Question Discussion & Solution

The correct answer is Karnataka.

Key Points

• Kambala, a traditional buffalo race, was held at Moodabidri in the Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka on 11 December 2021.
• More than 200 pairs of buffaloes participated.
• Kambala is a folk sport, held traditionally by local Tuluva landlords and households in coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udipi of Karnataka and Kasaragod of Kerala, a region collectively known as Tulu Nadu.

Additional Information

•  Below is the List of Animal Sports in India.

The correct answer is ​Mahabodhi Temple.

Key Points

• The Mahabodhi Temple was built by the Mauryan emperor Great Ashoka in around 260 BCE.
• Mahabodhi Temple - Gaya, is the holiest site for all Buddhists all over the world.
  • It is the world heritage site, where Lord Buddha is said to attain his enlightenment.
  • Literally, the meaning of Mahabodhi is the Great Awakening Temple.

Important Points

• Buddhism is one of the top five religions in the world, in terms of the number of followers. 
• One of the first people we can thank for this was the ancient emperor Asoka.
• Asoka was a third-century BCE ruler of the Maurya Empire, one of the first states to unify nearly the entire Indian subcontinent.
• He was also the first Indian emperor to convert to Buddhism and put massive efforts into spreading the religion across India. 
• There are four major temples associated with the various stages of Buddha's life.
• The Mahabodhi Temple marks one of the most significant.
• it was in this place that the Mahatma Buddha sat under a  and meditated, ultimately achieving enlightenment and becoming the Buddha.
• Emperor Ashoka constructed the Vajrasana or the Diamond Throne, representing the seat of enlightenment.
• He also built a stupa in reverence of Gautama Buddha, which was there till the second century AD.
• During the reign of the Gupta kings in the seventh century AD, the Mahavira Mahabodhi temple was completed.
• The Pala kings of Bengal built the gold-painted statue of Buddha, which is made of Black stone.
• Here Gautama Buddha is seen seated in the Earth-touching posture or the Bhumisparsa Mudra.

The correct answer is Bihar.

• Mithila painting (also known as Madhubani Painting) originated in a small village, known as Maithili, in the Bihar state of India.

Key Points

• Themes of the Maithili painting revolve around Hindu deities like Krishna, Rama, Lakshmi, Shiva, Durga, and Saraswati.
  • The natural themes that are used include the Sun, the Moon, and religious plants like tulsi.
• The painting was traditionally done by womenfolk on freshly plastered mud walls and floors of huts, but now they are also done on cloth, handmade paper, and canvas.
• One can also find paintings based on scenes from the royal courts and social events, like weddings.
  • If any empty space is left after painting the main theme, it is filled up with the motifs of flowers, animals, and birds or geometric designs.
• Mithila painting, as a domestic ritual activity, was unknown to the outside world until the massive India-Nepal border earthquake of 1934 when the houses and walls tumbled down.
  • Then British colonial officer in Madhubani District, William G. Archer, while inspecting the damage 'discovered' the paintings on the newly exposed interior walls of Mithila homes. 

The correct answer is Andhra Pradesh.

Key Points

• Kuchipudi, one of the major dance forms of India was originated from Andhra Pradesh.
• It grew largely as a product of the Bhakti movement beginning in the 7th Century AD.
• Kuchipudi derives its name from the village Kuchelapuram, where it was nurtured by great scholars and artists who built up the repertoire and refined the dance technique.

Additional Information

• Eight dance forms have been acknowledged by Sangeet Natak Akademi as classical dance forms of India.
• The classical dance form originated from the Natya Shastra.
• Classical dance has a deep-rooted relationship with the Natya Shastra where the specific features of each of the Classical dance forms have been mentioned.
• There are 8 classical dance forms in India as per the source and scholar :
  • Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Kathakali, Sattriya, Manipuri and Mohiniyattam.

Important Points

• The Cultural Ministry of India has included Chhau into the list of classical dances that make a total of 9 classical dance forms.

The correct answer is Raja Ravi Verma - Introduced oil painting in India.

Key Points

• Raja Ravi Varma is considered one of the greatest painters in the history of Modern Indian Art.
• He was the one who provides the vital link between traditional Indian art and contemporary art.
• He introduced oil painting in India. Hence, pair 3 is correct.
• He is particularly noted for his paintings depicting episodes from the story of Dushyanta and Shakuntala, and Nala and Damayanti, from the Mahabharata.

Additional Information

• Rabindranath Tagore started painting from 1893 onwards and emerged as a creative exponent of graphic art in 1928. Hence, pair 1 is incorrect.
  • Paintings and drawings of Rabindranath Tagore are generally of small sizes.
  • He used dominant black ink lines.
  • Bharat Mata depicted a young woman, portrayed with four arms in the manner of Hindu, deities, holding objects symbolic of India’s national aspirations is one of his best-known creations.
• Abanindranath Tagore was a gifted landscape and portrait painter.
  • Swadeshi values were reflected in the paintings of Abanindranath Tagore. Hence, pair 2 is incorrect.
  • His first expression of paintings was the Radhakrishna series.
  • Arabian Nights series of 1930 is among one of most renowned works Abanindranath Tagore. 
  • Indian Society of Oriental Art was founded in Calcutta in 1907 by Abanindranath Tagore and Gaganendranath Tagore.
• Jatin Das is an Indian painter, sculptor, and muralist from Orissa.
  • He is counted amongst the most contemporary artists of India.
  • His paintings are mainly involved in the expression of the man - women relationship and to some extent birds and animals. Hence, pair 4 is incorrect.