1. Which among the following Hindu Painters was sent by Jahangir to portrait Shah Abbas-I of Persia ?
[A] Basawan
[B] Bishan Das
[C] Dasarath
[D] Manohar
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Bishan Das]
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.
2. Jagdish Khebudkar was a renowned poet and lyricist of which among the following languages?
[A] Marathi
[B] Konkani
[C] Kanada
[D] Gujarathi
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Marathi]
Notes:
Jagdish Khebudkar was a Marathi poet and lyricist. He is known known for his songs in films like Pinjra, Sadhi Manse, Samna, Chandra Hota Sakshila and Ashtavinayak.
3. Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Ether (sky) these are the panchtatvas (5 elements) and when they combine they give rise to new objects. This is a principle of which of the Vedic philosophies?
[A] Sankhya
[B] Yoga
[C] Vaisheshika
[D] Advita
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Vaisheshika]
Notes:
Vaisheshika is one of the six schools of Indian philosophy from ancient India. It is the theory of logic. In its early stages, the Vaiśeṣika was an independent philosophy with its own metaphysics, epistemology, logic, ethics, and soteriology.
4. Which among the following are called Dharamchakra ?
[A] The chakra which is a weapon of lord Vishnu in Hindu Mythology
[B] The first sermon of Mahavira Jain
[C] The chakra which has 24 spokes in the central white band in Indian Flag
[D] None of the above
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [The chakra which has 24 spokes in the central white band in Indian Flag]
Notes:
The Ashoka Chakra is a depiction of the Dharma Chakra which has 24 spokes in the central white band in Indian Flag. The circular Ashoka Chakra represents the progressiveness of the country.
5. Which among the following are the earliest examples of Rock Cut architecture in Ancient India?
[A] Barbara Caves
[B] Elephanta caves
[C] Kanheri Caves
[D] Ajanta Caves
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Barbara Caves]
Notes:
The Barabar Hill Caves are the oldest surviving rock-cut caves in India. It is located in Bihar.
6. Gathas are most sacred of the texts of which of the following faiths?
[A] Zoroastrianism
[B] Jainism
[C] Confucianism
[D] Buddhism
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Zoroastrianism]
Notes:
The Gathas are 17 Avestan hymns believed to have been composed by Zarathushtra himself. They are most sacred of the texts of Zorastrianism. They form the core of the Zoroastrian liturgy. They are arranged in five different modes or metres.
7. Which of the following temple in India was called as “The Black Pagoda” by the Europeans?
[A] Tirumala Tirupati , Andhra Pradesh
[B] Kamakhya Temple -Assam
[C] Konark Sun Temple, Orissa
[D] Jagannath Temple, Orissa
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Konark Sun Temple, Orissa]
Notes:
Konark Sun Temple, Orissa was called as “The Black Pagoda” by the Europeans. The temple is attributed to king Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty about 1250 CE.
8. Sylheti language is a dialect of which of the following languages ?
[A] Sindhi
[B] Bengali
[C] Odia
[D] Punjabi
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Bengali]
Notes:
Sylheti is a language spoken by the Sylheti people, who are primarily found in the Sylhet Division of northeastern Bangladesh and in the adjacent parts of the Indian state of Assam. Sylheti is part of the Eastern Indo-Aryan language group and is closely related to Bengali, the national language of Bangladesh. It is written in the Bengali script and has its own distinctive vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. Sylheti is spoken by around 15 million people and is an important language for commerce and education in the Sylhet region. It is also used as a literary language, and there is a rich tradition of Sylheti poetry, prose, and drama.
9. In which year, Peacock was declared National Bird of India?
[A] 1958
[B] 1960
[C] 1963
[D] 1965
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [1963]
Notes:
The Indian peacock or Pavo cristatus was declared the national bird of India in 1963. It was made the national bird because of its rich religious and legendary involvement in Indian traditions.
10. ‘Me-Dam-Me-Phi’ festival is a festival of which the communities in North Eastern India?
[A] Tai-Ahom
[B] Deori Tribe
[C] Garo
[D] Khasi
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Tai-Ahom]
Notes:
‘Me-Dam-Me-Phi’ festival of the Tai Ahom community of Assam.The Tai-Ahoms extend offerings to their departed ancestors and offer sacrifices to Gods in traditional manner..
