Consider the following statements : 1. The Buddhists in Deccan excavated rock-cut Chaityas and the Vaishnavas, Shaivas and Jainas imitated these in later centuries. 2. The Vaishnavas, Shaivas and Jainas excavated temples at sites far distant from rock-cut Chaityas, Which of the statements given above is/ are correct ?

Statement 1 is correct as Buddhist rock-cut architecture in the Deccan, particularly chaityas (prayer halls) and viharas (monasteries), established a structural template that was later adopted and adapted by Hindu (Vaishnava, Shaiva) and Jaina traditions [3]. The earliest rock-cut excavations were predominantly Buddhist, dating from 200 BCE to 600 CE. Later, during the 6th to 8th centuries CE, Hindu and Jaina sects excavated their own cave temples, often as a reaction to or imitation of these earlier Buddhist structures. Statement 2 is incorrect because these religious traditions did not exclusively seek distant sites; instead, they frequently coexisted at the same locations. The Ellora cave complex is the most prominent example, where Buddhist (Caves 1–12), Hindu (Caves 13–29), and Jaina (Caves 30–34) monuments are situated in immediate proximity within the same hill range [4].

Sources

1. [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellora_Caves
2. [1] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 8: Harsha and Rise of Regional Kingdoms > Architecture > p. 114
3. [4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_caves_in_India