Which temple is also known by the name of Black Pagoda?
- A.Omkareshwar Temple, Puri
- B.Somnath Temple, Saurashtra
- C.Sun Temple, Konark
- D.Jagannath Temple, Hyderabad
Correct answer
C. Sun Temple, Konark
Explanation
The correct answer is C, Sun Temple, Konark. The Sun Temple at Konark in Odisha is called the Black Pagoda, a name European sailors gave it because its dark stone tower stood out as a landmark along the coast, in contrast to the whitewashed Jagannath temple at Puri, which they called the White Pagoda. It was built in the thirteenth century by Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga dynasty in the Kalinga style, and the whole structure is shaped as the chariot of the sun god, with twelve pairs of carved stone wheels and seven horses drawing it. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. A is wrong because Omkareshwar is a Jyotirlinga on an island in the Narmada in Madhya Pradesh, not at Puri. B is wrong because the Somnath temple in Gujarat is a Jyotirlinga rebuilt many times after raids. D is wrong because the Jagannath temple stands at Puri in Odisha and is the White Pagoda. Exam tip: Konark is the Black Pagoda and Puri's Jagannath temple the White Pagoda.
Practice Questions
View allYakshagana is a folk dance that belongs to the state of ________.
- A.Kerala
- B.Karnataka
- C.Haryana
- D.Rajasthan
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Karnataka
Explanation
The correct answer is B, Karnataka. Yakshagana is the folk theatre of coastal Karnataka, performed mainly in the Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada districts. A show once ran all night and mixes dance, music, spoken dialogue and tall painted headgear with bright face make-up, and its stories are drawn from the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Puranas. A singer called the Bhagavata leads from the side with the chande and maddale drums and a harmonium, and the actors build their dialogue around his verses as they go, so no two performances are quite the same. It is played mostly in Kannada, and a Tulu form also exists. A is wrong because Kerala's comparable temple theatre forms are Kathakali and Koodiyattam. C is wrong because Haryana is known for Dhamal, Phag and Khoria. D is wrong because Rajasthan is known for Ghoomar, Kalbelia and Chari. Exam tip: Yakshagana belongs to coastal Karnataka, while the similar-looking Kathakali belongs to Kerala.
In which of the following states of India is the Moatsu festival celebrated?
- A.Nagaland
- B.Tripura
- C.Assam
- D.West Bengal
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Nagaland
Explanation
The correct answer is A, Nagaland. Moatsu is a festival of the Ao tribe of Nagaland, kept in the first week of May once the fields have been cleared, the seed sown and the seedlings planted. It marks the end of that hard stretch of work and the start of a short rest before the rains, and it runs for about three days with singing, dancing, rice beer and roasted meat. Its best-known part is Sangpangtu, when men and women in their finest dress sit around a large fire and food and drink are shared. It is one of the two chief Ao festivals, the other being Tsungremmong in August. B is wrong because Tripura is known for Garia Puja and Kharchi Puja. C is wrong because Assam is known for Bihu, tied to the harvest and the Assamese new year. D is wrong because West Bengal is known for Durga Puja and Poila Boishakh. Exam tip: Moatsu belongs to the Ao tribe of Nagaland and falls in early May; the Hornbill Festival is the state's December event.
Statement A): Chola temples were the hub of religious, social and cultural life. Statement B): Chola bronze images were of deities but sometimes also of devotees.
- A.Both A) and B) are true and B) is the correct explanation of A).
- B.Both A) and B) are true, but B) is not the correct explanation of A).
- C.A) is true, but B) is false.
- D.A) is false, but B) is true.
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Both A) and B) are true, but B) is not the correct explanation of A).
Explanation
The correct answer is B, both statements are true, but B is not the correct explanation of A. Chola temples such as the Brihadisvara temple at Thanjavur, built by Rajaraja I, were far more than places of worship. They held land and villages, employed priests, garland makers, cooks, dancers and musicians, ran schools and craft workshops, and even lent money, so the religious, social and cultural life of the region gathered around them. Chola bronzes were cast by the lost wax method and mostly show deities such as Nataraja, Vishnu and Parvati, while a few portray donors and devotees, including saints and members of the royal family. Both statements are correct facts, but the subject matter of the bronzes does not explain why the temples were social centres; their land, wealth and grants do. So option A is wrong. Option C is wrong because Statement B is true, and option D is wrong because Statement A is true. Exam tip: Brihadisvara temple, Thanjavur, Rajaraja I; Chola bronzes by the lost wax method, Nataraja the most famous.
Le Corbusier, the architect of Chandigarh belongs to which country?
- A.Germany
- B.France
- C.Italy
- D.Spain
Show answer
Correct answer: B. France
Explanation
The correct answer is B, France. Le Corbusier is counted as a French architect. He was born Charles-Édouard Jeanneret in Switzerland in 1887, settled in Paris, took French citizenship in 1930 and worked from France for the rest of his life. Jawaharlal Nehru brought him to India to plan Chandigarh, the shared capital of Punjab and Haryana, after the first planner Albert Mayer and his architect Matthew Nowicki left the project. Le Corbusier laid the city out in numbered sectors on a grid and designed the Capitol Complex in Sector 1 — the High Court, the Secretariat, the Legislative Assembly and the Open Hand monument — which UNESCO added to its World Heritage list in 2016. Option A is wrong because Germany is the home of the Bauhaus school and Walter Gropius, not of Le Corbusier. Option C is wrong because Italy is linked with Renaissance architects such as Brunelleschi and Palladio. Option D is wrong because Spain is known for Antoni Gaudí of Barcelona. Exam tip: Chandigarh — Le Corbusier; New Delhi — Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker.
Which of the following is a popular dance form of Lakshadweep island?
- A.Kathak
- B.Kuchipudi
- C.Koli
- D.Kolkali
Show answer
Correct answer: D. Kolkali
Explanation
The correct answer is D, Kolkali. Kolkali is a popular folk dance of Lakshadweep, and it is also seen in the Malabar region of Kerala, with which the islands share much of their language and custom. Twelve or more dancers move in a circle, each holding a short wooden stick in either hand, and strike their neighbours' sticks in time with the song; the circle widens and closes in as the beat quickens. It is danced by men at weddings and festivals, and the rhythm comes from the clash of the sticks as much as from the drum. Lakshadweep's other well known forms are Parichakali and Lava. A is wrong because Kathak is a classical dance of north India. B is wrong because Kuchipudi is a classical dance of Andhra Pradesh. C is wrong because Koli is the dance of the fishing community of Maharashtra. Exam tip: Lakshadweep has Kolkali, Parichakali and Lava; Koli belongs to Maharashtra.