Pariksha SaathiGeneral Studies
Indian Art and Culture: Practice Questions with Answers
234 practice questions on Indian Art and Culture, with answers; most also have an explanation or a worked solution. Try each one before you open its answer.
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Q.101
Thrissur Pooram, the temple festival famous for caparisoned elephants and the 'kudamattam' (exchange of colourful parasols), is celebrated in which state?
- A Tamil Nadu
- B Karnataka
- C Kerala
- D Goa
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Kerala
Thrissur Pooram is held at the Vadakkunnathan temple grounds in Thrissur, Kerala, in the Malayalam month of Medam. It was begun by Sakthan Thampuran, the ruler of Cochin.
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Q.102
The Sonepur Mela, one of Asia's largest cattle fairs, held at the confluence of the Gandak and the Ganga on Kartik Purnima, is in which state?
- A Uttar Pradesh
- B Rajasthan
- C Haryana
- D Bihar
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Bihar
The Sonepur fair (Harihar Kshetra Mela) is held in Saran district of Bihar. The Pushkar fair of Rajasthan, famous for camels, is also held around Kartik Purnima, which makes the two a common confusion.
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Q.103
The Virupaksha temple at Pattadakal was commissioned by Queen Lokamahadevi to commemorate her husband Vikramaditya II's victory over which dynasty?
- A Rashtrakutas
- B Pallavas
- C Cholas
- D Kadambas
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Pallavas
The Chalukya king Vikramaditya II defeated the Pallavas and entered Kanchipuram in the 8th century; Queen Lokamahadevi then built the Virupaksha temple, whose design echoes the Kailasanatha temple of Kanchipuram. The Rashtrakutas later replaced the Chalukyas.
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Q.104
The Western Ghats, inscribed in 2012 as a serial natural World Heritage Site, has its component sites in which group of states?
- A Kerala, Karnataka, Goa and Gujarat
- B Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra
- C Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala
- D Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa and Gujarat
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra
The 39 component sites, grouped into seven sub-clusters, lie in Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. The range itself also passes through Goa and Gujarat, which have no component in this listing.
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Q.105
Which of the following is NOT one of the eight dance forms recognised as classical by the Sangeet Natak Akademi?
- A Sattriya
- B Chhau
- C Mohiniyattam
- D Manipuri
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Chhau
Chhau is a semi-classical martial folk dance of eastern India (Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal) and is on UNESCO's intangible heritage list, but it is not among the eight classical dances recognised by the Sangeet Natak Akademi.
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Q.106
The Hamzanama, a huge illustrated manuscript of the adventures of Amir Hamza painted on large cloth folios, was produced in the workshop of which Mughal emperor?
- A Babur
- B Humayun
- C Akbar
- D Jahangir
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Correct answer: (C) Akbar
The Hamzanama was Akbar's first large painting project, begun in the 1560s and carried on for more than a decade. It helped fuse Persian and Indian elements into the Mughal style.
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Q.107
The 'Great Bath', a large brick-lined water tank of the Harappan civilisation, was discovered at which site?
- A Harappa
- B Lothal
- C Mohenjo-daro
- D Kalibangan
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Mohenjo-daro
The Great Bath is the most famous structure at Mohenjo-daro (now in Sindh, Pakistan), built of burnt bricks made watertight with bitumen. Lothal is known for its dockyard and Kalibangan for ploughed fields and fire altars.
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Q.108
Which instrument is played by striking a set of porcelain or ceramic bowls filled with different levels of water?
- A Jaltarang
- B Santoor
- C Swarmandal
- D Ghatam
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Jaltarang
In the jaltarang the pitch of each bowl is tuned by the amount of water in it, and the bowls are struck with light sticks. The santoor is a hammered string instrument and the swarmandal a plucked string instrument.
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Q.109
Wangala, the post-harvest festival dance of the Garo people in honour of the sun god Saljong, is associated with which state?
- A Assam
- B Nagaland
- C Arunachal Pradesh
- D Meghalaya
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Meghalaya
Wangala, often called the festival of a hundred drums, is celebrated by the Garos of the Garo Hills in Meghalaya after the harvest. Nongkrem is a dance festival of the Khasis of the same state.
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Q.110
The present Kashi Vishwanath temple at Varanasi was built in 1780 by which ruler?
