UPSC Prelims 2026Question 14Culture

Which of the following statements on the Amaravati Stupa and its relief sculpture is/are correct?
1. It was located in the lower Krishna valley.
2. In India, it was next only to the Sanchi Stupa in size.
3. The Amaravati school of sculpture made a lasting impact on the later South Indian sculpture, and its products were carried to Sri Lanka and South-east Asia.
Select the answer using the code given below:

Options

(a)1 only
(b)1 and 3 only
(c)2 and 3 only
(d)1, 2 and 3

Correct answer: b

Decision rule

Precise ranking claims ('next only to X in size') are the planted error; statements of location and of artistic influence usually hold.

Explanation

Correct Answer

(b) 1 and 3 only

Explanation of the Correct Answer

Statements 1 and 3 are correct, while statement 2 is incorrect.

Statement 1 is correct:
The Amaravati Stupa was located in the lower Krishna valley in present-day Andhra Pradesh. It was an important Buddhist centre in the Deccan.
Statement 2 is incorrect:
The statement that Amaravati Stupa was next only to Sanchi in size is not correct. Amaravati was indeed one of the largest and most important Buddhist stupas, but it was not simply “next only to Sanchi” in size. In fact, the Amaravati Stupa was known for its massive scale and elaborate sculptural decoration, and in some respects it was larger and more richly decorated than Sanchi.
Statement 3 is correct:
The Amaravati school of sculpture had a major influence on later South Indian Buddhist and sculptural traditions. Its artistic influence also travelled to Sri Lanka and South-East Asia, especially through Buddhist networks across the Bay of Bengal.

Therefore, the correct answer is (b) 1 and 3 only.

Why Other Options Are Incorrect

Option	Verdict	Explanation
(a) 1 only	Incorrect	Statement 1 is correct, but statement 3 is also correct because Amaravati art influenced South India, Sri Lanka and South-East Asia.
(b) 1 and 3 only	Correct	Amaravati was located in the lower Krishna valley, and its sculptural tradition had wider influence.
(c) 2 and 3 only	Incorrect	Statement 3 is correct, but statement 2 is incorrect. Also, statement 1 is correct.
(d) 1, 2 and 3	Incorrect	Statement 2 is incorrect; hence all three cannot be correct.

Relevant Supplementary Information

Amaravati Stupa: Key Facts

Aspect	Details
Location	Amaravati, lower Krishna valley, Andhra Pradesh
Religious association	Buddhism
Period of development	Mainly Satavahana and later Ikshvaku period
Material used in sculpture	Mostly white limestone
Artistic tradition	Amaravati school of sculpture
Major themes	Buddha’s life, Jataka stories, stupas, worship scenes, narrative panels
Style	Dynamic figures, elaborate ornamentation, narrative richness
Influence	South India, Sri Lanka, South-East Asia
Important feature	One of the most richly carved Buddhist stupas in ancient India

Amaravati School vs Sanchi School

Feature	Amaravati	Sanchi
Region	Andhra Pradesh, lower Krishna valley	Madhya Pradesh
Broad period	Satavahana–Ikshvaku phase	Mauryan, Shunga, Satavahana phases
Material	White limestone	Sandstone
Artistic style	More dynamic, ornate, and narrative	More restrained and symbolic
Major themes	Buddha’s life, Jataka tales, worship scenes	Jataka tales, Buddhist symbols, stupa worship
Representation of Buddha	Both aniconic and later iconic tendencies	Mainly early aniconic symbolism
Influence	South India, Sri Lanka, South-East Asia	Central Indian Buddhist art tradition
Visual character	Slender figures, movement, deep carving	Balanced compositions, symbolic clarity

Major Buddhist Art Centres

Centre	Region	Main Feature
Sanchi	Madhya Pradesh	Stupa architecture, gateways, aniconic Buddhist reliefs
Bharhut	Madhya Pradesh	Early narrative reliefs and inscriptions
Amaravati	Andhra Pradesh	Rich sculptural reliefs and dynamic narrative panels
Nagarjunakonda	Andhra Pradesh	Buddhist monuments and Ikshvaku-period art
Mathura	Uttar Pradesh	Iconic Buddha images and indigenous sculptural tradition
Gandhara	North-West India / Pakistan-Afghanistan region	Greco-Buddhist sculptural style
Ajanta	Maharashtra	Buddhist cave paintings and sculpture

Key Takeaways from the Tables

Amaravati Stupa was located in the lower Krishna valley.
It belonged to a major Buddhist artistic centre in the Deccan.
The Amaravati school is known for white limestone reliefs, narrative richness, and graceful movement.
Amaravati art influenced later South Indian sculpture and Buddhist art in Sri Lanka and South-East Asia.
The statement that it was next only to Sanchi in size should be treated as incorrect.

