SSC
The 8th-century Virupaksha Temple at Pattadakal, Karnataka, was built by:
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Answer: Option D — Queen Lokamahadevi
Detailed Solution
The Virupaksha Temple at Pattadakal was built around 740-745 CE by Queen Lokamahadevi, the chief queen of the Chalukya king Vikramaditya II.
Why it was built:
- It was built to commemorate her husband's victory over the Pallavas of Kanchipuram.
- It was originally called "Lokeshvara" (after the queen).
- Her sister, Queen Trailokyamahadevi, also a wife of Vikramaditya II, built the nearby Mallikarjuna Temple.
About the temple:
- It is dedicated to Lord Shiva.
- It is the largest and most elaborate temple at Pattadakal.
- It is built in the southern (Dravidian) style and is believed to have been inspired by the Kailasanathar Temple at Kanchipuram; it is said that the Chalukya king brought architects from Kanchi after his victory.
- It has a large Nandi pavilion, a pillared hall with sculptures from the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Puranas, and a pyramidal tower.
- It is still a functioning temple.
- It in turn inspired the Kailasa Temple at Ellora, built by the Rashtrakutas.
About the Chalukyas of Badami (Vatapi):
They ruled from the 6th to the 8th century CE, with their capital at Badami (Vatapi) in Karnataka.
Pulakeshin II (610-642 CE) was the greatest ruler; he defeated Harshavardhana on the banks of the Narmada. His achievements are described in the "Aihole inscription" (634 CE) by his court poet Ravikirti.
The Chalukyas experimented with temple styles at Aihole, Badami and Pattadakal.
Famous women rulers and builders in Indian history:
- Rudramadevi: a Kakatiya queen of Warangal (13th century).
- Ahilyabai Holkar: Maratha queen of Indore (18th century); she rebuilt the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi (1780) and many other temples.
- Rani Durgavati: Gond queen of Garha-Mandla, who fought the Mughals (1564).
- Rani Udayamati: a Chaulukya (Solanki) queen who built the Rani-ki-Vav stepwell at Patan, Gujarat, in memory of her husband Bhima I.
- Rani Rashmoni: built the Dakshineswar Kali Temple.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Queen Rudramadevi ruled the Kakatiya kingdom in the 13th century.
- ✗Queen Ahilyabai Holkar rebuilt many temples in the 18th century.
- ✗Queen Durgavati was a 16th-century Gond queen.
Quick tip
Remember: Virupaksha Temple, Pattadakal = built by Queen Lokamahadevi (about 740 CE) to celebrate Vikramaditya II's victory over the Pallavas; Mallikarjuna Temple = Queen Trailokyamahadevi; Rani-ki-Vav = Queen Udayamati.
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Early Medieval India & South Indian Kingdoms — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Early Medieval India & South Indian Kingdoms, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers India from about the 7th to the 12th century: the Rajput dynasties, the tripartite struggle between the Palas, Pratiharas and Rashtrakutas, and the South Indian kingdoms of the Chalukyas, Pallavas, Cholas and Pandyas, along with the Sangam age and the temple architecture of the period. Questions often ask which dynasty built a temple (the Pallavas built the Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram, and Rajaraja Chola I built the Brihadeeswara Temple at Thanjavur), the capitals of dynasties, and the local self-government of the Cholas. Learning each dynasty with its capital, greatest ruler and one monument is the quickest way to answer these questions. Practise the early medieval India questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.