Which one of the following temples of India has won the 'UNESCO Asia Pacific Award of Merit, 2017' for cultural heritage conservation?
- A.Kamakhya Temple, Guwahati
- B.Sri Ranganathaswami Temple, Srirangam
- C.Meenakshi Temple, Madurai
- D.Kedarnath Temple, Kedarnath
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is B, Sri Ranganathaswami Temple, Srirangam. Its careful restoration earned the Award of Merit in UNESCO's Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation, 2017.
The Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple stands on Srirangam, an island in the Kaveri near Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu. It is dedicated to Vishnu as Ranganatha and is among the largest functioning Hindu temple complexes in the world, with seven concentric enclosures and a towering rajagopuram. UNESCO praised the restoration for reviving traditional building methods and materials and for the involvement of the local community and devotees. The awards recognise private and public efforts to conserve heritage buildings in the Asia-Pacific region.
Option A is wrong because the Kamakhya Temple, a major Shakti shrine on Nilachal hill, did not win this award. Option C is wrong because the Meenakshi Temple of Madurai, famous for its painted gopurams, was not the 2017 winner. Option D is wrong because the Kedarnath Temple, a Himalayan jyotirlinga of Shiva in Uttarakhand, was not honoured in this list.
Exam tip: UNESCO Asia-Pacific heritage Award of Merit 2017 = Srirangam Ranganathaswamy Temple, Tamil Nadu.
Practice Questions
View allRenowned classical singer Prabha Atre, who passed away recently, was an exponent of which one of the following Gharanas?
- A.Kirana Gharana
- B.Patiala Gharana
- C.Gwalior Gharana
- D.Agra Gharana
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Prabha Atre was trained in and sang in the Kirana style of Hindustani classical music. Prabha Atre (1932-2024) of Pune learned from Sureshbabu Mane and Hirabai Barodekar, both disciples of Abdul Karim Khan, the founder of the Kirana gharana.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following is the latest addition to the AYUSH group of health care system?
- A.Unani
- B.Siddha
- C.Sowa-Rigpa
- D.Reiki
Show answer
Sowa-Rigpa, the traditional Tibetan system of medicine, was the last system to be officially recognised and added to AYUSH. AYUSH stands for Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa and Homoeopathy.
Read the full explanation →Which one among the following educational institutions established under the Union Ministry of Culture is promoting to preserve, protect and promote Lord Buddha's teaching and value of love, compassion and non-violence for developing good moral values and practices ?
- A.Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla
- B.National Council of Educational Research & Training, New Delhi
- C.Nava Nalanda Mahavihara, Nalanda
- D.IGNOU, New Delhi
Show answer
It is a deemed university under the Union Ministry of Culture devoted to Pali language and Buddhist studies.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following statements about the Nagara style of temple architecture :
1. This style of temples are commonly found in the areas between Himalayas and Vindhyas.
2. The most striking feature of this style is its pyramidal shikhara.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
- A.1 only
- B.2 only
- C.Both 1 and 2
- D.Neither 1 nor 2
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Nagara temples belong to north India, but their shikhara is curvilinear, not pyramidal. The Nagara style spread over the land between the Himalayas and the Vindhyas, from Gujarat and Rajasthan to Odisha.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following statements related to Indian medicine system is not correct ?
- A.The Siddha system is a holistic system of medicine.
- B.Sowa-Rigpa has been in practice in the Himalayan regions of India.
- C.Unani system of medicine has been dissociated from the Ministry of Ayush.
- D.Sushruta Samhita is a major source of Ayurveda.
Show answer
This statement is false: Unani remains one of the systems under the Ministry of Ayush. AYUSH stands for Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy, and Sowa-Rigpa was added to the family in 2010.
Read the full explanation →