- Identify the classical dance style that has its roots in Kerala.
A) Bharatanatyam
B) Kathakali
C) Odissi
D) Manipuri
✔ Correct Answer: B) Kathakali
📖 Justification: This folk dance drama known as Kathakali originated from Kerala state of India. It is well-acclaimed for its uniquely dramatic performance with colorful costumes, a variety of precise hand gestures alongside facial expressions and head movements as storytelling methods.
- What is the Ajanta Caves associated with?
A) Sculptures
B) Murals
C) Metal work
D) Terracotta
✔ Correct Answer: B) Murals
📖 Justification: The ancient Buddhist caves located in Ajanta, Maharashtra contains many notable ancient Buddhist murals including some from the second century B.C.E.
- Who was the first Jain Tirthankara?
A) Parshvanatha
B) Mahavira
C) Rishabhanatha
D) Neminatha
✔ Correct Answer: C) Rishabhanatha
📖 Justification: Rishabhanatha is associated with the first Tirthankara of Jainism given the title of Adinatha.
- What was the famous Chola bronze sculptures created chiefly through?
A) Lost wax casting
B) Hammering
C) Stone carving
D) Engraving
✔ Correct Answer: A) Lost wax casting
📖 Justification: The famous Chola bronze sculptures were made exquisite by the use of the lost-wax technique (cire-perdue).
- Which of the following is the writer of the ‘Meghaduta’?
A) Kalidasa
B) Valmiki
C) Tulsidas
D) Banabhatta
✔ Correct Answer: A) Kalidasa
📖 Justification: Kalidasa authored the Sanskrit poem called ‘Meghaduta’.
- Which Indian instrument is played with a bow?
A) Tabla
B) Sitar
C) Sarangi
D) Veena
✅ C) Sarangi is the correct answer.
📖 Explanation: The sarangi is a bowed stringed instrument used in the Hindustani classical music.
- Sangam literature is related to which part of India?
A) North India
B) Western India
C) Eastern India
D) South India
✅ D) South India is the correct answer.
📖 Explanation: Sangam literature is a body of Tamil literature composed in Southern India during the antiquity period.
- Who is regarded as the father of Carnatic music?
A) Purandaradasa
B) Tyagaraja
C) Muthuswami Dikshitar
D) Syama Sastri
✅ A) Purandaradasa is the correct answer.
📖 Explanation: Purandaradasa is considered the Primary founder of Carnatic music by virtue of its propagation and tutorial methodologies.
- Which Indian city commemorates the Rath Yatra festival?
A) Varanasi
B) Puri
C) Mathura
D) Ayodhya
✅ B) Puri is the correct answer.
📖 Explanation: The Rath Yatra also known as the Chariot Festival is celebrated in the city Puri in the state of Odisha in honor of Lord Jagannath.
- Which Indian State does the renowned ‘Madhubani’ painting style come from?
A) Rajasthan
B) Bihar
C) Uttar Pradesh
D) West Bengal
✅ Answer: B) Bihar
📖 Explanation: Madhubani painting is a folk art form of Bihar.
- Which dynasty constructed the Sun temple Konark?
A) Chola
B) Pallava
C) Ganga
D) Maurya
✅ Answer: C) Ganga
📖 Explanation: The 13th century temple of Konark was built by King Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga dynasty.
- Bharatanatyam was originally performed in which kind of performance venue?
A) Royal courts
B) Streets
C) Temples
D) Theatres
✅ Answer: C) Temples
📖 Explanation: Bharatanatyam was originally a temple dance performed by devadasis from South India.
- In which State is the famous Bihu dance located?
A) Assam
B) Kerala
C) Gujarat
D) Punjab
✅ Answer: A) Assam
📖 Explanation: Bihu is an Assamese folk dance performed in the Bihu festival.
- Who commissioned the Buddhist Stupa at Sanchi?
A) Chandragupta Maurya
B) Ashoka
C) Harsha
D) Kanishka
✅ Answer: B) Ashoka
📖 Explanation: The Great Stupa at Sanchi was ordered by Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE.
- What is the language of the oldest Buddhist scripture?
A) Sanskrit
B) Pali
C) Tamil
D) Prakrit
✅ Answer: B) Pali
📖 Explanation: Pali is the language of the earliest Buddhist literature.
- Yakshagana is a traditional dance form of which Indian state?
