In which of the following rock-cut caves eleven headed Bodhisattva image is depicted?

The correct answer is C) Kanheri. The eleven-headed (Ekadashamukha) Avalokiteshvara is carved in the Kanheri caves near Borivali in Mumbai, a large Buddhist cave complex with phases spanning the Satavahana period to the later Mahayana period. This is a standard PYQ fact and it matters because it links iconography to the Mahayana shift of Buddhism.

Why the others are wrong:

• Ajanta is famous for its Mahayana paintings and sculptures of Padmapani and Vajrapani, especially in Caves 1 and 2, but the eleven-headed form is not its identifying image.
• Ellora has the Mahayana Buddhist caves (roughly caves 5 to 12) with Tara and Bodhisattva figures, which is why aspirants often pick it. The specific eleven-headed image is not the attribution the exam expects here.
• Karle is a Hinayana-phase chaitya complex of the Satavahana period, centred on the apsidal chaitya hall and stupa worship, with no prominent Bodhisattva iconography of this kind.

Core concept: Mahayana Bodhisattva iconography and the spread of Buddhism in the Western Deccan. For Mains, it helps in answering questions on the evolution of Buddhist art and the Deccan trade-route patronage of caves.

Trap: Aspirants pick Ellora because it has the most Mahayana sculpture among the options. Remember the specific iconography is tied to Kanheri.