With reference to ancient India, consider the following statements:
- 1.The concept of Stupa is Buddhist in origin.
- 2.Stupa was generally a repository of relics.
- 3.Stupa was a votive and commemorative structure in Buddhist tradition.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (b) Only two
Statements 2 and 3 are correct, and statement 1 is not. Stupas were mounds that held sacred relics and were built as commemorative and votive structures in Buddhism, but NCERT notes the tradition of raising stupas may be older than Buddhism.
- ✗ 1. NCERT says the tradition of erecting stupas may have been pre-Buddhist; it later came to be associated with Buddhism. So the idea is not purely Buddhist in origin.
- ✓ 2. Places were held sacred because relics of the Buddha, such as his bodily remains or objects he used, were buried there, and these mounds were called stupas.
- ✓ 3. In Buddhist tradition stupas were built to honour sacred sites and as offerings. NCERT's art book describes many votive stupas, for example the small rock-cut ones around the hillock at Anakapalli.
Remember · Stupa: a mound holding relics, tied to Buddhism but with possibly pre-Buddhist roots; built as commemorative and votive monuments.
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 12 Themes in Indian History, Part I, Ch 4 (practise this chapter) · Class 11 An Introduction to Indian Art, Part I, Ch 4 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- NCERT Class 12 · Themes in Indian History, Part I, Chapter 4 “This was because relics of the Buddha such as his bodily remains or objects used by him were buried there. These were mounds known as stupas. The tradition of erecting stupas may have been pre-Buddhist, but they came to be associated with Buddhism.”
- NCERT Class 11 · An Introduction to Indian Art, Part I, Chapter 4 “Many votive rock-cut stupas all around the hillock have also been excavated.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2023, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·