Some Buddhist rock-cut caves are called Chaityas, while the others are called Viharas. What is the difference between the two?

The correct answer is B. A chaitya is a worship hall, and a vihara is the residential hall of the monks.

A chaitya (chaitya-griha) is an apsidal hall with a stupa at the far end. Monks walked around the stupa in the aisle, which was for circumambulation. Karla, Bhaja and Ajanta Cave 19 are good examples. A vihara is a square or rectangular monastery hall with cells carved along its sides, where monks lived, studied and meditated. Ajanta Caves 1 and 2 are typical viharas.

Option A reverses the two. Option C is a distractor: it is true that the stupa sits at the apse of a chaitya, but the vihara is not defined as a hall axial to it, and the real contrast is function, not layout. Option D is wrong because the functional and architectural differences are clear.

Core concept: Buddhist rock-cut architecture as a record of monastic life and lay worship. This links to Mains GS-I on Indian art and architecture and to the spread of Mahayana worship.

Trap: aspirants see a stupa in a cave and assume the whole cave is a chaitya, or they assume chaitya means any temple. Chaitya here means the worship hall, and the residential unit is the vihara.