In the passage about the play "The Way Across", one character is said to have propagated Buddhism from Telangana to several regions across South India. Who, according to the passage, helped spread Buddhism to South India?

Introduction / Context:
This reading comprehension question again checks a factual detail from the passage about the musical play "The Way Across". The passage tells us something specific about a character named Pingiya and his role in the spread of Buddhism. You are asked to recall who is said to have propagated Buddhism from Telangana to several regions across South India. This tests precise reading of the character descriptions.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The passage describes Kiran Kumar as playing Bawari and Krishna Chaitanya Joshi as Pingiya.
• It adds that Pingiya is "said to have propagated Buddhism from Telangana to several regions across South India".
• The question asks: "Who helped spread Buddhism to South India?"
• Options include Bawari, the sixteen disciples, Telangana Buddhists in general, and Pingiya.

Concept / Approach:
Unlike inferential questions, this is a direct information retrieval question. The answer is contained almost word for word in the passage. To solve it, you simply need to recall or locate the sentence describing Pingiya's significance. The key clue is that only Pingiya is associated with the spread of Buddhism across South India, while the others have different roles or are mentioned more generally.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall the relevant part of the passage: "Krishna Chaitanya Joshi as Pingiya (said to have propagated Buddhism from Telangana to several regions across South India) grab your attention."Step 2: Extract the core information: Pingiya is the one said to have propagated Buddhism from Telangana to South India.Step 3: Compare this information with the options provided.Step 4: Notice that only option D, "Pingiya", directly matches the character connected with propagation.Step 5: Choose "Pingiya" as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
Check each option against the passage. Bawari is mentioned as a cursed Brahmin who attains enlightenment, not as a missionary figure spreading Buddhism. The sixteen disciples are described as curious and willing to learn deeper truths, but the passage does not say they were responsible for spreading Buddhism to South India. "Telangana Buddhists" as a group are not directly mentioned as agents of propagation in the passage. Only Pingiya is explicitly described as having propagated Buddhism from Telangana to several regions of South India.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A, "Bawari", is important to the story but is portrayed primarily as the cursed Brahmin who seeks enlightenment, not as a missionary spreading the faith regionally. Option B, "Buddha's 16 disciples", is a misreading: the passage mentions Bawari's sixteen disciples, but it does not state that they spread Buddhism to South India. Option C, "Telangana Buddhists", introduces a term that does not appear in the passage at all. Therefore, none of these options accurately reflects the text.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes generalise from background knowledge, assuming that many disciples or unnamed Buddhists must have spread the religion. However, comprehension questions are based strictly on the passage provided, not on outside history. Another pitfall is to confuse Bawari with Pingiya because both are mentioned together in a sentence highlighting strong performances. Keeping track of who did what is crucial.

Final Answer:
The correct answer is Pingiya, since the passage explicitly states that Pingiya is said to have propagated Buddhism from Telangana to several regions across South India.