With reference to the history of Indian rock-cut architecture, consider the following statements: [2013]

With reference to the history of Indian rock-cut architecture, consider the following statements:

The caves at Badami are the oldest surviving rock cut caves in India.
The Barabar rock-cut caves were originally made for Ajivikas by Emperor Chandragupta Maurya.
At Ellora, caves were made for different faiths.

The caves at Badami in Karnataka were constructed during the 6th–7th centuries CE under the Chalukyas, but they are not the earliest examples of rock-cut architecture in India. The oldest surviving rock-cut caves are the Barabar Caves in Bihar, dating to the 3rd century BCE during the Mauryan period.

Badami Caves (6th-7th century CE): Badami (Vatapi, located in present-day Bagalkot District of Karnataka), the capital of early Chalukyas, has four inimitable rock-cut temples.
- Cave 1: Dedicated to Lord Shiva, this cave features an 18-armed dancing Nataraja, depicting 81 dance poses, showcasing both artistic and religious themes.
- Cave 2: Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, it houses intricate carvings of Varaha (the boar incarnation) and Vamana (the dwarf incarnation).
- Cave 3: The largest cave, also dedicated to Vishnu, features his Trivikrama (conqueror of three worlds) form. It has detailed sculptures and a carved ceiling with mythological themes.
- Cave 4: A Jain cave depicting figures of Tirthankaras, reflecting the religious tolerance of the Chalukyas.
Architectural Features: The cave temples feature monolithic columns, a ‘mukha mandapam’ leading to the artha mandapam, and intricate cell-like carvings on the rear walls of the mandapas.
Significance of Location: Located on the banks of Agastiya Tirtha, the temples showcase an early example of rainwater harvesting, with water sourced from rain flowing through rocks and surrounded by a wall with stone steps.

The Barabar and Nagarjuni caves in Bihar were excavated during the reign of Ashoka and his grandson Dasharatha. These caves were primarily used by ascetics of the Ajivika sect. Notable among them are the Sudama Cave, Lomas Rishi Cave, and Karan Chaupar Cave.

Ellora is located nearly 100 Kms away from the Ajanta caves. It is a group of 34 caves – 17 Brahmanical, 12 Buddhist and 5 Jain.
This set of caves was developed during the period between the 5th and 11th centuries AD (newer as compared to Ajanta Caves) by various guilds from Vidarbha, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
Some of the prominent caves in Ellora are:
- Cave No. 10 is a Buddhist Chaitya cave known as Visvakarma Cave or Carpenter’s Cave. Buddha is seated in Dharmachakra Mudra here with the Bodhi tree carved at his back.
- Cave No. 14 is themed “Raavan ki Khai”.
- Cave No. 15 is Dashavatar Temple.
- Cave No. 16 is the Kailasha Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. It was developed under the patronage of Rashtrakuta king Krishna I and was carved out of a monolith, and it even has a courtyard. In Cave No. 16, there is also a sculpture on the wall of Kailasha temple depicting Ravana shaking Mount Kailasha.