Solved previous year question from the OPSC OAS/OCS 2024 Preliminary Examination (General Studies), with the official answer key and a detailed explanation.
Question
Who commissioned the construction of the rock-cut Jain Monasteries on Udayagiri Hills?
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Answer & Explanation
Correct answer: (C) Kharavela
King Kharavela of Kalinga commissioned the construction of the rock-cut Jain monasteries on Udayagiri Hills (located near Bhubaneswar, Odisha). Kharavela ruled in the 1st century BCE and was a patron of Jainism. The Udayagiri and Khandagiri caves are among the earliest rock-cut architectures in Odisha and served as residential blocks for Jain monks.
The Hathigumpha inscription (Elephant Cave inscription) at Udayagiri, written in Prakrit using Brahmi script, provides detailed information about Kharavela’s reign, military campaigns, and his patronage of Jainism, including the construction of these monasteries.
