With reference to the art and archaeo-logical history of India, which one among the following was made earliest?

To determine which of the given architectural/artistic works was made earliest, one needs to know their approximate periods of creation: Rock-cut Elephant at Dhauli: This famous elephant sculpture, located in Odisha, is associated with the Ashokan rock edicts and dates back to the Mauryan period, specifically the 3rd century BCE. It is considered one of the earliest rock-cut sculptures in India. Varaha Image at Udayagiri: The Udayagiri Caves in Madhya Pradesh, including the magnificent Varaha (boar) avatar of Vishnu, belong to the Gupta period, dating to the early 5th century CE. Rock-cut Monuments at Mahabalipuram: These include the Rathas and mandapas, created by the Pallava dynasty in Tamil Nadu, primarily during the 7th and 8th centuries CE. Lingaraja Temple at Bhubaneswar: This grand temple in Odisha is a classic example of Kalinga architecture and was largely completed in the 11th century CE. Comparing these periods, the Rock-cut Elephant at Dhauli (3rd century BCE) predates all the others by several centuries, making it the earliest.