Indian Culture MCQs

Notes:
The Rajatarangini ( “The River of Kings”) is a metrical historical chronicle of north-western Indian subcontinent, particularly the kings of Kashmir, written in Sanskrit by Kashmiri Brahman Kalhana in 12th century CE.

Notes:
Nabakalebara festival is an ancient ritual that is observed in most of the Jaganath temples, Odisha. In this festival, the idols of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra and Sudarshan are replaced by new idols. Nabakalebara is usually comes in every twelve to nineteen years based on the auspicious two months of Ashadha as per the Hindu calendar.

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:
The philosophy of “Nyaya Darshan” has been ascribed to Gautama Maharishi, who is also known as Gautama Nyaya. Nyaya is one of the six orthodox (astika) schools of Indian philosophy, and it primarily focuses on the logical and epistemological aspects of philosophy. Nyaya Darshan provides a system of logic, reasoning, and argumentation to establish knowledge and truth. It is often associated with the Nyaya Sutras, a foundational text attributed to Gautama Maharishi, which outlines the principles and tenets of Nyaya philosophy.

Notes:
Nagara, Dravida, and Vesara are indeed the three main styles of Indian temple architecture. 1. Nagara: Predominantly found in northern India, characterized by curvilinear shikhara (tower) and intricate carvings. 2. Dravida: Common in southern India, featuring pyramid-shaped towers (vimanas) and extensive use of stone. 3. Vesara: A hybrid style combining elements of both Nagara and Dravida, seen in regions like Karnataka. These styles reflect the diverse cultural and religious influences across India, with temples serving as important architectural and spiritual landmarks.

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Lata Pada is associated with Bharatnatyam, a classical dance form from Tamil Nadu. It emphasizes intricate footwork and expressive hand gestures (mudras). Bharatnatyam is one of the oldest dance forms, with roots tracing back over 2,000 years, and is often performed in temples as a form of worship. Lata Pada, a prominent figure in this dance style, has contributed importantly to its teaching and promotion.

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The Elephant Festival is an annual event that is celebrated in Jaipur every year; it attracts tons of visitors from around the country. This festival of spring also signifies celebrating the colours of the season.

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The period of Vijayanagara Empire (1336-1565) is regarded as the Golden age of Telugu literature.

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Tulsidas ji belonged to Saguna school of Bhakti Kal. He is best known as the author of the epic Ramcharitmanas ( a story of Lord Rama in hindi) and the other works composed by him are Vinaypatrika, Kavitavali, Janaki Mangal, Gitavali, etc.

Notes:
Tamil’s connection to Singapore actually goes way back, even beyond the Indian labourers who came to work in the British rubber plantations. Tamil is the most spoken Indian language in Singapore and the only Indian language among Singapore’s four official languages, alongside Mandarin, (the language of trade) Malay (the national language) and English (the language of administration), and 3.1% of Singapore residents speak Tamil at home.