1/11/24, 3:05 PM UPSC_DPP 7

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Prarambh 2026
DPP: 7
Art and Culture

Q1 Consider the following statements with (A) 1 and 2 only (B) 1 and 3 only
reference to the Nayakas: (C) 2 and 3 only (D) 1, 2, and 3

1. Paintings of Nayakas have been found in Q4 Consider the following statements:

Sreerangam.
1. The Nagara-style temples have a pyramidal
2. Only Hindu images were depicted in the
shikhara with a flag installed on top of it.
Nayaka paintings.
2. Both Kailashnath and Virupaksha temples
3. The Chola paintings were repainted by the
have been constructed under the influence
Nayaka painters.
of the Vesara style.
Which of the statements given above is/are
Which of the statements given above is/are
incorrect?
correct?
(A) 1 and 2 only (B) 2 only
(A) 1 only
(C) 2 and 3 only (D) 1,2, and 3
(B) 2 only
Q2 The temple at Darsuram was built under the (C) Both 1 and 2
patronage of (D) Neither 1 nor 2
(A) Pallava (B) Pandya
Q5 Consider the following statements:
(C) Chola (D) Chalukya
1. The Brihadeswara temple is an artistic
Q3 Consider the following statements with
development of the Cholas.
reference to temple architecture:
2. The Virupaksha temple depicts mural
1. The pradakshinpath is created across the traditions from the Vijaynagar Empire.
garbagriha for circumambulation. 3. The painting of Nataraja at Tiruvalanjuli is a
2. The Ardha mandapa is located at the specimen of Chalukyan art.
entrance of the temples.
How many of the above statements are
3. The shikhara represents the path to be taken
correct?
by the devotees leading to the heaven.
(A) Only one (B) Only two
Which of the statements given above is/are (C) All three (D) None
correct?

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Answer Key
Q1 (B) Q4 (B)

Q2 (C) Q5 (B)

Q3 (A)

