Indian Culture MCQs

Notes:
Bobbili veena, also known as Saraswathi Veena or the Ekanda Veena, is a large plucked string instrument used in Carnatic classical music. It is carved from a single piece of Jackwood. Jackwood is a rainforest tree.

Notes:
Stambheshwar Mahadev temple is 150 year old temple situated in Kavi Kamboi in Gujarat. It is flanked by the Arabian Sea on one side and the Bay of Cambay on the other. The Shivalinga present here can be seen only during low-tide hours.

Notes:
Bishandas was a 17th-century portrait painter at the court of the Mughal emperor Jahangir. Jahangir praised him as “unrivalled in the art of portraiture”. Though little is known of Bishandas’ life, his name can indicate that he was a Hindu. In 1613 he was sent on a diplomatic mission to Persia, to paint the Shah’s portrait. Here he was so successful that he remained until 1620, when he returned with the gift of an elephant.

Notes:
Sabarimala is a Hindu pilgrimage centre located at the Periyar Tiger Reserve in the Western Ghat mountain ranges of Pathanamthitta District, Perunad grama panchayat in Kerala.

Notes:
Indian Museum Kolkata is the largest museum in India. It was founded by 1814. It is also the oldest Indian museum.

Notes:
Karagam is a traditional dance of Tamil Nadu, which is performed by male dancers. In this dance, the dancer wears dhoti and garlands, and dons a kalash, or pitcher, filled with water and uncooked rice on his head (as a symbol of life and fertility). The The pitcher, decorated by a flower-bedecked conical bamboo frame, is balanced by the dancer on his head. Karagam dancers move in a procession throughout the village to reach the temple of the goddess, accompanied by the drum called nadaswaram and other instruments.

Notes:
In Gujarat, Vadnagar is famous for two Mughal time sisters “Tana” and “Riri” who sacrificed their lives for maintaining a tradition of singing only before village deity. They were forced to sing in the court of Emperor Akbar but committed suicide by drowning in a well. Gujarat government gives Tana-Riri award in their honor.

Notes:
Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Library is India’s first library to computerize its hand written collection to disseminate through internet. It was opened in 1891 in Kolkata.

Notes:
The Sant Kabir Award was established in 2009 to honor textile craftspeople for their contributions to the revival of Indian handloom traditions. The award is presented by the President of India.
The award includes a grant of 6 lakh rupees to each recipient to create 10 new products of high quality and aesthetic value. The recipient has one year to complete the project.
The award was established along with the Shilp Guru Awards and National Awards to Master Craftspersons and master weavers, which were introduced in 1965.