Context:
Three rare Kalyana Chalukya-Era inscriptions discovered in Telangana.
Newly Discovered Inscriptions:
- Written in Kannada
- Dates back to the reign of Emperor Someswara-III Bhulokamalladeva of the Kalyana Chalukya dynasty.
- Themes – Construction of the Bijjeswara temple and donations made to the temple.
Kalyana Chalukya:
- Known as – Later/Western Chalukyas
- Timeperiod – 973-1180 AD
- Descendants of – Chalukyas of Badami.
- Taila II was the 1st king and defeated Rajaraja Chola in 992 AD.
- Area – Deccan region
- Capital – Kalyan (Karnataka) as their capital.
Art and Culture of Kalyana Chalukyas:
- Architecture:
- Major Temples: Kasi Vishveshvara at Lakkundi, Mallikarjuna at Kuruvatii
- Stepped Wells: Known for ornate stepped wells (Pushkarni) used for ritual bathing
- Literature:
- Flourished in Sanskrit and Kannada.
- Renowned Kannada literary figures: Pampa, Ranna, Durgasimha, and Nagavarma.
- Religion:
- Saivism sects were prevalent, such as Pashupata, Lakulisa, and Kalamukha.
- Religious movement under the leadership of Basavanna.
Source: TOI
Previous Year Question
With reference to the history of Indian rock-cut architecture, consider the following statements:
1. The caves at Badami are the oldest surviving rock-cut caves in India.
2. The Barabar rock-cut caves were originally made for Ajivikas by Emperor Chandragupta Maurya.
3. At Ellora, caves were made for different faiths.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
[UPSC Civil Service Exam – 2013 Prelims]
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (c)
Explanation:
Statement 1 is not correct. Barabar Caves are the oldest rock-cut caves in India.
Statement 2 is not correct. Barabar rock-cut caves were originally made for Ajivikas by Emperor Ashoka.