Indian Culture MCQs

Notes:
It is the most important festival of western Odisha and it takes place in the bright half of the month of Bhadrab on an auspicious day fixed by the astrologers. Though the festival is intended for eating new rice of the year, it is observed as a general festival. On this occasion the new rice is cooked with milk and sugar (Kshiri) and then offered as Bhog to Goddess Laxmi.

Notes:
Tawang monastery is the largest of its kind in the country and is one of the largest monasteries in Asia. It is said to be one of the biggest Buddhist monasteries in the world outside of Lhasa, Tibet. It is also known by another Tibetan name, ‘Galden Namgey Lhatse’, which means ‘celestial paradise in a clear night’.

Notes:
Ravidas was an Indian mystic poet-sant of the Bhakti movement during the 15th to 16th century CE. He was a guru in the region of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and mainly Punjab. He was a devotional saint and cobbler by profession.

Notes:
Mattur Village, located in Karnataka, is notable for its inhabitants who speak Sanskrit as their primary language. This unique linguistic tradition is a rare phenomenon in India, where most people speak regional languages. Karnataka has a rich cultural heritage, and Mattur is often referred to as a “Sanskrit village,” reflecting its commitment to preserving this ancient language. The village is also known for its educational institutions that promote Sanskrit learning.

Notes:
Ramanuja was an Indian theologian, philosopher, and one of the most important exponents of the Sri Vaishnavism tradition within Hinduism. His philosophical foundations for devotionalism were influential to the Bhakti movement.

Notes:
Rgyud-bzi is a practice of medicine that is practiced in many parts of North India. It is similar to Ayurveda and involves some principles of traditional Chinese medicine.

Rgyud-bzi is the standard book of Tibetan medicine. The book describes the Tibetan medical system as a tree. The tree is based on three routes of approaching wellbeing:

• Determining whether the body is healthy or ill
• Three types of evaluation
• A variety of complementary and alternative cures

Traditional Tibetan medicine is known as Sowa Rigpa. It is based on Buddhist tradition. Buddha’s teachings spread in Tibet after the eleventh century.

Tibetan medicine has long-term clinical practices and has proven beneficial in the treatment of chronic diseases. These include hepatitis, high altitude polycythemia, gastritis, stroke, cholecystitis, and rheumatism.

Notes:
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.

Notes:
The Dalai Lama is considered a reincarnation of Avalokiteśvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. Avalokiteśvara is the patron saint of Tibet and embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. The Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. The 14th and current Dalai Lama is Tenzin Gyatso, who lives in exile in India.
According to Tibetan Buddhism, the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth is a key belief. When a Dalai Lama dies, they believe that their spirit is reincarnated in the body of their successor, who is born at the moment of their death. Search parties are sent across Tibet to find children who are “special” and born within a year of the Dalai Lama’s death.

Notes:
Gauhar Jan, born as Angelina Yeoward, was of the foremost musicians in the Hindustani classical music tradition during the late 19th and early 20th centuries in India. She is known especially for her ghazal style and singing in several languages such as Persian, Arabic, Urdu, Punjabi, Sindhi, and more. A critical performer in khyal style music, she was notable enough to perform in the first recording sessions held in India circa 1902.

Notes:
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.