- A Maharaja Ranjit Singh
- B Peshwa Baji Rao I
- C Ahilyabai Holkar
- D Mahadji Scindia
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Ahilyabai Holkar
Ahilyabai Holkar, the Holkar queen of Malwa, rebuilt the Kashi Vishwanath temple in 1780. Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab later donated the gold used to plate its spire.
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Q.111
The Dilwara temples at Mount Abu, famous for their intricate white marble carving, belong to which religion?
- A Buddhism
- B Jainism
- C Shaivism
- D Vaishnavism
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Jainism
The Dilwara temples in Rajasthan's Sirohi district are Jain shrines built between the 11th and 13th centuries; the Vimal Vasahi was built by Vimal Shah, a minister of the ruler of Gujarat, and the Luna Vasahi by the brothers Vastupala and Tejapala.
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Q.112
The Great Stupa at Sanchi, originally commissioned by Emperor Ashoka, is located in which state?
- A Madhya Pradesh
- B Bihar
- C Uttar Pradesh
- D Andhra Pradesh
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Correct answer: (A) Madhya Pradesh
Sanchi is in Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh. Its stupa was begun by Ashoka and later enlarged and given carved gateways (toranas) under the Shungas and Satavahanas; it became a UNESCO site in 1989.
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Q.113
Which of the following pairs relating to the parts of a Buddhist stupa is NOT correctly matched?
- A Anda - the hemispherical dome
- B Vedika - the railing enclosing the stupa
- C Chhatra - the umbrella-like finial on top
- D Torana - the relic casket inside the dome
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Torana - the relic casket inside the dome
A torana is an ornamental gateway, such as the four carved gateways of the Sanchi stupa; the relics were placed in a casket inside the anda. The other three pairs are correct.
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Q.114
Which classical dance of Kerala, whose name is commonly translated as 'dance of the enchantress', is traditionally performed as a solo by women?
- A Kathakali
- B Krishnanattam
- C Mohiniyattam
- D Kuchipudi
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Mohiniyattam
Mohiniyattam takes its name from Mohini, the enchantress form of Vishnu, and is a graceful solo dance of women. Kathakali and Krishnanattam, also from Kerala, are dance-dramas traditionally performed by men.
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Q.115
Sahibdin, who illustrated Ramayana and Ragamala sets in the 17th century, was a leading painter of which school?
- A Bundi
- B Kishangarh
- C Mewar
- D Kangra
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Mewar
Sahibdin worked at the Mewar court in Udaipur under Rana Jagat Singh I, and his Ramayana illustrations are among the finest Mewar paintings. Kangra is a Pahari school, not a Rajasthani one.
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Q.116
The Bauls, wandering mystic minstrels who sing to the one-stringed ektara, are a tradition associated mainly with which Indian state?
- A Odisha
- B Assam
- C West Bengal
- D Bihar
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) West Bengal
The Bauls of Bengal blend Vaishnava and Sufi ideas in their songs, and Lalon Fakir is among their most revered poets. Rabindranath Tagore was deeply influenced by Baul music.
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Q.117
Manjusha art, which tells the folk tale of Bihula and Bishahari, is associated with which district of Bihar?
- A Madhubani
- B Bhagalpur
- C Gaya
- D Saran
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Bhagalpur
Manjusha painting of the Anga region around Bhagalpur is done on temple-shaped boxes (manjushas) of bamboo and jute for the Bishahari Puja, mainly in pink, green and yellow. Madhubani is the home of Mithila painting.
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Q.118
Ghoomar, a folk dance performed by women in flowing skirts with graceful pirouettes, is traditionally associated with which state?
- A Gujarat
- B Punjab
- C Rajasthan
- D Haryana
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Rajasthan
Ghoomar is a traditional folk dance of Rajasthan, originally of the Bhil community and later adopted by Rajput women. Garba belongs to Gujarat and Giddha to Punjab.
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Q.119
Which part of the Buddhist Tripitaka contains the rules of discipline for monks and nuns?
- A Sutta Pitaka
- B Abhidhamma Pitaka
- C Jataka
- D Vinaya Pitaka
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Correct answer: (D) Vinaya Pitaka
The Vinaya Pitaka lays down the rules of monastic life for the sangha. The Sutta Pitaka contains the Buddha's discourses (the Jataka tales form part of it), and the Abhidhamma Pitaka deals with philosophical analysis.
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Q.120
A headless statue of the Kushana king Kanishka, shown in a long coat and boots, was found at Mat near which city?
