Regarding the major Ashokan Pillar sites in India, which of the following pairs is correctly matched?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Explanation
The correct answer is option 4 i.e. Lauriya Nandangarh – Bihar.
The correctly matched pair is Lauriya Nandangarh – Bihar. This site in West Champaran houses an intact Ashokan Pillar with the characteristic single-lion capital, representing Mauryan craftsmanship and Ashoka’s message of dhamma.
- Rampurva – Uttar Pradesh is incorrect because the Rampurva pillars are located on the Bihar–Nepal border, not in UP.
- Topra – Maharashtra is also wrong; the Topra pillar originally stood in Haryana and was later moved to Delhi by Firoz Shah Tughlaq.
- Sarnath – Madhya Pradesh is incorrect because Sarnath is situated near Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, famous for the Lion Capital that became India’s national emblem.
Thus, only Lauriya Nandangarh matches correctly among the given options.