QUESTION 1
GS1
10 marks
How will you explain that medieval Indian temple sculptures represent the social life of those days?
WRITE IN
7 min
150 words
What the examiner wants
Show, with named temples, how sculpture records everyday medieval life (work, dress, music, war, courtly and erotic life, caste and gender) and not only religious themes.
ExplainMake clear how and why it happens: causes, process, and an example for each point.
Demand-wise check
- 1Name the social themes visible in sculpture: occupations, festivals, dance and music, warfare, dress and ornaments, courtly life≈35 words
- 2Link each theme to a specific temple panel (Khajuraho, Konark, Hoysala Belur–Halebidu, Chola temples, Modhera)≈35 words
- 3Note what sculpture reveals about patronage, gender roles and social hierarchy, and its limits as evidence≈35 words
Open in about 20 words and close in about 20.
Answer plan
One-line thesis (temples as social archives)4–5 theme clusters each with a named templeLimits (idealised, elite-sponsored)Conclusion
Where marks usually go
- Describing temple architecture (shikhara, mandapa) instead of the social life shown in sculpture
- Giving themes without naming any temple or panel
Draw this
- Two-column table: social theme → temple and panel example
Value addition
- ExampleKonark's Sun Temple wheels and walls carry scenes of hunting, military processions, music and daily courtly life alongside deities.Konark Sun Temple, UNESCO World Heritage listing (1984)
- ExampleHoysala temples at Belur and Halebidu have friezes of elephants, horsemen, dancers (madanikas) and epic scenes that show courtly culture and military life.Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas, UNESCO World Heritage listing (2023)
Mapped topper copies
Reviewed public-source references related to this PYQ. Same-syllabus references are labelled separately.
- Ajay R Raj · AIR 109 · Page 13 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Monika Srivastava · AIR 16 · Page 3 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Akansh Dhull · AIR 3 · Page 3 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Ajay R Raj · AIR 109 · Page 3 ↗Same syllabus reference
Links open original public sources. MainsBuddy does not host these answer sheets.
Next: plan for one minute, write it in 7 minutes, then get it checked.