Indian Culture MCQs

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The sermon Buddha gave to the five monks was his first sermon, called the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta. The Seated Buddha from Gandhara is an early statue of the Buddha made in Gandhara, in modern Pakistan, in the 2nd or 3rd century The pose, which was to become one of a number of standard ones, shows Buddha as a teacher setting the wheel of Dharma in motion (Dharmachakra Mudra). Buddha did this following his enlightenment and after delivering his first sermon at the deer park at Sarnath near Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.

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The Ganga Sagar Mela is a religious festival and second biggest fair of India after Kumbha Mela of India celebrated on Sagardwip (Sagar Island) in West Bengal state of India. The fair is a six-day fair held in the month of January and on the day of Makar Sankranti, a ritual of pilgrims taking bath in holy water and visiting nearby famous Kapil Muni Temple is performed.

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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.

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Pandit Jasraj was an Indian classical vocalist, belonging to the Mewati gharana. His musical career spanned 75 years resulting in national and international fame, respect and numerous major awards and accolades. He died in August 2020.

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Chinnayya, Ponniah, Sivanandam and Vadivelu were teachers and composers of Bharatanatyam. Bharatanatyam is composed by Bharata Muni. It has Bhavam Ragam and Talam.

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The Gita Govinda, a 12th-century work that expresses the divine love of the Hindu deity Krishna and his consort Radha, was composed by the renowned poet Jayadeva. Jayadeva was a prominent poet of Bengal, revered as one of the five gems in the court of Lakshman Sen, the ruler of the Sena dynasty. His lyrical compositions significantly influenced the Bhakti movement, promoting devotion to deity through song.

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During Aurangzeb’s reign, Nuskha-i-Dil Khusha written by Bhimsen Burhanpuri, a Bundela officer in the Mughal service.

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Shahtoosh is the name given to a specific kind of shawl, which is woven with the down hair of the Tibetan antelope (chiru), by master weavers of Kashmir. The Shahtoosh shawl is now a banned item with possession and sale being illegal in most countries for the Chiru is an endangered species under CITES.

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Kolayat fair is annually held on Kartik Purnima tithi, or the full moon day, in Kartik month as per traditional Hindu lunar calendar in Rajasthan. The fair is held on the banks of a lake located at Kolayat near Bikaner in Rajasthan. 

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The basic motive of Buddha’s teaching is redemption from suffering. He taught that suffering arises from ignorance, craving, and attachment and that these can be overcome through the Eightfold Path, a practical framework for ethical and mental development.
Note: This question has very close alternatives. The basic motive is redemption from suffering but ultimate goal of Buddha’s teachings was to help individuals achieve liberation from the cycle of birth and death (reincarnation) and attain a state of permanent inner peace.