In which of the following relief sculpture inscriptions, is ‘Ranyo Ashoka’ (King Ashoka) mentioned along with the stone portrait of Ashoka?

The correct answer is A) Kanganahalli. At Kanganahalli in Karnataka, a railing relief from an early stupa carries an inscription naming the king as Ashoka, and it sits beside a stone portrait bust identified as Ashoka. This is the one site where the king's name and a royal portrait appear together on a relief.

• Sanchi (B): The stupa railings and gateways are rich in donor inscriptions and Jataka scenes, but they do not carry an Ashoka portrait with his name.
• Shahbazgarhi (C): This is a rock edict site in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, written in Kharoshthi. It contains Ashoka's edict texts, not a relief portrait.
• Sohgaura (D): This is a copper plate inscription from Uttar Pradesh, dealing with famine relief and granaries. It has no royal portrait.

The core concept is the identification of Mauryan material: edicts, inscriptions and sculpture are the evidence used to link Ashoka to Buddhist patronage. This links to Mains GS-I on Mauryan art, the spread of Buddhism and the evidence base of ancient history.

Trap: Aspirants pick Sanchi because it is the most famous Mauryan-era Buddhist site. Remember that the question is about a portrait with the name inscribed, which is specific to Kanganahalli.