With reference to the Indian history of art and culture, consider the following pairs: 1. A grand image of Buddha's Mahaparinirvana with numerous celestial musicians above and the sorrowful figures of his followers below - Ajanta 2. A huge image of Varaha Avatar (boar incarnation) of Vishnu, as he rescues Goddess Earth from the deep and chaotic waters, sculpted on rock - Mount Abu 3. "Arjuna's Penance" / "Descent of Ganga" sculpted on the surface of huge boulders - Mamallapuram Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

States Ajanta caves were embellished with murals of extraordinary beauty and large Buddha statues as part of the Mahayana tradition.

A student could check whether Mahayana mural programs at major cave complexes commonly include narrative scenes of the Buddha’s life (like Mahaparinirvana) and then inspect Ajanta catalogues for such a mural.

Describes Ajanta architecture (chaityas with Buddha statue at rear) and the classical sculptural image of the Buddha in caves.

Use this to infer Ajanta’s suitability for major Buddha iconography (including reclining/Parinirvana types) and compare known Parinirvana sculptures/paintings at rock-cut sites.

Says Ajanta paintings depict narrative episodes (Jatakas), courtly life, processions and naturalistic scenes — showing Ajanta artists painted complex multi-figure compositions.

Since Mahaparinirvana is a multi-figure narrative scene, a student could reasonably expect Ajanta’s mural repertoire might include such a composition and then look for specific plates or site inventories.

Explains that Buddhist narratives (e.g., mahaparinibbana) are conveyed both by symbols and by hagiographic knowledge used by art historians to interpret sculpture and scenes.

Combine this rule with knowledge of visual conventions for Parinirvana (reclining Buddha, mourners, celestial beings) to guide searching Ajanta imagery or scholarly catalogs for matching iconography.

Notes presence of divine/semidivine figures (various goddesses) carved in Ajanta caves, indicating the site includes celestial/otherworldly figures in its iconography.

Use this to support plausibility that celestial musicians (devas/gandharvas) could appear in Ajanta mural programs, then verify by checking site images or descriptions of specific panels.