Explanation

Option A — Correct: The Hallisalasya painting in the Bagh Caves, Madhya Pradesh, depicts a lively folk dance. It shows a group of female dancers forming a circle and striking small wooden sticks together, resembling the modern Dandiya or Garba. Female musicians accompany them with instruments such as the hudukka and small cymbals. The painting is significant for its depiction of social life in ancient central India.

Option B — Incorrect: The Bagh Caves are ancient Buddhist viharas dating to the 5th–6th century CE, but the Hallisalasya mural depicts a secular scene of social life, not the Buddha in meditation.

Option C — Incorrect: Shiva and Parvati on Mount Kailasha is a common theme in Hindu cave art, but it is not depicted in the Hallisalasya mural of the Bagh Caves.

Option D — Incorrect: Samudramanthan (Churning of the Ocean) is a well-known Hindu mythological theme, but it is not the subject of the Hallisalasya painting.