Correct answer: (b) 2 and 3
Explanation
- A
1 and 2
This option includes 1 and 2. Malegitti Shivalaya at Badami is an early Chalukya temple built in the Dravidian style, not Nagara, making this option incorrect.
- B
2 and 3
(x) Official key: This option includes 2 and 3. Huchimalligudi Temple at Aihole features early experiments with temple architecture including a Nagara-style shikhara, and the Dashavatara Temple at Deogarh is a classic Gupta-period temple featuring a prominent Nagara-style shikhara. Thus, both statements 2 and 3 are correct.
- C
3 only
This option claims only 3 is correct. While the Dashavatara Temple at Deogarh has a Nagara shikhara, the Huchimalligudi Temple (statement 2) also features a Nagara-style tower, making this option incomplete and incorrect.
- D
3 and 4
This option includes 3 and 4. While the Dashavatara Temple (3) has a Nagara shikhara, the Virupaksha Temple at Pattadakal (4) is built in the Dravidian architectural style, making this option incorrect.
Summary. Official key is (b). The Nagara style of temple architecture, characterised by a beehive-shaped tower called a shikhara, is seen in the Huchimalligudi Temple at Aihole and the Dashavatara Temple at Deogarh, whereas Malegitti Shivalaya and Virupaksha Temple exhibit Dravidian features.
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