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1/11/24, 3:05 PM
Q1 Text Solution:
Answer: (b) 2 only
Statement 1 is correct: Nayakas were feudal
lords under the Vijayanagara kingdom. They
also served as military commanders. After the
collapse of the Vijaynagar kingdom, these
Nyakas acquired the territories and assumed
themselves to be the Raja of separate
territories. The paintings that developed under
the patronage of the Nayakas stretched
throughout out 17th and 18th centuries and
flourished over Thiruparakunram, Sreerangam,
and Tiruvarur.
Statement 2 is incorrect: The paintings that
developed under the patronage
Nayakas stretched throughout out 17th and
18th centuries. In Thiruparakunram, paintings
are found of two different
fourteenth and the seventeenth centuries.
Scenes from Vardhaman Mahavira's life are
portrayed in the early Nyaka paintings, which
date to the 13th and 14th centuries. Dated to
the 17th century, the Mature phase of Nayaka
paintings features scenes from Krishna-Leela
as well as stories from the Ramayana and
Mahabharata. A panel telling the tale of
Muchkunda may be found in Tiruvarur. There
are panels of paintings at Chidambaram that
tell tales of Shiva and Vishnu, with Shiva shown
as Bhikshatana murti and Vishnu as Mohini,
among others. Sixty panels that depict the
stories of Ramayana are indicative of the late
Nayaka painting period and may be seen in Sri
Krishna Temple in Chengam, in the Arcot
district. Thus, the Nayakas did not just portray
Hindu images rather Jaina tradition too was
depicted.
Statement 3 is correct: Under the reign of
Rajaraja Chola and his son Rajendra Chola, the
temples of Brihadeswara at
Gangaikonda Cholapuram, and Darasuram
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Hints & Solutions
were constructed. While Chola paintings may
be found in Nartamalai, the Brihadeswara
temple houses the most significant ones. Two
coats of paint were found on the paintings
deciphered. In the sixteenth century, during the
Nayaka period, the upper layer was painted.
Q2 Text Solution:
Answer: (c)
From the ninth to the thirteenth centuries, the
Cholas were in supremacy. The greatest works
of Chola art and architecture started to emerge
in the eleventh century when the Cholas were
at the epitome of their dominance. Under the
reign of Rajaraja Chola and his son Rajendra
of the Chola, the temples of Brihadeswara at
Thanjavur, Gangaikonda Cholapuram, and
Darasuram were constructed.
periods the
Q3 Text Solution:
Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only
Statement 1 is correct: A cave-like sanctum
(garbhagriha literally 'womb-house'), which, in
the early temples, was a small cubicle(कक्ष)
with a single entrance and grew into a larger
chamber in time. The garbhagriha is made to
house the main icon, which is the focus of much
ritual attention. A space is created across the
garbagriha for circumambulation or to be used
as a pradakshinpath.
Statement 2 is correct: The space in between
the main Shikhar and the adjacent mandapa is
known as the Antaral or vestibule. The hall
closest to the main Shikhar is termed Maha
Mandap. Very few people gather at the
entrance as the size of the hall or the mandpas
is comparatively smaller. At the entrance we
have the ardha mandapa (small hall) followed
by the mandap and finally reaching the maha
mandap. After the man mandap, there comes
the antaral, and beyond that is the main
Thanjavur,
shikhara.
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Statement 3 is incorrect: From the fifth century
CE onwards, freestanding temples tend to have
a mountain a spire (मीनार), which can take the
shape of a curving Shikhar in North India, and
a pyramidal tower, called a vimana, in South
India. Initially, a temple had only one vimana
but later on, several subsidiary shikars or Q5 Text Solution:
urushringas were constructed adjacent to the
main vimana. The shikhara of urushringa is
always smaller than that of the main Shikhar.
The Vahan,i.e., the mount or vehicle of the
temple's main deity along standard pillar or
dhvajis placed axially before the sanctum.
Amalaka has its significance which is believed
to be the path towards heaven. Above the
Amalaka, every temple is installed with a
Kalash. In a few temples, a flag is installed on
top of the Kalash.
Q4 Text Solution:
Answer: (b) 2 only
Statement 1 is incorrect: There are two types of
temples- one is the Nagara style which is found
in North India and the other one is the
Dravidian style which is spread over the
southern part of India. From the fifth century CE
onwards, freestanding Nagara-style temples
tend to have a mountain spire (मीनार), which
can take the shape of a curving Shikhar in
North India and a pyramidal tower, called a
vimana, in South India. Initially, a temple had
only one vimana but later on, several subsidiary
shikars or urushringas were constructed
adjacent to the main vimana. The shikhara of
urushringa is always smaller than that of the
main Shikhar. In a few temples, a flag is
installed on top of the Kalash.
Statement 2 is correct: Vesara style develops in
between which is an amalgamation of both the
Nagara and Dravidian styles. forms used in the
Hindu Temples. This style focuses primarily on
Mandapa and Vimana. Vesara's open
ambulatory hallway is one of the distinctive
characteristics of Indian architecture. This type
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of structure is based on an unraised platform
called Jagati. Exquisite carvings adorn
entrances, pillars, and ceilings. The Kailashnath,
Ellora, Chennakesava, Virupaksha, and
Ladkhan temples are the most well-known
examples of Vesara temple architecture.
Answer: (b) Only two
Statement 1 is correct: The Cholas ruled over
the region from the ninth to the thirteenth
centuries. The greatest works of Chola art and
architecture started to emerge in the eleventh
century when the Cholas were at the epitome
of their dominance. Under the reign of Rajaraja
Chola and his son Rajendra Chola, the temples
of Brihadeswara at Thanjavur, Gangaikonda
Cholapuram, and Darasuram were
constructed.
Statement 2 is correct: Magnificent specimens
of Vijayanagara paintings adorn the walls of
the Shiva temple in Lepakshi, near Hindupur, in
modern-day Andhra Pradesh. The Early phase
of Vijayanagara-style paintings may be seen at
Tiruparakunram, near Trichy, which dates back
to the fourteenth century. In contrast to the
Mature Phase, this representation is not highly
detailed or clear. Paintings from the Mature
phase can be found in the Virupaksha temple
in Hampi. The temple has paintings on the
ceiling of its mandap, depicting events from
dynasty history as well as scenes from the
Mahabharata and the Ramayana.
Statement 3 is incorrect: The figures in Kerala
Paintings, mostly in profiles are set against a
flat background. Compared to those in
Vijayanagara, male forms are depicted as
having a less heavy abdomen with a slim waist.
The artist has made an effort to add movement
and make the space dynamic. One such
example is the painting of Nataraja at
Tiruvalanjuli. By utilizing brilliant and vivid
colors to depict human forms in three
dimensions, the artists developed a language
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inspired by modern traditions such as Kathakali

and Kalamezhuthu.

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