Art and Culture Questions

The correct answer is Odisha.

Key Points

• Udayagiri and Khandagiri are Located in Bhuvneshvar, Odisha.
• Built by King Kharavela of the Meghavahana dynasty, widely regarded as the most powerful king in the annals of the history of Odisha. 
• These ancient rocks cut caves were first discovered by a young British Officer Andrew Sterling in the 19th century AD.
• Eighteen caves are located in the Udaygiri hill and fifteen in the Khandagiri hill.
• The major Udaygiri caves are:-
  • Hathigumpha.
  • The Rani Gumpha.
  • The Ganesh Gumpha.
  • The VyagharaGumpha.

Important Points

• Important Caves
  • Ajanta and Ellora Caves, Maharashtra.
  • Badami, Karnataka.
  • Tabo, Himachal Pradesh.
  • Krem Liat Prah, Meghalaya.
  • The Mystery Of Patal Bhuvaneshwar Cave Temple Uttarakhand.

The correct answer is Krishna I.

Important Points

• Kailashnatha Temple also known as Kailash Temple is a famous temple located in Ellora, Maharashtra.
• Its construction is generally attributed to the eighth-century Rashtrakuta king Krishna I (756 – 773).
• It is a Hindu temple in the Dravidian architectural style.
• It is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is known for its historical importance.

The correct answer is Tamil.

• The epics 'Silappadikaram' and 'Manimekalai' of the Sangam period were written in the Tamil language.

Key Points

• The Sangam Age:
  • It is a period between the 3rd century B.C. and 3rd century A.D. in South India.
  • The period is named after the Sangam academies which were held during that period and flourished under the royal patronage of the Pandya kings of Madurai.
  • The Sangam Age was ruled by three dynasties namely the Cheras, Cholas and Pandyas.
  • Silappathikaram was written by Elango Adigal.
  • Manimekalai was written by Sittalai Sattanar.

• Giddha is not an Indian classical dance form.
• It is a folk dance that is performed exclusively by women in the Punjab region of India and Pakistan.
• Indian classical dance forms include those styles which have mythological roots and whose theory and practice can be found in the Natya Shastra (Sanskrit text).
• Classical Dances of India- Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kathakali, Kuchipudi, Mohiniyattam, Odissi, Sattriya, Manipuri are the recognized Indian classical dance forms.

The paintings of Ajanta belong to the Bodh religion.

Important Points

• It is located in Aurangabad, Maharashtra.
• It is an ancient rock-cut cave built in the 2nd century BC to the 5th century AD.
• There is a total of 29 caves in Ajanta related to Buddhist which were decorated with sculptures and paintings.
• Some of the caves were used as residential caves while four of them used a prayer hall.
• Caves from 19 to 26 are elaborately decorated with the images of Buddha and Boddhisattva.
• The caves were inscribed by the Buddhist monks themed around Buddhism- the life of Buddha.

Thus, we can conclude that the paintings of Ajanta belong to Buddhism.

Additional Information

• The caves were done using fresco painting.
• The images have limited color bordered with red paint.
• The figures are broad and are placed orderly and are projected outward.
• The events are placed according to place and location.

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.

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.

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.

The correct answer is A hand-painted cotton textile in South India.

• Kalamkari painting refers to a hand-painted cotton textile in South India.

Key Points

• Kalamkari derives its name from Kalam meaning Pen, and Kari meaning work, literally Pen-work.
• A Kalamkari artist uses a bamboo or date palm stick pointed at one end with a bundle of fine hair attached to the pointed end which serves as the brush or pen.
• There are two distinctive styles of Kalamkari art in India
  • The Srikalahasti style
  • The Machilipatnam style of art.

Vikramshila University was founded by Dharampal.

• Vikramshila was one of the important Buddhist monasteries in India during the Pala Empire.
• It was established by the great Pala emperor, Dharmapala during 8-9 CE.
• It is located in Antichik village of Bhagalpur district Bihar.
• It was built due to the decline in the quality of scholarship at Nalanda.

Additional Information

• It was excavated by B.P. Sinha and later by Archaeological Survey of India.
• It is a huge monastery with a stupa in the center.
• It was laid upon more than one hundred acres of land.
• It was destroyed by Bakhtiyar Khilji in 1193.