1. Ustad Allah Rakkha Khan was a famous exponent of which among the following instruments?
[A] Shehnai
[B] Tabla
[C] Sitar
[D] Harmonium
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Tabla]
Notes:
Ustad Allah Rakha Khan, also known as A. R. Khan or simply Ustad Allah Rakha, was a Indian classical musician and tabla player. He was one of the most respected and influential tabla players of his time, and he played with many of the greatest musicians in Indian classical music.
2. Akshardham temple, which is situated in Delhi, is revered for which Hindu deity?
[A] Swaminarayan
[B] Shiva
[C] Krishna
[D] Ganesh
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Swaminarayan]
Notes:
The temple is located near the banks of the Yamuna River. The temple was opened to the general public on 6th November 2005. It holds the Guinness World Record for the World’s Largest Comprehensive Hindu Temple.
3. Which among the following Kings built the Kailashnath Temple of Ellora ?
[A] Rashtrakuta king Krishna I
[B] Narasimhavarman II
[C] Rashtrakuta king Krishna II
[D] None of the above
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Rashtrakuta king Krishna I]
Notes:
Rashtrakuta king, krishna-1 had built the kailash temple of ellora. It is considered as the wonder of rock-out architecture. Kailasanath Temple is a famous temple, one of the 34 monasteries and temples, known collectively as the Ellora Caves, extending over more than 2 km, that were dug side by side in the wall of a high basalt cliff in the complex located at Ellora, Maharashtra, India.
4. Yājñavalkya Smrti was written in which among the following era?
[A] Vedic Period
[B] Later Vedic Period
[C] Maurya Period
[D] Gupta Period
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Gupta Period]
Notes:
The Yājñavalkya Smrti is a Dharma-related texts of Hinduism composed in Sanskrit. It is dated to between the 3rd to 5th-century CE, and belongs to the Gupta period.
5. Laughing Buddha is popularly regarded as an incarnation of which of the following Bodhisattvas?
[A] Kshitijgarbha
[B] Maitreya
[C] Avlokiteshwara
[D] Samantabhadra
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Maitreya]
Notes:
Laughing Buddha, also known as Budai, is considered an incarnation of the Bodhisattva Maitreya. Maitreya is the Bodhisattva of the Future and is believed to be the fifth and final Buddha of the current kalpa. Maitreya is said to reside in the Tusita Heaven, a realm in Buddhist cosmology. The Laughing Buddha is a popular representation of Maitreya. Budai was a Chinese Zen monk who lived during the Later Liang Dynasty (907–923 CE). His name literally means “cloth sack” and refers to the bag he is often depicted carrying. His jolly nature and eccentric lifestyle distinguish him from most Buddhist masters. The Laughing Buddha is a symbol of happiness and good fortune.
6. In which of the following the philosophical and spiritual thoughts are contained?
[A] Vinaya Pitaka
[B] Suddha Pitaka
[C] Abhidhamma Pitaka
[D] None of the above
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Abhidhamma Pitaka]
Notes:
The Abhidhamma Pitaka is a collection of canonical texts in the Theravada Buddhist tradition. Together with the Vinaya Piṭaka and the Sutta Piṭaka it is the Tipiṭaka. It has detailed analysis of the basic natural principles that govern mental and physical processes.
7. Which among the following was India’s first indigenously made color film.?
[A] Mughal-e-Azam
[B] Kisan Kanya
[C] Devdas
[D] Daulat
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Kisan Kanya]
Notes:
Kisan Kanya written by saadat Hassan manto and produced by Ardeshir Irani
8. 1996 was UN’s fiftieth anniversary year and this year was declared by United nations as “Year for Tolerance”. The same time frame also coincided with 125th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. In this connection, UNESCO had established a new award in the name of an Indian philanthropist for Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence. Who is this Indian philanthropist?
[A] Aga Khan III
[B] Dinshah Irani
[C] Ghanshyam Das Birla
[D] Madanjeet Singh
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Madanjeet Singh]
Notes:
The correct answer is Madanjeet Singh. In 1995, UNESCO established the “Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence” to honor his contributions to peace and tolerance. Singh was an Indian diplomat and a prominent advocate for non-violence, aligning with the UN’s declaration of 1995 as the “Year for Tolerance” and the 125th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, who is renowned for his philosophy of non-violence.
9. The doctrine of ‘Vyuhavada’ is associated with which among the following Sects (or) cults of India?
[A] Shaivism
[B] Vaishnavism
[C] Buddhism
[D] Jainism
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Vaishnavism]
Notes:
Vyuhavada is a Hindu philosophy related to Bhagwatism. So it is associated with the Vaishnavism.
10. Which of the following is indicated by the oval ring around the original figure of Shiva Nataraja?
[A] Universe
[B] Cosmic Fire
[C] Cycle of birth and death
[D] Cosmic rhythm
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Cosmic Fire]
Notes:
There is an oval ring around the original figure of Shiva Nataraja. It represents the cosmic fire he uses to destroy the universe as part of the cycle of destruction and creation. Each flame has three points. In the eleventh and twelfth centuries, a round circle of fire with flames of five points became typical for the Shiva Nataraja image.
