Question Discussion & Solution

The correct answer is Assam.

Key Points

• Bihu songs are the most famous among music lovers in Assam and are based on themes like Assamese new year, farmers' daily life, love and more.
• Bihu music is played with instruments like dhol, mohor singor Pepe, cymbal, a bamboo instrument called gogona and a clapper made from bamboo known as toka.
• Bihu music is reflective of the Oriental influence on Assam's folk music.
• It is an absolute delight to sit and listen to heart-touching Bihu songs during the Bihu festival when the entire state is in a celebratory mood.
• The talented musicians of the state have been following this traditional form of music for generations and listening to them sing in joy is an unmatched experience for every tourist

Additional Information

• Bihu is one of the major festivals of Assam.
• There are three forms of Bihu.
• Bohag Bihu or Rangoli Bihu in April.
• Magh or Bhogali Bihu in January.
• Kati or Kongali Bihu in October/November.

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 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 (A)-(4), (B)-(3), (C)-(1), (D)-(2).

Key Points

• Onam:
  • It is a harvest festival of Kerala.
  • It is celebrated to commemorate the arrival of King Mahabali.
  • The festival lasts for ten days.
  • It is also a harvest festival and falls on the 22nd Nakshatra Thiruvonam in the Malayalam calendar month of Chingam, which in the Gregorian calendar overlaps with August–September.
• Hornbill:
  • ​Hornbill festival is the premier festival of Nagaland held every year in the first week of December.
  • The festival is named after the hornbill, the globally respected bird and which is displayed in folklore in most of the state’s tribes.
  • This festival usually takes place in Kohima.
  • The Festival's highlights include the Traditional Naga Morungs Exhibition and sale of Arts and crafts, flower shows, cultural medley etc.
• Losar:
  • ​Losar is a festival in Tibetan Buddhism.
  • The holiday is celebrated on various dates depending on location (Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal, India) tradition.
  • It marks the Tibetan New year that resonated with the large Tibetan and Buddhist communities that inhabit the region.
  • In India, it is celebrated in places like Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh.
• Ugadi:
  • ​Ugadi also referred to as Yugadi is a major festival that is celebrated in the southern states of Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
  • As per the Hindu calendar, it is celebrated as the beginning of a new year.
  • Famous festivals of Karnataka are Kanakadasa Jayanti and Karaga.

The correct answer is Ajanta.

Some important paintings at Ajanta are:

• Scenes from the Jataka stories of the life of the Gautama Buddha, the Buddha’s former lives as a bodhisattva, etc.
• Paintings of various Bodhisattvas in tribhanga pose in Cave 1:
  • Vajrapani (protector and guide, a symbol of Buddha’s power),
  • Manjusri (manifestation of Buddha’s wisdom) and
  • Padmapani (Avalokitesvara) (symbol of Buddha’s compassion).
• The Dying Princess in Cave.no 16.