Point	Explanation
Amaravati = lower Krishna valley	Its location in Andhra Pradesh is a key factual point.
Amaravati School = white limestone relief sculpture	This distinguishes it from Mathura red sandstone and Gandhara grey schist.
Style was dynamic and narrative-rich	Amaravati reliefs are known for movement, ornamentation and storytelling.
It had international influence	Its artistic products and ideas travelled to Sri Lanka and South-East Asia.
It was a major Buddhist centre	The stupa reflects Buddhism’s strong presence in the Deccan.
Do not reduce Buddhist art to Sanchi alone	Sanchi, Bharhut, Amaravati and Nagarjunakonda each represent distinct regional traditions.

Context and Current Relevance

Amaravati is important for understanding the spread of Buddhism in the Deccan and coastal Andhra region.
Its art reflects maritime and cultural links between India, Sri Lanka and South-East Asia.
The site is also significant in discussions on museum collections, as many Amaravati sculptures are now housed in museums in India and abroad.

Table: Amaravati Stupa at a Glance

Aspect	Details
Location	Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh
River valley	Lower Krishna valley
Religious association	Buddhism
Major phase of development	Satavahana and Ikshvaku periods
Artistic tradition	Amaravati School of Art
Material used	White limestone
Main art form	Relief sculpture on stupa railings, slabs, drum panels and medallions
Major themes	Buddha’s life, Jataka stories, worship of stupas, Bodhi tree, dharmachakra, devotees
Style	Graceful, dynamic, decorative and narrative-rich
Influence	South India, Sri Lanka and South-East Asia
Historical importance	One of the greatest Buddhist sculptural centres of ancient India

Table: Amaravati School of Sculpture

Feature	Description	Importance
Material	White limestone	Gives sculptures a smooth and refined appearance
Human figures	Slender, graceful and dynamic	Shows greater movement compared to earlier static styles
Narrative panels	Detailed scenes from Buddhist stories	Helped visually communicate Buddhist teachings
Decoration	Rich ornamentation and complex compositions	Shows maturity of sculptural technique
Buddha representation	Both symbolic and later human forms	Shows transition from aniconic to iconic representation
Patronage	Merchants, monks, rulers and lay devotees	Reflects strong Buddhist community and trade links
External influence	Spread to Sri Lanka and South-East Asia	Shows Amaravati’s role in Buddhist cultural transmission

Table: Amaravati vs Sanchi vs Bharhut

Feature	Amaravati	Sanchi	Bharhut
Location	Andhra Pradesh	Madhya Pradesh	Madhya Pradesh
Region	Lower Krishna valley	Central India	Central India
Broad period	Satavahana–Ikshvaku phase	Mauryan–Shunga–Satavahana phases	Shunga period
Material	White limestone	Sandstone	Red sandstone
Main structure	Great Stupa with richly carved reliefs	Stupa with gateways and railings	Stupa railing and relief panels
Artistic character	Dynamic, ornate, graceful	Balanced, symbolic, monumental	Linear, narrative, inscriptional
Major themes	Buddha’s life, Jataka stories, stupa worship	Jataka stories, aniconic symbols, sacred events	Jataka stories, donors, Buddhist symbols
Buddha depiction	Aniconic and iconic tendencies	Mainly aniconic in early phase	Aniconic
Influence	South India, Sri Lanka, South-East Asia	Central Indian Buddhist art	Early narrative Buddhist sculpture
Special importance	Richest sculptural tradition of Buddhist Deccan	Best-preserved early stupa complex	Important for labelled reliefs and inscriptions

