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Q65 (NDA-II/2012) History & Culture › Art & Architecture › Indian painting traditions Answer Verified

Which one among the following is not correct about the cave paintings at Ajanta?

Result
Your answer: —  Â·  Correct: C
Explanation

The Ajanta cave paintings are primarily Buddhist in nature, focusing on the life of Buddha and Jataka tales [2]. While the paintings are religious, they are also secular as they vividly depict contemporary courtly life, festivals, and daily activities of common people [2]. A defining characteristic of the later phase at Ajanta is that scenes are not separated by rigid frames; instead, they blend harmoniously into one another to maintain narrative continuity. Regarding artistic influence, Ajanta represents the pinnacle of the Madhyadesa or Gupta-Vakataka style [1]. Unlike the Gandhara art of Northwest India, which is heavily influenced by Greco-Roman traditions [3], Ajanta's art is an indigenous development of the central Indian tradition. Therefore, the statement claiming Gandhara influence is seen at Ajanta is incorrect, as the site is the hallmark of the classical Indian style rather than the hybrid Gandhara style.

Sources

  1. [2] THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART I, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 4: Thinkers, Beliefs and Buildings > Paintings from the past > p. 102
  2. [1] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 7: The Guptas > Painting > p. 98
  3. [3] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 6: Polity and Society in Post-Mauryan Period > Art and Literature > p. 82
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SIMILAR QUESTIONS

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