Art & Culture Mixed Quiz: Set 3

The correct answer is C, 2000. Sattriya of Assam was the eighth and last form to enter the Akademi list, and that single date is the fact papers ask most often about it. The form was created by the Vaishnava saint Srimanta Sankardeva in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries and was preserved by monks in the sattras, the monasteries that give it its name, as part of the Ankiya Naat plays.

Option A, 1958, is wrong but plausible because the Akademi itself had been set up in the preceding years and its early awards date from that decade. Option B, 1980, and option D, 2010, are round dates offered as traps; nothing was added to the classical list in either year. Fix the sequence in memory: seven forms were recognised earlier, and Sattriya joined them in 2000 to make eight.

The correct answer is B, Telangana. Pochampalli, also written Pochampally, is a weaving town in the Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district of Telangana, not far from Hyderabad. It is famous for ikat sarees, in which the threads are tied and dyed before weaving, so the pattern appears as the cloth is woven. The result is bright, geometric designs with softly blurred edges. Pochampalli ikat carries a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, which protects the name for weavers of this region. The town is also known as Bhoodan Pochampally, because Vinoba Bhave began the Bhoodan, or land-gift, movement here in 1951. A is wrong because Maharashtra is known for Paithani sarees, not Pochampalli. C is wrong because Tamil Nadu is famous for Kanjeevaram silk sarees. D is wrong because Karnataka is known for Mysore silk and Ilkal sarees. Exam tip: Pochampalli ikat, Telangana; Paithani, Maharashtra; Kanjeevaram, Tamil Nadu; Patola, Gujarat; Chanderi, Madhya Pradesh.

The correct answer is A, Assam. Bihu is danced chiefly at Rongali or Bohag Bihu, the Assamese new year festival that falls in April and opens the sowing season. Young men and women dance in rows to the dhol, the pepa made from a buffalo horn, the gogona and the taal, with quick hip movements and short steps.

Option B, Manipur, has Lai Haraoba as its old ritual festival and the drum dance Pung Cholom, while its Raas tradition is counted among the eight classical forms. Option C, Tripura, is the home of Hojagiri, danced by Reang women balancing on an earthen pitcher, and of the Garia dance. Option D, Nagaland, has tribe-wise dances such as Chang Lo of the Chang and the Zeliang dances, shown together at the Hornbill festival. All four are north-eastern states, which is exactly why the paper setter groups them, but Bihu belongs to Assam alone.

The correct answer is B, Jainism. Jainism holds that souls (jiva) live not only in humans, animals and plants but also in earth, water, fire and air. Jain thought ranks living beings by the number of senses they have. The lowest group, the one-sensed beings, includes earth-bodies, water-bodies, fire-bodies, air-bodies and plants, so even a stone or running water has a soul. This is why Jain monks practise ahimsa so strictly, sweeping the path and straining water so that they harm as few beings as possible. Mahavira taught that each jiva is bound by karma and is freed only through right faith, right knowledge and right conduct, the three jewels. Option A is wrong because Buddhism denies a permanent soul through its doctrine of anatta. Option C is wrong because Shaivism centres on devotion to Shiva and does not give souls to rocks. Option D is wrong because Vaishnavism centres on devotion to Vishnu and his avatars. Exam tip: souls in stones and water with the strictest ahimsa means Jainism; no soul (anatta) means Buddhism.

The correct answer is B, Kuchipudi. In the tarangam the dancer balances on the raised rim of a brass plate and moves it in rhythm, often with a pot of water carried on the head, which demonstrates the control over balance for which the Andhra form is famous. Kuchipudi takes its name from a village in the Krishna district and was shaped into a dance-drama by Siddhendra Yogi, who composed the Bhama Kalapam.

Option A, Odissi, is recognised instead by the chowk and tribhanga postures and by its use of Jayadeva's Gita Govinda. Option C, Manipuri, is known for the Raas Leela, the pung drum and the stiff kumil skirt, and its movement is deliberately soft. Option D, Kathak, is known for rapid chakkars and intricate footwork on a flat floor, not for balancing on any object.

