Consider the following properties included in the World Heritage List released by UNESCO : 1. Shantiniketan 2. Rani-ki-Vav 3. Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas 4. Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodhgaya How many of the above properties were included in 2023?
- A.Only one
- B.Only two
- C.Only three
- D.All four
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is B, Only two. Santiniketan and the Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas were inscribed in 2023; the other two were listed years earlier.
Both were added at the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee at Riyadh in September 2023, taking India's total to 42 sites at the time. Santiniketan in Birbhum, West Bengal, grew from Rabindranath Tagore's school and Visva-Bharati University. The Hoysala ensemble covers three 12th-13th century temples in Karnataka: Chennakeshava at Belur, Hoysaleswara at Halebidu and Keshava at Somanathapura, known for their star-shaped plans and fine soapstone carving.
Rani-ki-Vav, the queen's stepwell at Patan in Gujarat, was inscribed in 2014. The Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya, Bihar, was inscribed in 2002. So A (one), C (three) and D (all four) are wrong.
Exam tip: 2023 = Santiniketan + Hoysala temples; Rani-ki-Vav 2014; Mahabodhi 2002.
Practice Questions
View allWho among the following was one of the founders of the Indian Society of Oriental Art?
- A.Rabindranath Tagore
- B.Abanindranath Tagore
- C.Dwarakanath Tagore
- D.Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyaya
Show answer
He founded the Indian Society of Oriental Art in Calcutta in 1907 together with his brother Gaganendranath Tagore and E.B.
Read the full explanation →With reference to cultural history of India, consider the following statements :
1. Most of the Tyagaraja Kritis are devotional songs in praise of Lord Krishna.
2. Tyagaraja created several new ragas.
3. Annamacharya and Tyagaraja are contemporaries.
4. Annamacharya kirtanas are devotional songs in praise of Lord Venkateshwara.
Which of the statements given above are correct ?
- A.1 and 3 only
- B.2 and 4 only
- C.1, 2 and 3
- D.2, 3 and 4
Show answer
Tyagaraja created several new ragas, and Annamacharya's kirtanas praise Lord Venkateswara of Tirumala. Tyagaraja (1767–1847) of Thiruvaiyaru in Tamil Nadu is one of the Trinity of Carnatic music, with Muthuswami Dikshitar and Syama Sastri.
Read the full explanation →At which one of the following places is the Vitthala temple located?
- A.Elephanta
- B.Chidambaram
- C.Hampi
- D.Nagarjunakonda
Show answer
The Vitthala temple stands in Hampi, the ruined capital of the Vijayanagara Empire in present-day Karnataka. The temple is dedicated to Vitthala, a form of Vishnu, and was built mainly in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, with major additions under Krishnadevaraya.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following is the correct description of Kandaria Mahadeo?
- A.A Shiva temple at Elephanta
- B.The title of a work by Bhatti
- C.The capital of Chandella kings
- D.A temple at Khajuraho
Show answer
Kandariya Mahadeva is the largest and finest temple of the Khajuraho group in Madhya Pradesh. The temple was built around 1025–1050 CE under the Chandela rulers, traditionally credited to Vidyadhara.
Read the full explanation →Chak hao, the aromatic black rice that carries a Geographical Indication, is grown in which state?
- A.Assam
- B.Manipur
- C.Nagaland
- D.Mizoram
Show answer
Chak hao is the scented black rice of Manipur, used for a dark kheer at feasts and registered as a Geographical Indication, as is the kachai lemon of the same state.
Read the full explanation →