and wheelsQ |
| Kanaganahalli | Kalaburagi district, Karnataka, on the Bhima | Stupa of the 1st to 3rd centuries CE; a portrait of Ashoka |
| Guntupalle | Eluru district, Andhra Pradesh | Rock-cut Buddhist cavesQ |
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2023 · CDS (I) 2023 — General Knowledge · Q101Hard
Example 1 · Ancient India · Art and Architecture
Consider the following statements about Kanaganahalli archaeological site :
1. It is situated on the bank of Bhima river.
2. The remains of the Kanaganahalli Stupa can be dated between 1st and 3rd centuries CE.
3. Emperor Ashoka's image was found at the site.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
The Sarnath abacus is carved
The abacus of the Sarnath capital is round and carved with four animals and four wheels. A statement calling it plain is false.
Stupas were not in remote villages
Stupas stood near towns and trade routes, where patrons could reach them. 'They were located in rural areas' is the wrong statement.
Concept 2 of 3: Gandhara, Mathura and Ajanta
Two schools carved the first images of the Buddha: Gandhara in the north-west with a Greek look, Mathura with an Indian one. Later, at Ajanta, painters filled cave walls with crowded stories.
Definition
- Gandhara (the north-west) carved the Buddha with Greek features. Its sculptors worked first in blue-grey schist and green phyllite, and later in stucco.
- Mathura carved in red sandstone, in a local Indian style.
- The Ajanta caves in Maharashtra are painted with Jataka stories and with yakshas, gandharvas and apsaras. The painters used multiple perspectives, showing figures and buildings from several angles in one scene.
| School or site | Material | Key fact |
|---|---|---|
| Gandhara | Blue-grey schist and green phyllite, later stucco | The Buddha with Greek features |
| Mathura | Red sandstone | Images in an Indian style |
| Ajanta | Paint on cave walls | Jataka stories; yakshas, gandharvas and apsaras; several viewpoints in one scene |
Practice this conceptself-check · 3 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2025 · CDS (II) 2025 — General Knowledge · Q62Moderate
Example 2 · Ancient India · Art and Architecture
Consider the following statements about Ajanta Cave paintings :
1. The paintings depict yakshas, gandharvas and apsaras.
2. The artists have used the technique of providing "multiple perspectives".
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Grey schist for Gandhara, red sandstone for Mathura
Gandhara sculpture is in grey schist, phyllite and stucco; Mathura's is in red sandstone. CDS uses the material to tell the two schools apart.
Concept 3 of 3: Temples and rock-cut caves
The first free-standing temples came in the Gupta age, some in stone and some in brick. Before and beside them, whole temples were cut out of hillsides: Jain caves in Odisha, Shiva's caves at Elephanta, and the giant Kailasa at Ellora.
Definition
- The Dashavatara temple at Deogarh, in Lalitpur district of Uttar Pradesh, is a Gupta temple of stone.
- The Bhitargaon temple near Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, is a Gupta temple of brick with terracotta panels.
- The Elephanta caves near Mumbai are Shaiva caves linked with the Pashupata sect. The Portuguese named the island after a stone elephant, it has a group of caves, and its famous carving is the three-headed Shiva.
- Ellora in Maharashtra has Buddhist, Hindu and Jain caves. Its Kailasa temple was cut from a single rock, downward from the top.
- Rani Gumpha at Udayagiri, Odisha, is a two-storeyed Jain cave covered in carved friezes.
| Monument | Where | Key fact |
|---|---|---|
| Dashavatara temple, Deogarh | Lalitpur district, Uttar Pradesh | Gupta temple of stoneQ CDS 2023 (II): asked for its state, Uttar Pradesh. |
| Bhitargaon temple | Near Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh | Gupta temple of brick with terracotta panels |
| Elephanta caves | Near Mumbai, Maharashtra | Shaiva caves linked with the Pashupata sect; three-headed ShivaQ |
| Ellora caves | Maharashtra | Buddhist, Hindu and Jain caves; Kailasa cut from one rockQ |
| Rani Gumpha | Udayagiri, Odisha | Two-storeyed Jain cave with carved friezes |
Practice this conceptself-check · 3 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2026 · CDS (II) 2026 — General Knowledge · Q81Moderate
Example 3 · Ancient India · Art and Architecture
Consider the following statements :
1. Dasavatara temple at Deogarh is a Gupta period building
2. Bhitargaon temple is built of dressed stone
Which of the above statements is/are correct ?
Ellora is not only Buddhist
Ellora has Buddhist, Hindu and Jain caves side by side. A statement that it is linked only with Buddhism is false.
Elephanta is Shaiva, not Vishnu
Elephanta's great carving is the three-headed Shiva, and the caves are linked with the Pashupata sect. It was named by the Portuguese, not the British.
Summary — formulas & gotchas at a glance
A revision cheat-sheet for the formulas and gotchas above. Click any concept name to jump back to its full explanation.
Reference tables (3)
Stupas, pillars and Buddhist sites4 rows
| Site or object | Where | Key fact |
|---|---|---|
| Sanchi | Madhya Pradesh | Gateways carved with the shalabhanjika and GajalakshmiQ CDS 2022 (I): the woman with lotuses and elephants is Gajalakshmi, not the shalabhanjika. |
| Sarnath Lion Capital | Uttar Pradesh | Inverted lotus below a round abacus carved with animals and wheelsQ |
| Kanaganahalli | Kalaburagi district, Karnataka, on the Bhima | Stupa of the 1st to 3rd centuries CE; a portrait of Ashoka |
| Guntupalle | Eluru district, Andhra Pradesh | Rock-cut Buddhist cavesQ |
Gandhara, Mathura and Ajanta3 rows
| School or site | Material | Key fact |
|---|---|---|
| Gandhara | Blue-grey schist and green phyllite, later stucco | The Buddha with Greek features |
| Mathura | Red sandstone | Images in an Indian style |
| Ajanta | Paint on cave walls | Jataka stories; yakshas, gandharvas and apsaras; several viewpoints in one scene |
Temples and rock-cut caves5 rows
| Monument | Where | Key fact |
|---|---|---|
| Dashavatara temple, Deogarh | Lalitpur district, Uttar Pradesh | Gupta temple of stoneQ CDS 2023 (II): asked for its state, Uttar Pradesh. |
| Bhitargaon temple | Near Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh | Gupta temple of brick with terracotta panels |
| Elephanta caves | Near Mumbai, Maharashtra | Shaiva caves linked with the Pashupata sect; three-headed ShivaQ |
| Ellora caves | Maharashtra | Buddhist, Hindu and Jain caves; Kailasa cut from one rockQ |
| Rani Gumpha | Udayagiri, Odisha | Two-storeyed Jain cave with carved friezes |
Watch out for (5)
- The Sarnath abacus is carved→ Stupas, pillars and Buddhist sites
- Stupas were not in remote villages→ Stupas, pillars and Buddhist sites
- Grey schist for Gandhara, red sandstone for Mathura→ Gandhara, Mathura and Ajanta
- Ellora is not only Buddhist→ Temples and rock-cut caves
- Elephanta is Shaiva, not Vishnu→ Temples and rock-cut caves
Test yourself on Ancient India
20 past CDS questions from this chapter, timed at 20 minutes and marked the way the exam marks it. You see your score and every answer the moment you finish. Free to start.