- A Mathura
- B Taxila
- C Peshawar
- D Sarnath
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Mathura
The inscribed headless statue of Kanishka from Mat, near Mathura, is kept in the Government Museum, Mathura. Its tunic and heavy boots reflect Central Asian royal dress.
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Q.121
Which of the following is NOT part of the 'Mountain Railways of India' inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
- A Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
- B Nilgiri Mountain Railway
- C Kalka-Shimla Railway
- D Matheran Hill Railway
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Matheran Hill Railway
The UNESCO listing covers the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (1999), Nilgiri Mountain Railway (2005) and Kalka-Shimla Railway (2008). The Matheran Hill Railway in Maharashtra is only on India's tentative list.
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Q.122
Ramcharitmanas, composed by Tulsidas in the 16th century, was written in which language?
- A Awadhi
- B Braj Bhasha
- C Maithili
- D Khari Boli
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Awadhi
Tulsidas composed the Ramcharitmanas in Awadhi, the dialect of the Awadh region, beginning in 1574 at Ayodhya. Surdas wrote in Braj Bhasha and Vidyapati in Maithili.
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Q.123
Which is regarded as the oldest surviving form of Hindustani classical vocal music, traditionally accompanied by the pakhawaj?
- A Khayal
- B Thumri
- C Tappa
- D Dhrupad
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Dhrupad
Dhrupad is the oldest surviving form of Hindustani vocal music, sung with the pakhawaj and associated with the Dagar family. Khayal is the more popular later form, while Thumri and Tappa are semi-classical.
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Q.124
Rani-ki-Vav, an 11th-century stepwell built in memory of King Bhima I and inscribed by UNESCO in 2014, is located in which town of Gujarat?
- A Patan
- B Modhera
- C Champaner
- D Vadnagar
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Correct answer: (A) Patan
Rani-ki-Vav at Patan on the Saraswati river, generally attributed to Queen Udayamati, is an inverted-temple stepwell with hundreds of sculptures. It appears on the reverse of the 100-rupee note issued in 2018.
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Q.125
Phulkari, the embroidery of brightly coloured floral patterns on shawls and dupattas, is the traditional craft of which state?
- A Gujarat
- B Punjab
- C Rajasthan
- D Himachal Pradesh
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Punjab
Phulkari (literally 'flower work') is the folk embroidery of Punjab, traditionally made by women for weddings. It is also mentioned in the legend of Heer-Ranjha.
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Q.126
Gotipua, a dance tradition in which young boys dressed as girls perform, is regarded as a precursor of which classical dance?
- A Kuchipudi
- B Odissi
- C Sattriya
- D Manipuri
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Odissi
Gotipua developed in Odisha, where boys dressed as girls danced at temples and festivals. Many of its movements were absorbed into the 20th-century revival of Odissi.
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Q.127
Which rock-cut cave complex in Maharashtra has Buddhist, Hindu and Jain caves excavated side by side?
- A Ajanta
- B Kanheri
- C Ellora
- D Elephanta
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Correct answer: (C) Ellora
Ellora's 34 caves include Buddhist, Brahmanical (Hindu) and Jain groups carved between about 600 and 1000 CE. Ajanta and Kanheri are Buddhist, while Elephanta is known chiefly for its Shaiva caves.
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Q.128
The Mauryan Rampurva Bull Capital, found in Bihar's West Champaran district, is now displayed at which place?
- A Indian Museum, Kolkata
- B Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi
- C Patna Museum
- D Sarnath Museum
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi
The polished sandstone bull capital from Rampurva stands at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The lion capital from the second Ashokan pillar at Rampurva is in the Indian Museum, Kolkata.
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Q.129
Therukoothu, a form of open-air street theatre often based on episodes from the Mahabharata, belongs to which state?
- A Kerala
- B Karnataka
- C Tamil Nadu
- D Andhra Pradesh
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Tamil Nadu
Therukoothu ('street play') is performed in the villages of northern Tamil Nadu, especially during festivals of Draupadi Amman temples. Yakshagana is the comparable night-long theatre of coastal Karnataka.
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Q.130
Santhali, one of the languages in the Eighth Schedule, is written in which script devised by Pandit Raghunath Murmu?
- A Meitei Mayek
- B Ol Chiki
- C Tirhuta
- D Sharada
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Correct answer: (B) Ol Chiki
Pandit Raghunath Murmu created the Ol Chiki script for Santhali in the 20th century. Meitei Mayek is used for Manipuri, Tirhuta (Mithilakshar) was traditionally used for Maithili, and Sharada for old Kashmiri.
