Which of the following statements is/are correct ? 1. The Ajanta caves have been painted with scenes from Jainism. 2. The crowning achievements of Ellora caves is the colossal monolithic Kailasanath temple. 3. The Ajanta caves have been built over a period of eight centuries by different rulers. Select the correct answer using the code given below :

Statement 1 is incorrect because the Ajanta caves are exclusively dedicated to Buddhism, depicting Jataka stories and the life of Buddha [t4, t5, t7]. In contrast, the Ellora caves represent a mix of Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain traditions [c1, c3]. Statement 2 is correct; the monolithic Kailasanath Temple (Cave 16) at Ellora is considered a crowning achievement of rock-cut architecture, carved from a single basalt rock during the Rashtrakuta period under Krishna I [c1, t1, t8]. Statement 3 is correct as the Ajanta caves were excavated in two distinct phases over approximately eight centuries, ranging from the 2nd century BCE (Satavahana period) to the 5th–6th centuries CE (Vakataka period) [t5, t7]. Therefore, only statements 2 and 3 are accurate, making option 4 the correct choice.

Sources

1. [1] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 8: Harsha and Rise of Regional Kingdoms > Architecture > p. 114
2. [2] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 9: Cultural Development in South India > II Ellora, Ajanta and Mamallapuram Ellora > p. 132
3. [3] https://asi.nic.in/pages/WorldHeritageAjantaCaves
4. [4] https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/242/