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:
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:
Maitreya is a future Buddha. . According to scriptures, Maitreya will be a successor of the historic Sakyamuni Buddha, who in the Buddhist tradition is to appear on Earth, achieve complete enlightenment, and teach the pure dharma.

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:
Amrita Sher-Gil was a Hungarian-Indian painter. She has been called “one of the greatest avant-garde women artists of the early 20th century” and a “pioneer” in modern Indian art. She was elected as Associate of the Grand Salon in Paris in 1933.

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:
Padmasambhava is venerated as the “second Buddha” by the Nyingma school, the oldest buddhist school in Tibet known of as “the ancient ones”.

Notes:
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.

Notes:
Kuchipudi is a classical dance form, exclusive to the South-East Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It originated in a village of Krishna district in modern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It derives its name from this village. It is a dance-drama performance art, with its roots in the ancient Hindu Sanskrit text of Natya Shastra. Like all major classical dances of India, it was also developed as a religious art linked to travelling bards, temples and spiritual beliefs. The Kuchipudi style was conceived by Siddhendra Yogi, a talented Vaishnava poet of 17th century. It begins with an invocation to Lord Ganesha followed by Nritta (non-narrative and abstract dancing); shabdam (narrative dancing) and natya. The dance is accompanied by song which is typically Carnatic music. The singer is accompanied by musical instruments like Mridangam, violin, flute and tambura. Like other classical dances, Kuchipudi also comprises pure dance, mime and histrionics but it is the use of speech that distinguishes Kuchipudi’s presentation as dance drama.

Notes:
The Lepakshi temple, also known as Veerbhadra temple is located in the tiny hamlet of Anantapur District of Andhra Pradesh. It is a paragon of excellent architecture and art. It is famous as it has largest Nandi.