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Q.131
Which of the following regional New Year festivals and states is NOT correctly matched?
- A Vishu - Kerala
- B Puthandu - Tamil Nadu
- C Ugadi - Andhra Pradesh
- D Pohela Boishakh - Gujarat
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Pohela Boishakh - Gujarat
Pohela Boishakh, the Bengali New Year, is celebrated in West Bengal and Tripura, not Gujarat. Vishu (Kerala), Puthandu (Tamil Nadu) and Ugadi (Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka) are correctly matched.
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Q.132
Ankiya Naat, one-act Vaishnava plays presented in a form called 'Bhaona', belong to which state?
- A Odisha
- B Assam
- C Manipur
- D West Bengal
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Assam
Ankiya Naat was created by Srimanta Sankardeva in the 15th-16th century to spread Vaishnava devotion in Assam and is staged in namghars and sattras. Sattriya dance grew out of the same tradition.
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Q.133
Which classical dance form was earlier known as 'Sadir' and was revived in the 20th century by E. Krishna Iyer and Rukmini Devi Arundale?
- A Mohiniyattam
- B Kuchipudi
- C Bharatanatyam
- D Kathak
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Bharatanatyam
Bharatanatyam of Tamil Nadu was earlier called Sadir and was performed by Devadasis in temples. Rukmini Devi Arundale founded Kalakshetra in Chennai to revive it.
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Q.134
Agra Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was rebuilt in red sandstone in its present form by which Mughal emperor?
- A Babur
- B Humayun
- C Shah Jahan
- D Akbar
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Akbar
Akbar rebuilt the fort in red sandstone between about 1565 and 1573; Shah Jahan later added white marble palaces such as the Khas Mahal and the Musamman Burj inside it.
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Q.135
Bhikhari Thakur, often called the 'Shakespeare of Bhojpuri', is associated with which folk theatre form?
- A Nautanki
- B Jatra
- C Swang
- D Bidesia
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Bidesia
Bhikhari Thakur of Saran district in Bihar developed Bidesia, whose plays portray the pain of families left behind by migrant workers. Nautanki belongs to Uttar Pradesh and Jatra to West Bengal.
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Q.136
Cheraw, in which dancers step nimbly in and out of pairs of bamboo staves clapped together, is a traditional dance of which state?
- A Nagaland
- B Mizoram
- C Manipur
- D Tripura
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Mizoram
Cheraw, popularly called the bamboo dance, is a traditional dance of the Mizo people of Mizoram. Men sitting on the ground hold the bamboos horizontally and clap them in rhythm while the dancers move between them.
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Q.137
Which British scholar translated Kalidasa's Abhijnanashakuntalam into English in 1789?
- A Charles Wilkins
- B William Jones
- C Max Muller
- D James Prinsep
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) William Jones
Sir William Jones, who had founded the Asiatic Society in Calcutta in 1784, published his English translation of Shakuntala in 1789. Charles Wilkins had earlier translated the Bhagavad Gita (1785).
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Q.138
The Udayagiri and Khandagiri caves near Bhubaneswar, which bear the Hathigumpha inscription of King Kharavela, were excavated mainly for monks of which religion?
- A Buddhism
- B Ajivika sect
- C Shaivism
- D Jainism
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Jainism
These twin hills in Odisha have rock-cut residential cells made for Jain monks, largely in the time of Kharavela, the Mahameghavahana king of Kalinga, whose Hathigumpha inscription is on Udayagiri hill.
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Q.139
The colossal three-headed bust in the main cave at Elephanta, known as Maheshmurti or Sadashiva, represents which deity?
- A Shiva
- B Brahma
- C Vishnu
- D Dattatreya
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Shiva
Though popularly called the 'Trimurti', the Elephanta bust shows three faces of Shiva himself, not the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The island near Mumbai is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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Q.140
Chhath Puja, celebrated mainly in Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh with offerings at river banks at sunset and sunrise, is dedicated to which deity?
- A Goddess Durga
- B Lord Vishnu
- C Surya, the Sun God
- D Lord Shiva
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Surya, the Sun God
Chhath is a festival of worship of the Sun God (Surya) and Chhathi Maiya, observed on the sixth day of Kartik Shukla paksha with rigorous fasting and arghya offered to the setting and rising sun.
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Q.141
In 1819, the Ajanta caves were brought to the notice of the modern world by which British officer, who came upon them while hunting?
