Consider the following pairs : Site Well known for

Consider the following pairs :

SiteWell known for
1. Besnagar: Shaivite cave shrine
2. Bhaja: Buddhist cave shrine
3. Sittanawasai: Jain cave shrine

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

Only one
Only two
All three
None
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2023
Only two of the given pairs are correctly matched.
The Bhaja caves are renowned Buddhist rock-cut caves. The Sittanavasal caves are famous for Jain paintings and sculptures. Besnagar (Vidisha) is historically significant for the Heliodorus Pillar, a structure associated with Vaishnavism, not a Shaivite cave shrine.
Bhaja Caves are located near Lonavala, Maharashtra, dating back to the Hinayana phase of Buddhism (2nd century BC). Sittanavasal is located in Tamil Nadu and its caves contain important examples of Jain art from the Pallava period (7th century AD) and later Pandyas. Besnagar, near Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh, is known for the Heliodorus pillar, which is a Garuda column erected by Heliodorus, a Greek ambassador, dedicating it to Vasudeva (a deity identified with Vishnu), indicating the early prevalence of Vaishnavism in the region around the 2nd century BC.