With reference to the Indian history of art and culture, consider the following pairs : Famous work of sculpture Site 1. A grand image of Buddha's Mahaparinirvana with numerous celestial musicians above and the sorrowful figures of his followers below : Ajanta 2. A huge image of Varaha Avatar (boar incarnation) of Vishnu, as he rescues Goddess Earth from the deep and chaotic waters, sculpted on rock : Mount Abu 3. "Arjuna's Penance"/ "Descent of Ganga" sculpted on the surface of huge boulders : Mamallapuram Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

Let's evaluate each pair concerning famous sculptures and their sites in Indian art and culture: 1. **A grand image of Buddha's Mahaparinirvana with numerous celestial musicians above and the sorrowful figures of his followers below : Ajanta** This statement is correctly matched. Cave 26 at the Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra features a magnificent sculpture of the Mahaparinirvana (the great passing away) of Buddha, depicting him reclining, with heavenly figures above and sorrowful disciples below. It is a prime example of Gupta period Buddhist art. 2. **A huge image of Varaha Avatar (boar incarnation) of Vishnu, as he rescues Goddess Earth from the deep and chaotic waters, sculpted on rock : Mount Abu** This statement is incorrectly matched. The most famous large rock-cut image of Varaha rescuing Bhudevi is found at the **Udayagiri Caves** in Madhya Pradesh, dating back to the Gupta period. Mount Abu in Rajasthan is renowned for its exquisite Dilwara Jain Temples, which are known for their intricate marble carvings, not for a large Varaha avatar sculpture. 3. **"Arjuna's Penance"/ "Descent of Ganga" sculpted on the surface of huge boulders : Mamallapuram** This statement is correctly matched. The massive open-air relief sculpture known as "Arjuna's Penance" or "Descent of the Ganga" is a prominent feature at Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram) in Tamil Nadu. It depicts a narrative scene, possibly related to the penance of Arjuna or the descent of the river Ganga, with numerous figures carved on a large rock face. This is a significant example of Pallava art. Therefore, pairs 1 and 3 are correctly matched.