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Question 6 of 136 · Monuments & Religious Places
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The Bharhut Stupa is located in which state?

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Answer: Option A — Madhya Pradesh

Detailed Solution

The Bharhut Stupa is located at Bharhut, in the Satna district of Madhya Pradesh.

About the Bharhut Stupa:

  • It is a Buddhist stupa that was probably first built in the Mauryan period (3rd century BCE), possibly under Emperor Ashoka.
  • Its famous carved stone railings and gateways (toranas) were added in the 2nd century BCE, during the Shunga period.
  • It was discovered in 1873 by Sir Alexander Cunningham, the first Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India.

Most of its surviving sculptures were moved to the Indian Museum in Kolkata, where they are displayed in the "Bharhut Gallery". Some are in the Allahabad Museum and other museums.

Features of Bharhut art:

  • Its carvings are among the earliest examples of Buddhist art in India.
  • They depict "Jataka" tales (stories of the Buddha's previous births) and events from the Buddha's life.

In early Buddhist art, the Buddha is not shown in human form but through symbols, such as an empty throne, footprints, the Bodhi tree, the wheel of dharma (dharmachakra) and the stupa. This is called the "aniconic" phase.

The carvings also include yakshas and yakshis (nature spirits), such as the yakshi "Chulakoka Devata".

The carvings bear inscriptions in the Brahmi script that name the scenes and donors. These are valuable historical records.

Other famous stupas:

  • Sanchi Stupa: Raisen district, Madhya Pradesh; begun by Ashoka; UNESCO World Heritage Site (1989).
  • Amaravati Stupa: Andhra Pradesh; famous for its marble carvings.
  • Dhamek Stupa: Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh; marks the site of the Buddha's first sermon.
  • Kesariya Stupa: Bihar; one of the largest stupas in the world.
  • Piprahwa Stupa: Uttar Pradesh; relics believed to be of the Buddha were found here.
  • Nagarjunakonda: Andhra Pradesh.
  • Other stupas in Madhya Pradesh include those at Satdhara and Sonari.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗Uttar Pradesh has the Dhamek Stupa at Sarnath.
  • ✗Bihar has the Kesariya Stupa.
  • ✗Andhra Pradesh has the Amaravati Stupa.

Quick tip

Remember: Bharhut Stupa = Satna, Madhya Pradesh (Shunga railings, 2nd century BCE; Jataka carvings; discovered by Cunningham 1873; now in the Indian Museum, Kolkata); Sanchi = Raisen, MP.

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Monuments & Religious Places — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Monuments & Religious Places, 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's important monuments, temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras and pilgrimage sites, who built them and when, their architectural styles, and India's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Questions ask who built a monument, where it is located, or which dynasty or style it belongs to. For example, the Qutub Minar was begun by Qutbuddin Aibak, and the Sun Temple at Konark was built by the Eastern Ganga king Narasimhadeva I. Revise the UNESCO World Heritage Sites as a list, noting the most recent additions. Practise the monuments and religious places 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.

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