Indian Culture MCQs

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Nizamuddin Auliya was a famous sufi saint. During rule of akbar, he had settled down in delhi. He was highly respected by the people. Beside his grave in Delhi, a big mosque has been built.

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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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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.

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The correct answer is Achintya Bhedābheda. This sub-school of Vedanta, founded by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the 16th century, emphasizes the simultaneous oneness and difference between the individual soul (jiva) and the Supreme (Brahman). ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) follows this philosophy, promoting devotion (bhakti) to Lord Krishna while acknowledging the unique relationship between the divine and the individual. This approach is distinct from other Vedantic schools, which may emphasize either non-dualism or dualism more strictly.

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The Ezhuthachan Puraskaram is the highest literary award conferred by the Government of Kerala. Established in 1993, it honors contributions to Malayalam literature and is named after Ezhuthachan, a revered poet often regarded as the father of the Malayalam language. The award aims to promote and recognize literary excellence in Kerala.

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Jagannatha Pandit was the author of Rasa Gangadharam in Sanskrit language. He was a poet, scholar and musician in the courts of the Mughal emperors Jehangir and Shah Jahan.

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The Khakhara Deula is altogether a different style of architecture closely appearing similar to the Dravidian Gopuran design. The word is derived from Khakharu (Pumpkin, gourd) as the crown looks like a barrel- vaulted elongated roof. It is a rectangular building with a truncated pyramid-shaped roof, like the gopuras. The temples of the feminine deities as Shakti are temple of that type. One example is the Baitala Deula of Bhubneshwar, dedicated to Chamunda. The Sakta temples are generally of Khakhara order. Brahmi temple of Chaurasi in Puri and Gouri temple of Bhubaneswar are two other glaring examples of Khakhara temple.

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Ramkinkar Baij was an Indian sculptor and painter, one of the pioneers of modern Indian sculpture and a key figure of Contextual Modernism. He is a noted scholar on Indian scriptures and a recipient of Padma Bhushan in 1999.

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Sumitranandan Pant was an Indian poet. He was one of the most celebrated “Progressive” left-wing 20th century poets of the Hindi language and was known for romanticism in his poems which were inspired by nature, people and beauty within.

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Mahari is a ritualistic dance form from the eastern Indian state of Odisha that used to be performed at the temple of Lord Jagannatha at Puri by devadasi dancers called maharis. The Mahari dance spurred the development of both Odissi and the Gotipua dance forms of Odisha.