Indian Culture MCQs

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Buddhists, Jains, and Hindus have directed an almost equal attention to the Gopura or gateways o f their towns and temples. These, both in form and purpose, resemble the pylons of the Egyptian temples.

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Mathura and Gandhara schools of art flourished during the Kushana era. The Mathura school of art developed in the first century AD during the reign of Kushan emperor Kanishka. The Gandhara school of art also developed in the first century AD during the reign of Kanishka. The Gandhara school of art is known for the first sculptural representations of the Buddha in human form. The school was influenced by Greek methodologies. The Gandhara school of art developed in what is now northwestern Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan between the 1st century BCE and the 7th century CE. The Mathura school of art achieved its pinnacle during the Gupta period (6th or 7th century). The period of Kushana King Kanishka, Huviska and Vasudeva is considered to be the golden age for the Mathura school of art

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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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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.

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Kshemendra was a Kashmirian poet of the 11th century, writing in Sanskrit.In his most of the works like ‘Kalavilas’, ‘Narma Mala’ describes the inner weakness of man and society and the corrupt official machinery of those times.In his one of the work ‘Samaya Matrika’ ,he depicted super seductress ‘Kankali’ character By depicting it ,he wishes to reform the degradation in the society. In short Ksemendra had chosen the vehicle of satire.

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Tamil language holds the title as the oldest language in India. It is about 5000 years old and is still widely used in parts of India and Sri Lanka. It is a part of the Dravidian language family, distinct from the Indo-European languages like Hindi and Sanskrit that largely influenced other languages in northern parts of India.

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Husari and Bihunas belongs to Assam. Husari is carol singing. Bihu songs and dances invariably follow the main item of Husari singing.

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Matrimandir is a spiritual center located in Auroville, in the Union Territory of Puducherry, which is also known as Pondicherry. It is situated in the southern part of India, about 160 kilometers south of Chennai. Auroville was founded in 1968 as an experiment in human unity and international understanding, and it is home to people from over 50 different countries. The Matrimandir is a central feature of Auroville and is considered a symbol of the town’s spiritual and philosophical ideals.

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The National Kishore Kumar Award is conferred by the Madhya Pradesh Government in India. This prestigious award, named after the legendary Indian actor, playback singer, director, and music producer Kishore Kumar, honours exceptional contributions in the Indian film and music industry. It is part of their initiative to promote arts and culture.

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The Shatapatha Brahmana has 100 adhyayas. It belongs to Later Vedic Period. It is a prose text describing Vedic rituals, history and mythology associated with the Sukla Yajurveda. According to Shatapatha Brahmana both Devas and Asuras are said to have been born from Prajapati, the lord of creatures.