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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Varaha Avatar, the third incarnation among the 10 Dashavatara of Lord Vishnu, is in the form of a Boar. In his third incarnation, Lord Vishnu as Varaha saved the earth from demon Hiranyaksha, thus saving the mankind.

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The Amarakosha is a vocabulary of Sanskrit roots, in three books, and hence sometimes called Trikanda or the “Tripartite”. Lexicography is the activity or occupation of compiling dictionaries.

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Hymns composed by Jaydev have been incorporated in Guru Grantha sahib of Sikhs. The hymns are written in a mixture of Sanskrit and eastern Apabhramsha. There are records narrating how Jayadeva’s work had a profound influence on Guru Nanak during his visit to Puri.

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Abhanga is kind of devotional poetry / bhajan dedicated to Vittala and the first to sing Abhanga was Sant Tukaram.

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The 13th century saint of Andhra, Acharya Nimbarka is known for propagating the Vaishnava Theology of Dvaitadvaita (duality in unity) also known as Bhedabheda (Difference in Non-difference). According to him, the Brahmans, the souls and the world are identical yet distinct. Even after merger, they remain distinct. He was the founder of Sanak Sampradaya of Vaishnavism. The works attributed to him are Vedanta Parijata Saurabha (a short story on Brahma Sutras) , Dashashloki, Shri Krishnastava raja and Madhvamukavardhana.

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Namdev is considered to be a part of the varkari tradition (Vaishnava devotional tradition) was born in Maharashtra in 1270 AD, belong to chipi (cloth painter) caste. He composed hymns on Marathi and some of his verses were included in the Guru Granth Sahib (or Adi Granth). He was a precursor of Kabir and Guru Nanak. His abhangas (or devotional lyrics) were known as Namdevachi.

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An Indo-Persian historian and translator, Mullah Abdul Qadir Badyuni composed Muntakhab-ut-Tawarikh (Selection of Chronicles) or Tarikh-i-Bada’uni (Bada’uni’s History) in 1595 AD. The work is compiled in three volumes viz. the first volume contains an account of Babur and Humayun, the second volume exclusively deals with Akbar’s reign up to 1595 AD and the third volume describes the lives and works of Muslim religious figures,scholars, physicians and poets

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The Taj Mahal in Agra which was built by the Emperor Shah Jahan (r.1628-58) for his favourite wife Arjumand Banu Begum upon her death in 1631. Mausoleum of Arjumand Banu Begum is in the central chamber of the tomb and decorated with peitra dura.

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Vivekananda went on lecture tours and held private discourses on Hinduism and spirituality. He founded the first Vedanta Society in the United States at New York. He returned to India in 1897 and founded the Ramakrishna Mission on 1 May 1897.