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UPSC Prelims 2026 GS Paper 1, question 14

Topic: Art and culture

Q14

Which of the following statements on the Amaravati Stupa and its relief sculpture is/are correct ?

  1. It was located in the lower Krishna valley.

  2. In India, it was next only to the Sanchi Stupa in size.

  3. The Amaravati school of sculpture made a lasting impact on the later South Indian sculpture, and its products were carried to Sri Lanka and South-east Asia.

Select the answer using the code given below :

  1. (a) 1 only
  2. (b) 1 and 3 onlyCorrect answer
  3. (c) 2 and 3 only
  4. (d) 1, 2 and 3

Solution.

Answer: (b) 1 and 3 only

  1. Statement 1 is correct: the Amaravati Mahachaitya was situated at Dharanikota/Amaravati in the lower Krishna valley of Andhra Pradesh.
  2. Statement 2 is incorrect: the Amaravati Stupa was actually larger than the Great Stupa at Sanchi (Amaravati's dome diameter was about 42 to 50 metres, compared with about 36.6 metres at Sanchi).
  3. Statement 3 is correct: the Vengi/Amaravati school deeply influenced Pallava and Chola sculpture, and its limestone bronzes and reliefs were exported to Sri Lanka and South-east Asia.

Trap: Some general survey texts loosely describe Amaravati as second to Sanchi among surviving stupa sites, which would point to (d) if Statement 2 were read non-literally.