Relevant Titles

1. Stupas & Monasteries MCQs for CBSE Class 12 — NCERT Practice Test

2. Practice Quiz: Stupa Architecture & Monastic Art — CBSE Class 12 History

3. 60-Minute CBSE Class 12 MCQs — Stupas, Toranas, Viharas & More

4. NCERT-Aligned Questions on Stupas and Monasteries — Class 12 Exam Prep

5. Quick CBSE Revision: Stupas, Chaityas and Monastic Architecture MCQs

Introduction

This practice set focuses on Stupas and Monasteries — Art and Architecture, a key topic in Part A (Early Societies and Cultures) for CBSE Class 12 History. These MCQs are carefully drafted to match NCERT emphasis — from stupa form and torana ornamentation to chaitya plans, vihara layouts and regional sculptural styles such as Amaravati, Sanchi, Mathura and Gandhara. The quiz helps students consolidate factual knowledge (dates, sites, and architectural terms) and interpretive understanding (iconography, narrative panels, patronage and cross-cultural influences). Designed as a 60-minute, 60-question assessment for timed practice, the set trains exam technique: quick recognition of terms (harmika, chattra, pradakshina), art historical reading of relief panels (Jataka narratives, yakshi motifs), and connecting monuments to historical contexts (Mauryan, Kushan, Gupta patronage). Each question includes concise explanations to reinforce learning immediately. Use this quiz for revision before tests, for classroom practice, or to assess conceptual readiness for board-level questions. Regular practice will sharpen retention, improve speed, and deepen understanding of how architectural form, ritual practice and artistic programs shaped early Buddhist monuments.

Sample MCQs with explanations

Q1. The square railing or small platform placed on the top of a stupa, immediately below the umbrella (chattra), is called:
A. Vedika
B. Harmika
C. Medhi
D. Torana
Correct: B — Harmika.
Explanation: The harmika is the small, square fence or platform set on the dome’s crown; the chattra (umbrella) usually rises above it.

Q2. Which of the following sites is famed for its elaborately carved toranas and narrative panels depicting Jataka tales?
A. Amaravati
B. Sanchi
C. Ajanta
D. Konark
Correct: B — Sanchi.
Explanation: Sanchi’s gateways (toranas) display rich relief carvings of Jataka stories, processions and symbolic motifs and are central to studies of early stupa art.

Q3. A chaitya-griha in early Buddhist architecture is best described as:
A. A residential cell for monks
B. A prayer hall with an apsidal end housing a stupa
C. A royal palace used by kings who patronized Buddhism
D. A marketplace adjacent to a monastery
Correct: B — A prayer hall with an apsidal end housing a stupa.
Explanation: Chaitya halls are congregational worship spaces, usually rock-cut or structural, ending in an apse that contains a stupa or shrine.

Q4. Which sculptural school shows clear Hellenistic influence in naturalistic drapery and facial features in early Buddhist art?
A. Mathura
B. Amaravati
C. Gandhara
D. Sarnath
Correct: C — Gandhara.
Explanation: Gandhara sculpture displays Greco-Roman (Hellenistic) traits — realistic anatomy, flowing drapery and classical facial modeling — reflecting cross-cultural exchange.

Q5. The practice of walking clockwise around a stupa as an act of devotion is called:
A. Pradakshina
B. Samadhi
C. Puja
D. Dharma
Correct: A — Pradakshina.
Explanation: Pradakshina is ritual circumambulation performed by devotees to show reverence, moving clockwise around the stupa’s pradakshina-patha.