1. Who among the following authors is known for his satires exposing the evils of contemporary society ?
[A] Ksemendra
[B] Pravarsena
[C] Sriharsa
[D] Visakhadutta
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Ksemendra]
Notes:
Kshemendra was a Kashmirian poet of the 11th century, writing in Sanskrit.In his most of the works like ‘Kalavilas’, ‘Narma Mala’ describes the inner weakness of man and society and the corrupt official machinery of those times.In his one of the work ‘Samaya Matrika’ ,he depicted super seductress ‘Kankali’ character By depicting it ,he wishes to reform the degradation in the society. In short Ksemendra had chosen the vehicle of satire.
2. Which among the following is first Classical Language?
[A] Sanskrit
[B] Konkani
[C] Malayalam
[D] Tamil
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Tamil]
Notes:
The new category of classical language was created in 2004 and Tamil was declared first classical language of India. Classical languages in India refer to those languages that have been given the status of classical languages by the government of India. This status is given to languages that have a long literary history and have made a significant contribution to the cultural heritage of India. The classical languages of India are Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam. These languages have a rich history and have been instrumental in the development of many aspects of Indian culture, including literature, art, and music.
3. Which among the following is India’s first library to computerize its hand written collection to disseminate through internet?
[A] Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Library
[B] Sarasvati Mahal Library
[C] Central Reference Library
[D] Bharati Bhavan Library
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Library]
Notes:
Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Library is India’s first library to computerize its hand written collection to disseminate through internet. It was opened in 1891 in Kolkata.
4. With which of the following is most closely related Rgyud-bzi practiced in many parts of North India?
[A] Medicine
[B] Custom
[C] Agriculture
[D] Sports
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Correct Answer: A [Medicine]
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.
5. The word Chenrezig in the Tibetan Buddhism refers to which among the following Bodhisatvas ?
[A] Avalokiteshwara
[B] Maitreya
[C] Mahasthamaprapta
[D] Akasagarbha
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Avalokiteshwara]
Notes:
Chenrezig in the Tibetan Buddhism refers to Avalokiteshwara. Avalokiteshwara is a combination of Ava meaning down, Lokita meaning to behold or observe the world and Eshwara meaning sovereign, master or ruler. Hence Avalokiteshwara implies ‘The lord who gazes down at the world’.
6. With reference to Indian culture, what is Nabakalebara?
[A] An annual Hindu festival held in the Padmanabhaswamy Temple at Thiruvananthapuram
[B] A festival observed in the Jagannath Temple at Puri.
[C] A festival held on the occasion of Makar Sankranti at Sagardwip Island near Kolkata.
[D] A festival observed once in six years at Ganga Ghats, of Varanasi.
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [A festival observed in the Jagannath Temple at Puri.]
Notes:
Nabakalebara is a festival observed in the Shree Jagannath Temple at Puri. It marks a symbolic recreation of wooden forms of the four deities of Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra and Sudarshana at Jagannath temple. The occasion occurs every 12th or 19th year of the previous Nabakalebara. The event was in news because Department of Economic Affairs says that coins minted in July 2015, have Lord Jagannath”s depiction incorrect, and calls for more designs.
7. The Zend-Avesta is the sacred book of _?
[A] Jews
[B] Christian
[C] Parsis
[D] Buddhist
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Parsis]
Notes:
Zend-Avesta is the sacred book of Zoroastrianism. It contains the teachings of the prophet Zoroaster, as well as the cosmogony, law, and liturgy of the religion. The Parsees still use the Zend-Avesta as their bible and prayer book.
The Zend-Avesta is written in the Avestan language, which is also called the Zend language. The Avestan language is an eastern Iranian language.
The Zend-Avesta is all that remains of a much larger body of scripture. It is believed to be Zarathushtra’s transformation of a very ancient tradition.
8. With reference to India’s culture and tradition, what is Kuttu varisai?
[A] It is a stick dance native to north-east India
[B] It is an unarmed martial art practised mainly in Tamil Nadu
[C] It is the ancient Manipuri Martial Art
[D] It is a resist dyeing technique, originating from Indian state of Odisha
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [It is an unarmed martial art practised mainly in Tamil Nadu]
Notes:
Kuttu varisai is the unarmed set of techniques for martial art practised in Tamil Nadu.
9. Polo originated in which of the following Indian states?
[A] Rajasthan
[B] Meghalaya
[C] Manipur
[D] West Bengal
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Manipur]
Notes:
Manipur believes it is the place from where polo originated. The first polo club was established in the town of Silchar in Assam, India, in 1833. The origins of the game in Manipur are traced to early precursors of Sagol Kangjei.
10. Who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913?
[A] Debendranath Tagore
[B] Rabindranath Tagore
[C] Mohammad Iqbal
[D] Mirza Galib
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Rabindranath Tagore]
Notes:
Rabindranath Tagore got the nobel prize for his work ‘Gitanjali’ in Bengali. He also wrote the National Anthem of India. He reshaped Bengali literature and music, as well as Indian art with Contextual Modernism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.