Question Discussion & Solution

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 Assam.

Key Points

• Bihu is a popular dance form of Assam.
• It is performed in a group by both men and women.
• There is primarily three Bihu festival that is popular in Assam namely kongali Bihu, Rongali Bihu and Bhogali Bihu.
• The Bihu dance is performed during the Rongali Bihu.
• Rongali Bihu is the merriest of all the Bihu festivals it marks the beginning of the spring season.

Additional Information

• Cheraw dance is a traditional dance form of Mizoram.
• Gambhira dance is a traditional dance form of West Bengal.
• Jata-Jatin is a traditional dance form of Bihar.

Refer to the following link for more https://testbook.com/blog/folk-dances-of-india/ 

The Correct Answer is 2 only.

Important Points

•  Kathputli: The traditional marionettes of Rajasthan are known as Kathputli. Carved from a single piece of wood, these puppets are like large dolls that are colourfully dressed. Their costumes and headgears are designed in the medieval Rajasthani style of dress, which is prevalent even today. The Kathputli is accompanied by a highly dramatised version of the regional music. Oval faces, large eyes, arched eyebrows and large lips are some of the distinct facial features of these string puppets. These puppets wear long trailing skirts and do not have legs. Puppeteers manipulate them with two to five strings which are normally tied to their fingers and not to a prop or support.
  • Hence pair 1 is not correctly matched.
• Kundhei: The string puppets of Orissa are known as Kundhei. Made of light wood, the Orissa puppets have no legs but wear long flowing skirts. The puppeteers often hold a wooden prop, triangular in shape, to which strings are attached for manipulation. The costumes of Kundhei resemble those worn by actors of the Jatra traditional theatre. The music is drawn from the popular tunes of the region and is sometimes influenced by the music of Odissi dance.
  • Hence pair 2 is correctly matched.
• Pavakoothu: In Kerala, the traditional glove puppet play is called Pavakoothu. It came into existence during the 18th century due to the influence of Kathakali. In Pavakoothu, the height of a puppet varies from one foot to two feet. The head and the arms are carved of wood and joined together with a thick cloth, cut and stitched into a small bag. The manipulator puts his hand into the bag and moves the hands and head of the puppet. The musical instruments used during the performance are Chenda, Chengiloa, Ilathalam and Shankhathe conch. The theme for Glove puppet plays in Kerala is based on the episodes from either the Ramayana or the Mahabharata.
  • Hence pair 3 is not correctly matched.

The correct answer is Decorating the walls with floral designs made of semi-precious stones.

Key Points

• Pietre dura is Italian plural meaning hardstones or hard rocks.
• Pietra dura is also known as Parchin Kari or Parchin Kari.
• The term was used for the inlay technique of using cut and fitted, highly polished colored stones to create images.
• It is considered decorative art.
• The Pietre dure art got its most popularizing time during Shahjahan's reign.
• Shahjahan used poietre dure tehcnique of arhitechture in Taj Mahal.

The Correct Answer is Bagurumba.

• The most popular Folk dance of Assam is Bagurumba.
• Bagurumba is a folk dance of the indigenous Bodo tribe in Assam and Northeast India.
• It is a traditional dance that is traditionally inherent to one generation to another generation.
• The Bodo women perform the Bagurumba dance with their colorful dokhna, jwmgra and aronai.
• The dance is also called the "butterfly dance" due to its motion that resembles butterflies.
• The Bagurumga dance is usually performed during the Bwishagu festival of the Bodos in the Bishuba Sankranti or in Mid-April.
• As per the Bodo mythology, the Bagurumba dance is favored by a supreme deity called "Bathou" represented by the Size Plant that belongs to the Euphorbia genus.
• The nature of the dance is peaceful and yet it represents the vitality of the spring.
• The origin of the Bagurumba may be found in the original naturalistic beliefs of the Bodo tribes, as it's few songs are just simple images of nature.
• This dance is an amalgamation of rhythm and vivacity.
• The dancer's hop and swing, bend and unbend, and at times, give the impression of fluttering butterflies.
• Bagurumba dance is generally performed by female dancers.
• Musical instruments like Serja (a bowd instrument), Sifung (flute), and Tharkha ( a piece of split bamboo), accompany this dance.
• Along with these, instruments like Kham, a long drum made of wood and goatskin, and Gongona, a musical instrument of a curved horn is also used.

Extra Facts:-

Raut Nacha:-

• It is the folk dance of Chattisgarh.
• This dance is performed by the Yadavas or the Yaduvanshis who are believed to be the descendants of Lord Krishna.
• A close resemblance of Raas Leela, the dance represents a worshipping Lord Krishna and is performed at the time of 'Dev Udhni Ekadashi".

Ragini:-

• It is the folk dance of Haryana.
• Ragini is a term for the feminine counterpart of a Masculine Raga. These are envisioned to parallel the god-goddess themes in Hinduism, and described variously by different medieval Indian Music Scholars.

Maanch:-

• It is the folk dance of Madhya Pradesh.
• It is performed by Malwa in Madhya Pradesh.
• The word Maanch is derived from the Sanskrit folk form. Manch that is the stage.