Question

Which of the following Chaitya are located in Maharashtra?
A. Kanheri
B.Takshashila
C.Nalanda
D.Nagarjunakonda

Answer 1

Hint:A chaitya is referred to as the prayer hall for Indian religions. They are most common in Buddhism.Chaityas are referred to as temple, sanctuary or any sacred monuments are mentioned in the historic literature of Jainism and Hinduism.

Complete answer: A Buddhist shrine including the stupa is called a Chaitya. It comes from the Sanskrit word ‘chitta’. The Chaitya and Stupa are both sacred for the Buddhist community. The Kanheri caves are located in Maharashtra which include a group of caves and rock cut monuments. The location is in the forests of Sanjay Gandhi National Park on the island of Salsette. The complex of the caves consist of 109 caves. The presence of a number of viharas meant that there was a well known establishment of the Buddhist monks. The word ‘kanheri’ comes from Kanhagiri which means black mountain. These caves help us to understand the evolution of Buddhism. These viharas are simple and very minimally decorated for the living, studying and meditation of the Buddhist monks.The Kanheri caves do not have dates mentioned on them. However the inscriptions mention the names of the donors and names of the kings which helped in the identification of those caves.

So, the correct answer is option A.

Note: The earliest rock-cut chaityas date back to 200BC. Chaityas were built in order to provide space for the devotees and shelter for them.The Chaityas were believed to be the arch gateway to the world by the Buddhists.The largest Chaitya dates back to 3rd century BC which was discovered in Visakhapatnam.