Art and Culture of Rajasthan Questions

The correct answer is Bagru.

Key Points

• The Bagru region in Rajasthan is known for the traditional art of printing bell-boots.
• Bagru is a small town in Rajasthan state, located 30 kilometers east of Jaipur city.
  • It is known for its legacy of printing fabrics in indigenous styles using locally available natural colours with wooden blocks known as ‘Bagru printing’.
  • Motifs used in Bagru prints are generally small in size and mainly include bel (creepers), buta and buti (floral motifs of different sizes) and jaal (floral net).

Important Points

• When Bagru printing started at that time common patterns printed by the local people were coriander (hara dhania), Chaubundi, Chakri and neem leaves.
  • Bagru printed clothes are used to produce a wide range of made-ups, garments and home furnishing articles.
  • Clothing mainly consists of fadat, lungi, angochha, tahmat, dhoti, saris, while items such as scraps, handkerchiefs and head gear are also made with exotic bagru prints.
  • Traditional Bagru prints were found mostly in cotton fabric but to meet the contemporary demands of the market sometimes cotton and silk blends are also being used for Bagru printing.

The correct answer is Jodhpur.

Key Points

• Jodhpur is famous for the art of 'Tie and dye'.

Additional Information 

• The best places to see traditional tie and dye work in Rajasthan are Jodhpur and Sikar.
  • Other places like Udaipur, Jaipur, Pali, Barmer are still in the process of reaching the same heights in tie and dye work.
• The process of making tie and dye work is quite simple, but also time-consuming.
• Tie and dye, or bandhani, is derived from the Sanskrit word 'bandh", meaning 'to tie' and is one of the most popular and widespread textile arts of India extending across the country from the states of Gujarat and Rajasthan.
  • Bandhani, in fact, is the name given to the characteristic feature on Indian tie and dye.
  • It refers to the small dot found in the center of square or circle motifs, caused by the penetration of the dye.
  • The lack of this dot indicates that a tie and dye item was mechanically-printed and not produced using traditional Indian techniques.

The correct answer is All the above.

Key Points

The table below is correctly matched:

Additional Information 

• MEWAR Style:
  • It is considered to be a place of origin of Rajasthani art of Painting.
  • The drawing is bold and the colours are bright and contrasting.
  • The text of the painting is written in black on the top against the yellow ground.
  • Maharana Kumbha contributed a lot to its development. After this Mewar style developed during Maharana Amar Singh-I (1572-1620), Karna Singh & Jagat Singh I (1628-52).
  • Shravak Pratikramansutra Chumi is the oldest painted volume of this style.
  • Famous Painters – Nuruddin, Manohar, Sahibdin, Kriparam, Jivaram, etc.
•  NATHDWARA Style:
  • Nathdwara style is a sub-style of Mewar School of painting, but as such, it is a peculiar mixture of Mewar & Kishangarh styles.
  • Rana Raj Singh, I brought the idol of Shrinath Ji from Mathura during Aurangzeb's reign, hence, an artist from Mathura followed and gave birth to a new style called Nathdwara sub-style.
  • Depiction of natural scenery is a distinct feature of the Nathdwara style.
  • Nathdwara is famous for the pichwai paintings in Rajasthan. Pichhwai paintings are painted in permanent natural colours that do not lighten for years.
  • Famous painters included Ilaychi & kalma among women and Ghasiram, Chaturbhuj, Udairaj, & Champalal among men.
• KISHANGARH Style:
  • Developed under the patronage of Raja Sawant Singh (1748-1757 A.D.), who wrote devotional poetry in praise of Krishna.
  • The most common theme of this style consisted of the depiction of the love between Lord Krishna and Radha.
  • Master painter Nihal Chand, in his works, has been able to create visual images of his master's lyrical compositions.
  • He is also credited with making Bani-Thani during Sawant Singh’s reign.

The correct answer is Mud Toy.

Key Points

• The 'Boo' village of Nagpur was famous for the toy of mud.
  •  Artists mix dung in a quarter of the proportion with clay and beat it on the ground, then they have their hands on it, making various shapes with very simple tools.
  • It is also famous for the bouquet, pot plant, and artwork of animals and birds.

Additional Information

Vijay Singh - Deogarh is NOT correctly matched.