A) Karnataka
B) Kerala
C) Andhra Pradesh
D) Tamil Nadu
✅ Answer: A) Karnataka
📖 Explanation: Yakshagana is a form of theatre and folk dance that hails from Karnataka state.
- Who of the following wrote the ancient text ‘Natya Shastra’?
A) Kalidasa
B) Bharata Muni
C) Bhasa
D) Panini
✅ Answer: B) Bharata Muni
📖 Explanation: Bharata Muni composed Natya Shastra which presents an ancient text on artistic performance.
- The Kailasa Temple at Ellora was built by which dynasty?
A) Rashtrakuta
B) Chola
C) Pallava
D) Gupta
✅ Answer: A) Rashtrakuta
📖 Explanation: King Krisna I of the Rashtrakuta dynasty built the Kailasa Temple at Ellora.
- The Manipuri dance is inspired by which religion?
A) Jainism
B) Hinduism
C) Buddhism
D) Sikhism
✅ Answer: B) Hinduism
📖 Explanation: Manipuri dance is performed in the worship of Lord Krishna in Vaishnavism.
- Bhangra is one of the most celebrated folk dances of which Indian state?
A) Punjab
A) Haryana
C) Rajasthan
D) Gujarat
✅ Answer: A) Punjab
📖 Explanation: Bhangra is a popular folk dance from Punjab.
- Who is the author of ‘Ramcharitmanas’?
A) Kalidasa
B) Valmiki
C) Tulsidas
D) Surdas
✅ Answer: C) Tulsidas
📖 Explanation: ‘Ramcharitmanas’ is a Hindi retelling of the Ramayana by Tulsidas.
- Which of the following states is home to the Brihadeeswarar Temple?
A) Karnataka
B) Andhra Pradesh
C) Tamil Nadu
D) Odisha
✅ Answer: C) Tamil Nadu
📖 Explanation: The Brihadeeswarar Temple, built by the Chola king Rajaraja I, is located in Tamil Nadu.
- Which one of these classical dance forms features the most famous ‘Mudras’?
A) Kuchipudi
B) Kathakali
C) Odissi
D) Bharatanatyam
✅ Answer: D) Bharatanatyam
📖 Explanation: Bharatanatyam features elaborate hand gestures (mudras) to convey emotions and stories.
- The ‘Charaka Samhita’ is a well-known text connected to which of the following disciplines?
A) Astronomy
B) Medicine
C) Mathematics
D) Architecture
✅ Answer: B) Medicine
📖 Explanation: The ‘Charaka Samhita’ is an ancient text on Ayurveda, written by Charaka.
- Related to which of the cities ‘Blue Pottery’ is famous for?
A) Jaipur
B) Varanasi
C) Mysore
D) Hyderabad
✅ Answer: A) Jaipur
📖 Explanation: Jaipur is unmatched where blue pottery is concerned, as it uses quartz instead of clay.
- Mohiniyattam is a classical dance from which state in India?
A) Kerala
B) Tamil Nadu
C) Karnataka
D) Andhra Pradesh
✅ Answer: A) Kerala
📖 Explanation: Mohiniyattam is beautifully organized dance from Kerala, performed by women only.
- Which ruler do you associate with the famous ‘Iron Pillar’ at Mehrauli (Delhi)?
A) Chandragupta Maurya
B) Ashoka
C) Chandragupta II
D) Harsha
✅ Answer: C) Chandragupta II
📖 Explanation: The Iron Pillar famous for its rust resistance was built during the time of Chandragupta II.
- ‘Tanjore paintings’ are famous from which state of India?
A) Karnataka
B) Tamil Nadu
C) Kerala
D) Andhra Pradesh
✅ Answer: B) Tamil Nadu
📖 Explanation: Tanjore paintings are from Tamil Nadu. They are famous for having gold foil decorations.
- Which of the following deity does the ‘Bhagavata Purana’ tell stories of?
A) Shiva
B) Vishnu
C) Brahma
D) Ganesha
✅ Answer: B) Vishnu
📖 Explanation: The stories of the ‘Bhagavata Purana’ mainly involve Lord Vishnu, most of all, Krishna.
- Which dynasty constructed the renowned “Amaravati Stupa?”
A) Maurya
B) Satavahana
C) Gupta
D) Pallava
Claimed Answer: B) Satavahana. Correct Answer.
📖 Reference: The Amaravati stupa, a famous Buddhist site, was constructed during the period of the Satavahana dynasty, in the region of Andhra Pradesh.
