Arrange the following temples in a chronological order and select the correct Answer from the codes given below: I. Brihdishwar temple II. Gangaikonda cholapuram temple III. Shore temple of Mahabalipuram IV. Sapt pagoda

The sequence is Sapta Pagoda, Shore Temple, Brihadishvara, Gangaikonda Cholapuram. Saptapagoda and the Shore Temple are Pallava monuments at Mahabalipuram, generally dated to the 7th to early 8th century, with the Shore Temple, a structural temple of Rajasimha (Narasimhavarman II), usually placed around c. 700-728 CE. The Brihadishvara temple at Thanjavur was built by Rajaraja I around 1010 CE, and Gangaikonda Cholapuram by his son Rajendra I around 1025 CE, after he founded the new capital.

Why the wrong options fail:

• A places Brihadishvara before the Pallava Shore Temple, which is impossible.
• B places Gangaikonda Cholapuram before Brihadishvara, but it was built by Rajendra I after his father Rajaraja I.
• C puts the Pallava Saptapagoda last, after Chola temples, which is wrong.

The core concept is the Pallava to Chola shift in South Indian temple architecture: from rock-cut and monolithic shrines to large granite structures. This links to Art and Culture and to Mains answers on regional dynastic patronage.

Trap: Candidates club all four as 'South Indian temples' and guess. Remember that the Shore Temple and Saptapagoda belong to the Pallava period, which comes before the Chola temples.