Which one of the following statements is correct?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (a) Ajanta Caves lie in the gorge of Waghora river.
The Ajanta Caves are cut into a cliff above the Waghora river in Maharashtra, so option (a) is right. Each of the other three monuments stands in a different setting from the one named.
- ✓ (a) UNESCO describes the 30 Ajanta caves as excavated out of a vertical cliff above the left bank of the river Waghora, in the hills of Ajanta.
- ✗ (b) Sanchi's Buddhist monuments stand on a hill and forested plateau near Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh. They are not in the gorge of the Chambal.
- ✗ (c) The Pandu-lena (Pandavleni) caves are on Trirasmi Hill just outside Nashik in Maharashtra, far from the Narmada.
- ✗ (d) The Amaravati stupa is on the bank of the Krishna river in Andhra Pradesh, not the Godavari.
Remember · Ajanta caves: horseshoe cliff above the Waghora river, Maharashtra. Pandu-lena is at Nashik, Sanchi is on a hill near Vidisha, Amaravati is on the Krishna.
Sources
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Ajanta Caves ↗ “The caves at Ajanta are excavated out of a vertical cliff above the left bank of the river Waghora in the hills of Ajanta.”
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi ↗ “On a hill overlooking the plain and about 40 km from Bhopal, the site of Sanchi comprises a group of Buddhist monuments”
- Incredible India (Ministry of Tourism): Pandavleni Caves, Nashik ↗ “Perched atop the Trirasmi Hill, just beyond Nashik, lies a treasure trove of ancient heritage known as the Pandavleni Caves.”
- Incredible India (Ministry of Tourism): Amaravati Mahachaitya ↗ “Located on the southern bank of the Krishna River, near the modern town of Amaravati, stands a remarkable stupa.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2021, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·