Key Points

• Deogarh painting: Mewar was the first class residence of the princely state which was given to Chunda.
  • This painting started during the time of Samant Dwarkadas Chundawat.
  • At this time Mewar was Maharana Jai ​​Singh (son of Raj Singh).
  • Main Paintings- Murals of Moti Mahal, Murals of Ajara's Ovari.
  • More use of green-yellow colors.
  • Shridhar Andhare gave encouragement to Deogarh's painting.
  • Main painter:- Kavala, Chaukha, Baijnath
  • In this painting, there is a coordination of Mewar, Marwar, Dhundar painting.​

Additional Information

• Anoop Singh - Bikaner:
  • ​Anup Singh was born in S. 1665, A.D. Maharaja Anup Singh was the son of Maharaja Karan Singh. He was known for his bravery and literary tastes.
• Raj Singh I - Nathdwara:
  • ​Raj Singh I, was the Maharana of Mewar Kingdom.
  • Raj Singh protested against the Jizya tax levied by Aurangzeb.
  • Raj Singh I belongs to the Sisodias of the Mewar dynasty.
• Sawant Singh - Kishangarh:
  • Sawant Singh was a follower of the Vallabh sect who changed his name to Nagridas.
  • His time was the golden age of Kishangarh painting.
  • At this time more pictures related to Lord Shri Krishna were created.
  • Main painter - Mordhwaj Nihalchand
  • Mordhwaj Nihalchand had made more pictures of Radha Krishna.
  • Sawant Singh's girlfriend Rasika Bihari was portrayed as Radha.
  • Made a personal portrait of Rasik Bihari named Bani-Thani.
  • Eric Dixon has called Bani-Thani the Monalisa of India.

The correct answer is Nihalchand.

Key Points

• He was an Indian artist who produced some great Rajput paintings.
• Most of the Kishangarh paintings are believed to be done by him.
• He was the chief painter during the reign of Savant Singh.
• He is known for his idealized depiction of the female form called Bani Thani.

Additional Information

The correct answer is a Musical Instrument.

Key Points

The Kamaicha:

• It is a bowed lute played by the Manganiars of west Rajasthan.
• The whole instrument is one piece of wood, the spherical bowl extending into a neck and fingerboard; the resonator is covered with leather and the upper portion with wood.
• There are four main strings and a number of subsidiary ones passing over a thin bridge.
• It links the sub-continent to Western Asia and Africa and is considered by some scholars to be the oldest instrument, with the exception of the Ravana Hatta or Ravana Hasta Veena.

The correct answer is Bundi style. Key Points

• Bundi school is an important school for the Rajasthani style of miniature paintings.
  • It lasted from the 17th to the 19th century.
  • This school of painting focused on hunting, festivals, a life of nobles, animals, birds, lovers, and scenes from Lord Krishna's life.
  • This school has a close association with the Mughal style.
  • The Chitrashala, which is also known as the Ummed Mahal, is a part of the Garh Palace. It was built in the 18th Century and forms a set of rooms on an elevated podium above the garden courtyard
  •  The walls, ceiling of this palace are completely covered with paintings of the Bundi school which are still in very good condition.
  • One of the earliest examples of the Bundi Paintings is the Chunar Ragamala painted in 1561.

Additional Information

The correct answer is Both 1 and 2.

• Blue Pottery:
  • Blue Pottery originated by Mongol artisans who combined Chinese glazing technology with Persian decorative arts.
  • In Rajasthan, Jaipur is famous for this art.
  • It was started in Rajasthan during Raja Man Singh I.
  • Post-Independence redeveloped through efforts of Kripal Singh Shekhawat.
    • His efforts were recognized by GOI and received Padam Shri (1974).
• Usta Art:
  • Golden Meenakari work on Camel leather is known as Usta Art.
  • The art was developed by Padam Shri Hissayamuddin Usta from Bikaner.
  • Camel hide training Center in Bikaner is an institution for Usta Art.

The correct answer is Raja Sawant Singh Reign. 

Key Points

• Kishangarh style:
  • It was the 18th-century school of the Rajasthani style of Indian painting that arose in the princely state of Kishangarh.
  • In these paintings features of the men and women are drawn with pointed noses and chins, deeply curved eyes, and serpentine locks of hair.
  • Their action is frequently shown to occur in large panoramic landscapes.
  • The period of Raja Sawant Singh also popular as saint Nagridas can well be said to be the golden age of the Kishangarh style of paintings.
  • He himself was a great painter.
  • He had unshattering faith in the Vaishnav religion which made him an ardent devotee of Lord Krishna.

Additional Information