Indian Culture MCQs

Notes:
Ghumura is an ancient folk dance that originated from Odisha. As per ancient mythological texts, Ghumura was a war dance of the Gods and Demons. Over the course of time, Ghumurawas imbibed into performing arts and entertainment in Odisha.

Notes:
The Royal Kathina Ceremony is observed every year by Buddhist. It is observed in only one Buddhist temple outside Thailand and this year the Namphake Buddhist temple of Assam was selected. Kathina offering is an ancient Buddhist Tradition of offering special robe and other necessities to monks who maintain strict discipline of retreat during the rainy season. The main purpose of the ceremony is not merely for religious belief but also to strengthen the relationship between Thailand and other countries.

Notes:
Kandyan dance is a famous dance in Sri Lanka. It encompasses various dance forms popular and native to the area called Kandy of the Central hills region known as Udarata in Sri Lanka, which have today spread to other parts of the country.

Notes:
Dr M Balmuralikrishna was a famous Carnatic vocalist. He belongs to Tamil Nadu. He died in 2016.

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.

Notes:
Saint Jnaneswar was a famous poet-saint of Maharashtra was born in 1275 AD in Alandi, Maharashtra. He was an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu who wrote Jnaneswari (a commentary on the Bhagavad Gita) and translated Bhagwad Gita into the Marathi language. Excerpts of his works are Amrutanubhava, Commentary on Yoga Vashishtha, Changdev Pasashti, etc.

Notes:
Guru Ravidas, a renowned poet saint from the Bhakti movement in India, had several disciples, including Meerabai, Ramananda, and Kabir. However, Nanak Dev, who was the founder of Sikhism, was not a disciple of Guru Ravidas. There is evidence of Guru Ravidas and Nanak Dev being contemporaries and holding dialogues, but Nanak Dev was not his disciple, making option 4 the correct answer.

Notes:

1. Ellora is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, India. It is associated with Rashtrakuta.
2. The Cave Temples of Mahabalipuram are part of the Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram, less well-known than the ratha temples. It is associated with Chola.
3. The Khajuraho Group of Monuments is a group of Hindu temples and Jain temples in Chhatarpur district, Madhya Pradesh. It is associated with Chandelas.

Notes:
The Haji Ali Dargah can only be reached during low tide as it is situated about 500 yards into the sea. The mosque is built over the tomb of Saint Haji Ali. According to legend, he died on a pilgrimage to Mecca and his casket reached Bombay. It contained a note that said it should be buried wherever it landed.

Notes:
Chandigarh is the dream city of India’s first Prime Minister, Sh. Jawahar Lal Nehru. It was planned by the famous French architect Le Corbusier. It is located at the foothills of Shivaliks. It is known as one of the best experiments in urban planning and modern architecture in the twentieth century in India.