Table: Major Buddhist Art Centres in Ancient India

Centre	Present Location	Main Association	Important Features
Sanchi	Madhya Pradesh	Stupa architecture	Great Stupa, toranas, aniconic Buddhist reliefs
Bharhut	Madhya Pradesh	Early Buddhist reliefs	Jataka panels, donor inscriptions, railing sculptures
Amaravati	Andhra Pradesh	Buddhist relief sculpture	White limestone sculptures, dynamic narrative panels
Nagarjunakonda	Andhra Pradesh	Buddhist monastic and sculptural centre	Ikshvaku-period Buddhist remains
Mathura	Uttar Pradesh	Indigenous sculptural school	Early anthropomorphic Buddha images
Gandhara	North-West region	Greco-Buddhist art	Buddha images with Hellenistic influence
Ajanta	Maharashtra	Buddhist cave art	Paintings, sculptures and chaitya-viharas
Karle	Maharashtra	Buddhist rock-cut architecture	Large chaitya hall
Nasik Caves	Maharashtra	Buddhist caves	Inscriptions, viharas, trade-linked patronage
Kanheri	Maharashtra	Buddhist monastic centre	Large cave complex near trade routes

Table: Schools of Ancient Indian Sculpture

School	Region	Material / Style	Main Features	Examples
Gandhara School	North-West India, Pakistan, Afghanistan	Grey schist; Greco-Roman influence	Wavy hair, robe folds, realistic body modelling	Standing Buddha, Bodhisattvas
Mathura School	Mathura region, Uttar Pradesh	Red sandstone	Indigenous style, robust bodies, spiritual energy	Buddha, Jain Tirthankaras, Yaksha figures
Amaravati School	Lower Krishna valley, Andhra Pradesh	White limestone	Dynamic figures, rich reliefs, narrative panels	Amaravati Stupa reliefs
Sarnath School	Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh	Chunar sandstone	Refined spiritual expression, smooth body treatment	Dharmachakra-pravartana Buddha
Gupta School	North and Central India	Sandstone	Classical balance, spiritual calm, idealized forms	Buddha images, Vishnu images

Table: Themes in Amaravati Relief Sculpture

Theme	Representation	Significance
Life of Buddha	Birth, enlightenment, first sermon, miracles, worship scenes	Shows major sacred events of Buddhism
Jataka stories	Stories of Buddha’s previous births	Communicated moral and ethical teachings
Stupa worship	Devotees worshipping stupas	Indicates relic worship and devotional practice
Bodhi tree worship	Tree shown as sacred symbol	Represents enlightenment and Buddha’s presence
Dharmachakra	Wheel of Dharma	Symbolizes Buddha’s teaching
Lotus motifs	Decorative and symbolic use	Represents purity and spiritual growth
Royal and lay donors	Devotees, processions, offerings	Shows patronage by society and merchants
Narrative scenes	Continuous storytelling in relief panels	Reflects artistic sophistication

Table: Common Confusions Related to Amaravati

Confusion	Correct Understanding
Amaravati was in the Ganga valley	It was located in the lower Krishna valley.
Amaravati art was mainly Gandhara-influenced	It had its own Deccan Buddhist style, known as the Amaravati School.
Amaravati used red sandstone like Mathura	Amaravati sculptures were mostly carved in white limestone.
Amaravati had no external influence	Its products and style influenced Sri Lanka and South-East Asia.
Amaravati sculpture was plain and simple	It was highly ornate, dynamic and narrative-rich.
Only Sanchi was important for stupa art	Amaravati was also one of the greatest Buddhist stupa and relief sculpture centres.
Amaravati was mainly a Hindu temple site	It was a major Buddhist stupa and monastic centre.

Open this in the study app →

Learn this in NCERT

Class 11Post-Mauryan Trends in Indian Art and Architecture — NCERT Art & Culture, Chapter 4. After the Mauryas, many dynasties — Shungas, Kanvas, Kushanas and Guptas in the north; Satavahanas, Ikshvakus, Abhiras and Vakatakas in the south and west — ruled…
Class 12Thinkers, Beliefs and Buildings — NCERT History, Chapter 4. This chapter follows a thousand years of ideas and their expression in texts, buildings and sculpture, with the stupa at Sanchi as its focus. In the mid-first…