Question Discussion & Solution

• The Kabir Bijak is preserved by the Kabirpanth (the path or sect of Kabir) in Varanasi and elsewhere in Uttar Pradesh. 
• Bijak is the best known of the compilations of the Kabir, and as such is the holy scripture for followers of the Kabirpanthi religion.
• The Bijak, an anthology of Kabir’s verses compiled in Eastern Uttar Pradesh and/or Bihar, is one of Kabir’s most influential works.

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Adi granth

• Guru Arjun Dev Ji, the 5th Guru of Sikhs composed and collected the hymns of the previous Sikh gurus and laid the foundation of the holy book of Sikhs known as Guru Granth Sahib (or Adi Granth). 
• The Guru Granth Sahib is written in Gurmukhi script and has 1,430 pages.
• It contains 5,894 hymns arranged into 31 musical groupings.
• It is a compilation of teachings and writings by Guru Nanak dev Ji and other Sikh Gurus in addition to the Hindu and Muslim saints.

Sursagar

• Sur Das is the author of Sursagar in Brajbhasha.
• It is full of verses on the charm of Lord Krishna and his beloved Radha.
• Surdas and Mirabai followed Vallabacharya.

Padawali

• It was written by Rabindranath Tagore. 

• Kirana gharana is one of the most prominent Indian classical khayal gharanas and is associated mostly with the perfect intonation of notes.
• The gharana's style was further evolved and was established as one of the important styles in modern Indian classical music in the late 19th / early 20th centuries by the musicians Abdul Karim Khan and Abdul Wahid Khan.
• The name of this school of music comes from Kirana or Kairana, a town and tehsil of Shamli District in Uttar Pradesh.

The Correct Answer is Vaigai River.

Key Points

• Meenakshi Amman Temple is located on the Southern Bank of the Vaigai River in the temple city of Madurai., Tamil Nadu. 
• This temple dedicated to Thirukamakottam Udaya Aaludaiya Meenakshi, a form of Parvati, and her consort, Sundareshwar, a form of Shiva.
• In this temple, both God and Goddess are worshipped together in separate chambers.
• The temple is at the centre of the ancient temple city Madurai.
• It was built by King Kulasekara Pandya.
• It is a complex made in accordance with the Shilpa Shastra and has 5 main entrances with 14  gateway towers or 'gopurams', golden 'Vimanas', holy sanctums and shrines dedicated to the revered Goddess Meenakshi and many others. 
• It is a major tourist attraction, with thousands of devotees visiting the shrines every day.

Additional Information

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 Ustad Bismillah Khan

Important Points

• Ustad Bismillah Khan was born on 21 March 1916 in Dumraon village, Bihar.
• He settled in Varanasi with his father Prophet Bakhsh Khan at a very young age.
• Bismillah Khan was awarded the "Bharat Ratna" in 2001 by the Government of India.
• Ustad Bismillah Khan played the clarinet from the Red Fort when the country became independent in 1947.
• He died on 21 August 2006 at the age of 90.
• Anant Lal was a famous shehnai player from the Banaras Gharana.
• Pandit Ram Sahay was the shehnai player of the Banaras Gharana and was a royal musician in the court of Nawab Asafuddaula of Lucknow.
• Ali Ahmed Hussain Khan was a famous shehnai player. He was awarded the 'Bangbhushan Award' by the Government of Bengal.