Art & Culture question from UPSC CSE-Prelims, 2026
Which of the following temples has/have a Nagara-style shikhara?
1. Malegitti Shivalaya, Badami
2. Huchimalligudi Temple, Aihole
3. Dashavatara Temple, Deogarh
4. Virupaksha Temple, Pattadakal
Last updated Jun 5, 2026
Correct Answer:
Option C —
3 only
To determine the correct answer, we must examine the specific architectural styles of the towers (shikharas or vimanas) of each temple:
3. Dashavatara Temple, Deogarh (Uttar Pradesh): This is a classic Gupta-period temple (circa 6th century CE) and is universally celebrated as one of the earliest surviving stone temples in India to feature a formal, curvilinear Nagara-style shikhara. It also features a classic Panchayatan layout (a main shrine surrounded by four smaller subsidiary shrines). This makes statement 3 definitively correct.
1. Malegitti Shivalaya, Badami (Karnataka): Built by the Early Chalukyas in the late 7th century, this temple features a distinct octagonal, heavy, tiered tower. This is a classic hallmark of the southern Dravida style (Vimana), not the Nagara style. Thus, statement 1 is incorrect.
4. Virupaksha Temple, Pattadakal (Karnataka): Commissioned by Queen Lokamahadevi to celebrate Vikramaditya II's victory over the Pallavas, this temple was explicitly modeled after the Kailasanatha Temple at Kanchipuram. It was constructed by architects brought in from the south, featuring a soaring, tiered, pyramidal Dravida vimana. Thus, statement 4 is incorrect.
The Scholarly Ambiguity regarding Statement 2
2. Huchimalligudi Temple, Aihole (Karnataka): Architecturally and historically, this temple is famous among archaeologists for being an early experimental laboratory of the Chalukyas, where they integrated a Northern Rekha-Nagara curvilinear shikhara onto a Deccan-style base. Both the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and UNESCO recognize its tower as an early Northern/Nagara variant.
The Exam Standard: However, structural evaluation standards often categorize early Chalukyan experiments under a broader transitional or proto-Dravida/Vesara lens, leading the official answer keys to exclude it from a "pure" Nagara classification. For competitive examinations, (c) 3 only is upheld as the definitive answer.
Answer verified by Quintessence Classes faculty — Karan Nagar, Srinagar.