The correct answer is C, Odisha. Pattachitra is the old cloth-scroll painting of Odisha, and the name itself explains it: patta means cloth and chitra means picture. The painters, called chitrakars, treat a cloth with chalk and tamarind paste, then draw gods and legends on it with natural colours and a fine brush, keeping a decorated border around the scene. Most works show Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra of Puri, Krishna's life or scenes from the epics. The village of Raghurajpur near Puri is famous for this craft and has a GI tag for Odisha Pattachitra. A is wrong because Andhra Pradesh is known for Kalamkari, drawn and dyed with a pen. B is wrong because Rajasthan is known for Phad paintings and the miniature schools of Kishangarh, Mewar and Bundi. D is wrong because Bihar is known for Madhubani or Mithila painting. Exam tip: Pattachitra is Odisha, Madhubani is Bihar, Kalamkari is Andhra Pradesh, Warli is Maharashtra.

The correct answer is B, Rajasthan. Ghoomar is danced by women in a wide ghagra who move in a circle and turn on the spot, the swirl of the skirt giving the dance its name. It grew from the Bhil community and was taken up by the Rajput households of Rajasthan, where it is danced at weddings and at festivals such as Teej and Gangaur.

Option A, Gujarat, is the home of Garba and Dandiya Raas, danced during Navratri, and this is the commonest confusion because both are circular women's dances in full skirts. Option C, Haryana, has Khoria, Dhamal, Loor and Phag, and a Haryanvi form also called Ghoomar exists, but the dance asked for in examinations is the Rajasthani one. Option D, Madhya Pradesh, has Matki, Tertali, Badhai and Grida. Fix the pair as Ghoomar for Rajasthan and Garba for Gujarat.

The correct answer is A, Baiju Bawra. Baiju, also called Baiju Nayak, was the leading singer at the court of Raja Man Singh Tomar in Gwalior and later served Sultan Bahadur Shah of Gujarat. Raja Man Singh Tomar ruled Gwalior from 1486 to 1516 and is credited with shaping dhrupad, the oldest surviving style of Hindustani classical music. Baiju was a master of dhrupad, and legend makes him a rival of Tansen, a story retold in the 1952 film "Baiju Bawra". Gwalior's link with music continues today through the Tansen Samaroh held there every year. Option B is wrong because Tansen sang at the court of Raja Ramchandra of Rewa and then became one of the nine jewels of Akbar's court. Option C is wrong because Lal Kalawant was a disciple of Tansen who served at the Mughal court. Option D is wrong because Rang Khan Kalawant is not recorded at the courts of Man Singh Tomar or Bahadur Shah. Exam tip: Man Singh Tomar of Gwalior made dhrupad famous; Baiju sang there, and Tansen later shone at Akbar's court.

The correct answer is A, Kathak. It began with the kathakars, the story-tellers who narrated the epics in north Indian temples, and under Mughal patronage it moved into the court, took on Persian costume and turned towards abstract rhythm. It is danced upright with rapid pirouettes called chakkars, intricate footwork measured against the tabla and heavy ankle bells, and its gharanas are Lucknow, Jaipur and Banaras.

Option B, Odissi, remained a temple art of Odisha carried by the maharis and the gotipuas and received no court patronage of this kind. Option C, Sattriya, grew inside the Vaishnava monasteries of Assam and was deliberately kept apart from courtly life. Option D, Bharatanatyam, was a temple dance of Tamil Nadu performed by devadasis; it was later supported by the Maratha rulers of Thanjavur, but it is Kathak alone that carries the Mughal imprint.

The correct answer is B, A-ii, B-iii, C-i, D-iv. Nihalchand was the master painter of Kishangarh in the 18th century under Raja Sawant Singh, the poet-king known as Nagaridas; his 'Bani Thani', with its long nose, arched eyebrows and lotus-shaped eyes, is often called the Mona Lisa of India. Ustad Ali Raza, a painter who came from Delhi, worked at Bikaner in the 17th century under Maharaja Karan Singh, which is why Bikaner painting shows a strong Mughal touch. Sahibdin was the leading painter of Mewar under Maharana Jagat Singh I; his Ragamala of 1628 and his Ramayana paintings shaped the Udaipur style. Shivdas is counted among the painters of the Marwar, or Jodhpur, school. Option A is wrong because it gives Shivdas to Bikaner and Ali Raza to Marwar. Option C is wrong because it gives Shivdas to Mewar and Sahibdin to Marwar. Option D is wrong because it links Sahibdin with Bikaner and Ali Raza with Mewar. Exam tip: Bani Thani–Nihalchand–Kishangarh; Ragamala–Sahibdin–Mewar; Ali Raza–Bikaner; Shivdas–Marwar.

