Ustad Bismillah Khan was famous for playing which musical instrument?
- A.Santoor
- B.Sitar
- C.Shehnai
- D.Tabla
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is C, Shehnai. Ustad Bismillah Khan was the shehnai player who lifted that instrument from wedding processions to the concert stage. Born in 1916 at Dumraon in Bihar, he settled in Varanasi and played at the Vishwanath temple, and he performed from the Red Fort on the eve of independence in 1947 and again on the first Republic Day. He was given the Bharat Ratna in 2001, becoming the third musician after M.S. Subbulakshmi and Ravi Shankar to receive it, and he had earlier received the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan. Option A is wrong because the santoor, a struck box zither of Kashmir, is linked with Shivkumar Sharma. Option B is wrong because the sitar is associated with Ravi Shankar and Vilayat Khan. Option D is wrong because the tabla brings to mind Alla Rakha and Zakir Hussain. Exam tip: match instrument to artist, shehnai with Bismillah Khan, sarod with Amjad Ali Khan, flute with Hariprasad Chaurasia and santoor with Shivkumar Sharma.
Practice Questions
View allWhich one of the following statements about the Elephanta Island is correct?
- A.It was given its name by the British after a large elephant structure located there.
- B.It contains one large cave.
- C.It is well-known for a spectacular carving of Vishnu described in the Vishnudharmottara Purana.
- D.It is associated with the Pashupata sect.
Show answer
The Elephanta caves are Shaiva rock-cut shrines, and their imagery is linked by scholars to the Pashupata order of Shiva worshippers.
Read the full explanation →The tagline 'Invaluable Treasures of Incredible India' is associated with the logo for
- A.Archaeological Survey of India
- B.India Tourism Development Corporation
- C.Geological Survey of India
- D.Geographical Indications (GI) of India
Show answer
In November 2018 the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion of the Commerce Ministry launched a common logo for GI-tagged products with the tagline "Invaluable Treasures of Incredible India".
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following statements about Buddhist Stupas in India is not correct?
- A.Ashoka played an important role in popularizing the Stupa cult.
- B.They were repositories of relics of Buddha and other monks.
- C.They were located in rural areas.
- D.They were located close to trade routes.
Show answer
Stupas grew up near towns and along trade routes, where traders and townspeople could visit and fund them. A stupa is a hemispherical mound built over relics of the Buddha or of revered monks.
Read the full explanation →Who was/were the 10th century composer(s) of the Nalayira Divya Prabandham?
- A.Alvars
- B.Nayanars
- C.Appar
- D.Sambandar
Show answer
The Nalayira Divya Prabandham, the 4,000 sacred verses of Tamil Vaishnavism, is the work of the twelve Alvars, gathered into one collection in the 10th century.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following : 1. Tughlaqabad Fort 2. Bada Gumbad in Lodhi Garden 3. Qutub Minar 4. Fatehpur Sikri Which one of the following is the correct chronological order of building the above monuments?
- A.3, 1, 4, 2
- B.3, 1, 2, 4
- C.1, 3, 2, 4
- D.1, 3, 4, 2
Show answer
The Qutub Minar came first, then Tughlaqabad Fort, then the Bada Gumbad of the Lodi period and last the Mughal city of Fatehpur Sikri.
Read the full explanation →