- A James Fergusson
- B Alexander Cunningham
- C James Burgess
- D John Smith
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) John Smith
John Smith, a British cavalry officer, saw the caves in 1819 during a tiger hunt and scratched his name in Cave 10. James Fergusson and James Burgess later studied and documented them.
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Q.142
Karagattam, a folk dance in which performers balance a decorated pot (karagam) on the head, belongs to which state?
- A Tamil Nadu
- B Kerala
- C Odisha
- D Andhra Pradesh
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Tamil Nadu
Karagattam is a Tamil Nadu folk dance traditionally performed in honour of the rain goddess Mariamman. Kummi and Kolattam are other folk dances of the state.
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Q.143
Bijak is a well-known compilation of the verses of which Bhakti saint?
- A Ravidas
- B Dadu Dayal
- C Kabir
- D Namdev
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Kabir
Bijak is the principal text of the Kabir Panth and contains Kabir's sakhis, ramainis and shabads. Many of Kabir's verses are also included in the Guru Granth Sahib.
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Q.144
Gangaur, celebrated mainly by women in honour of Goddess Gauri (Parvati) in the days following Holi, is a major festival of which state?
- A Kerala
- B Assam
- C Rajasthan
- D Odisha
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Rajasthan
Gangaur is one of the most important festivals of Rajasthan, when women worship Gauri for marital happiness; its processions in Jaipur and Udaipur are well known. Teej is another Rajasthani festival linked with Parvati.
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Q.145
The Progressive Artists' Group, which included F.N. Souza, S.H. Raza and M.F. Husain, was founded in 1947 in which city?
- A Calcutta
- B Bombay
- C Madras
- D Delhi
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Bombay
The Progressive Artists' Group was formed in Bombay in 1947 to break away from the nationalist Bengal School and embrace modern international styles. Its founders included Souza, Raza, Husain, Ara, Gade and Bakre.
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Q.146
The Barabar caves in Bihar, the earliest surviving rock-cut caves in India, were dedicated by Ashoka to the monks of which sect?
- A Jains
- B Buddhists
- C Ajivikas
- D Shaivas
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Ajivikas
Inscriptions in the Barabar caves (including the Lomas Rishi and Sudama caves) record that Ashoka donated them to the Ajivika sect. Their highly polished interiors are typical of Mauryan workmanship.
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Q.147
On which festival in 1699 did Guru Gobind Singh found the Khalsa at Anandpur Sahib?
- A Lohri
- B Hola Mohalla
- C Baisakhi
- D Maghi
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Baisakhi
Guru Gobind Singh created the Khalsa on Baisakhi day in 1699 at Anandpur Sahib, so the harvest festival is also a major Sikh commemoration. Hola Mohalla, held the day after Holi, was also started by him.
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Q.148
Dhokra, the tribal metal craft practised in Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Odisha, uses which technique?
- A Lost-wax (cire perdue) metal casting
- B Lacquered wood turning
- C Tie-and-dye on cloth
- D Silver inlay on blackened alloy
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Lost-wax (cire perdue) metal casting
Dhokra uses the lost-wax casting technique, one of the oldest metal-working methods, also used for the Dancing Girl of Mohenjo-daro. Silver inlay on blackened alloy describes Bidriware, and lacquered wood turning describes Channapatna toys.
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Q.149
Kerala Kalamandalam, set up in 1930 to revive Kathakali and other performing arts of Kerala, was founded by which Malayalam poet?
- A Kumaran Asan
- B Vallathol Narayana Menon
- C Ulloor S. Parameswara Iyer
- D G. Sankara Kurup
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Vallathol Narayana Menon
The poet Vallathol Narayana Menon founded Kerala Kalamandalam in 1930 along with Manakkulam Mukunda Raja; it now functions at Cheruthuruthy in Thrissur district. Kumaran Asan and Ulloor were his fellow members of the trio of modern Malayalam poets.
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Q.150
Which was the first Indian city to be inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage City, in 2017?
- A Ahmedabad
- B Jaipur
- C Varanasi
- D Hyderabad
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Ahmedabad
The historic walled city of Ahmedabad, founded by Sultan Ahmad Shah in 1411, became India's first World Heritage City in 2017. Jaipur followed in 2019 as the second.
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How these questions were made
Authored by an AI assistant (Claude) from its own general knowledge of stable, well-established facts (no live lookup) - not reviewed by a subject-matter expert; verify against an official source before relying on any fact.