The correct answer is C, Maharashtra. Lavani combines song and dance and is performed mainly by women in a nine-yard saree to the sharp beat of the dholki. It grew alongside Tamasha, the folk theatre of Maharashtra, and its verses range from the devotional to the sharply witty.

Option A, Goa, has Fugdi, Dekhni and Dhalo, and the song form Mando, all shorter and gentler in tempo than Lavani. Option B, Karnataka, is the home of Dollu Kunitha, Veeragase and the folk theatre Yakshagana; Yakshagana is a frequent distractor because it too is a staged form. Option D, Chhattisgarh, has Panthi of the Satnami community, Raut Nacha, the Bastar dances Gaur Maria and Gendi, and the narrative singing Pandwani made famous by its performers. The dholki and Tamasha together identify Lavani as Maharashtrian.

The correct answer is D, Delhi. The Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque, "Might of Islam", stands in the Qutub complex at Mehrauli in Delhi, next to the Qutub Minar and the Iron Pillar. Qutb-ud-din Aibak began it in 1192-93, right after the Turkish conquest, making it the first mosque built in Delhi and the earliest surviving example of Indo-Islamic architecture in India. Its pillars were taken from twenty-seven demolished Hindu and Jain temples, which is why they still carry bells, chains and floral carvings, and Iltutmish and Alauddin Khalji later enlarged it. The complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A, Panipat, has the Kabuli Bagh mosque built by Babur after the first battle of Panipat in 1526. B, Lahore, has the Badshahi mosque of Aurangzeb. C, Ajmer, has Aibak's other mosque, the Adhai Din ka Jhonpra, which is the usual trap in this question. Exam tip: Aibak built Quwwat-ul-Islam in Delhi and Adhai Din ka Jhonpra in Ajmer.

The correct answer is B, Odissi. The form rests on two basic stances, the square chowk and the three-bent tribhanga, in which the head, the torso and the hips are deflected in opposite directions to produce the sculptural line seen in Odisha temple carving. That resemblance to the figures in the Udayagiri caves is also the argument for calling Odissi the oldest surviving classical form.

Option A, Manipuri, keeps the body soft and continuous rather than angled, with the feet landing gently and the face held serene. Option C, Mohiniyattam, is built on a swaying, circular movement compared to a coconut palm, not on fixed bends. Option D, Kathakali, uses a wide squat with the weight carried on the outer edges of the feet, and its expression is carried by the painted face and the eyes rather than by any bend of the torso.

The correct answer is A, Buddhism. The Great Stupa at Sanchi, in the Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh, is one of the oldest Buddhist monuments in India. It was first built by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE as a brick mound over relics of the Buddha, and was later enlarged with a stone casing. Four richly carved gateways, or toranas, were added around the 1st century BCE; they show Jataka tales and scenes from the Buddha's life, in which the Buddha himself appears only through symbols such as the Bodhi tree, a wheel or footprints. The Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1989. B is wrong because the stupa is not a Hindu shrine; famous Hindu temple sites include Khajuraho and Konark. C is wrong because famous Jain sites include Dilwara and Shravanabelagola. D is wrong because famous Islamic monuments include the Qutub Minar and the Jama Masjid. Exam tip: Sanchi stupa = Ashoka = Buddhism = Madhya Pradesh = UNESCO 1989.

The correct answer is C, Jharkhand. Chhau is a martial masked dance of eastern India with three recognised styles, and Seraikella Chhau takes its name from the former princely seat of Seraikella in Jharkhand, where the royal house trained and refined it. Its masks are small and smooth, and the dance leans on stylised gesture rather than raw combat.

Option A, Odisha, is the home of Mayurbhanj Chhau, the one style danced without any mask, so the expression is carried by the face itself. Option B, West Bengal, is the home of Purulia Chhau, which uses large brightly painted masks and enacts battle episodes such as Mahishasura Mardini. Option D, Bihar, has Jat-Jatin, Jhijhiya, Paika and the folk theatre Bidesia, but no Chhau style. All three Chhau styles together were inscribed by UNESCO in 2010.

The correct answer is B, Bharia. Patalkot is a deep, horseshoe-shaped valley in the Tamia area of Chhindwara district, and most of its villages are home to the Bharia tribe. The valley floor lies more than a thousand feet below the surrounding Satpura plateau, so for a long time the Bharias lived almost cut off from the outside world, depending on the forest for food and herbal medicine. The Bharias of Patalkot are one of the three Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) of Madhya Pradesh, along with the Baiga and the Sahariya. Option A is wrong because the Bhil, the largest tribe of the state, live mainly in western districts such as Jhabua, Alirajpur and Dhar. Option C is wrong because the Khairwar are a separate tribe and not the main community of Patalkot. Option D is wrong because the Oraon belong mainly to the Chhotanagpur region of Jharkhand. Exam tip: Patalkot, Chhindwara, Bharia tribe, one of the three PVTGs of Madhya Pradesh with the Baiga and Sahariya.

The correct answer is A, Rukmini Devi Arundale. She learned Bharatanatyam at a time when the form was losing its temple patronage, gave it a place on the public concert stage, and founded Kalakshetra in 1936 as a school where it could be taught systematically along with music and craft. Her work, together with the campaigning of E. Krishna Iyer, is the standard answer to any question on the revival of Bharatanatyam.

Option B, T. Balasaraswati, was the great dancer of the hereditary devadasi line and a contemporary of Rukmini Devi, but she founded no such institution. Option C, Sonal Mansingh, is an Odissi and Bharatanatyam dancer of a later generation. Option D, Sitara Devi, was a Kathak dancer of the Banaras tradition and belongs to a different form altogether.

The correct answer is A, Mizoram. In Cheraw, men sit facing each other and hold long bamboo staves horizontally, clapping them together in a steady beat, while women in the Mizo puan step in and out of the closing gaps without letting a foot be caught. It is the best known dance of Mizoram and is shown at the Chapchar Kut festival.

Option B, Meghalaya, has the Khasi thanksgiving dance Ka Shad Nongkrem at Smit and the Garo harvest festival Wangala, known as the hundred drums festival. Option C, Sikkim, has Singhi Chham, the snow lion dance honouring Kanchenjunga, and Maruni. Option D, Arunachal Pradesh, has Bardo Chham of the Sherdukpen and Ponung of the Adi. Bamboo staves in the question point to Cheraw and therefore to Mizoram every time.

The correct answer is B, Kathi. The word means knife, and the make-up is marked by an upturned knife-shaped line drawn on a green base, worn by characters who are brave and powerful but arrogant, of whom Ravana and Duryodhana are the standard examples. Identifying the vesham from the description of the face is a favourite question on Kathakali.

Option A, pacha, is the plain green face of wholly noble heroes such as Rama, Krishna and Arjuna, and is the type most often shown in photographs. Option C, minukku, meaning polished, is the soft and lightly tinted make-up of gentle women, sages and brahmins. Option D, kari, meaning black, is the make-up of demonesses and forest characters. Learn the five together, since papers set them as a matching list: pacha, kathi, thadi, kari and minukku.

The correct answer is B, Tripura. Hojagiri is danced by women of the Reang community of Tripura, who balance on an earthen pitcher while keeping a bottle with a lit lamp on the head, and bend the upper body while the feet stay still. It is performed during the Hojagiri or Laxmi puja festival that follows Durga puja.

Option A, Nagaland, has tribe-wise dances such as Chang Lo of the Chang and the war dances shown at the Hornbill festival, none of them built on balancing. Option C, Manipur, has the martial Thang-Ta, the drum dance Pung Cholom and the ritual festival Lai Haraoba. Option D, Assam, has Bihu and the Jhumur of the tea garden communities. The pitcher, bottle and lamp together are the signature of Hojagiri, and the community named with it is the Reang.