Indian Culture MCQs

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Bishandas was a 17th-century portrait painter at the court of the Mughal emperor Jahangir. Jahangir praised him as “unrivalled in the art of portraiture”. Though little is known of Bishandas’ life, his name can indicate that he was a Hindu. In 1613 he was sent on a diplomatic mission to Persia, to paint the Shah’s portrait. Here he was so successful that he remained until 1620, when he returned with the gift of an elephant.

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The Pasupata was a Saivite sect associated with Siva in his aspect of the “Herdsman” (pasu, “animal” and pati, “lord”). The devotees of Pashupati Siva are called Pashupatas.

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The Ganga Sagar Mela is a religious festival and second biggest fair of India after Kumbha Mela of India celebrated on Sagardwip (Sagar Island) in West Bengal state of India. The fair is a six-day fair held in the month of January and on the day of Makar Sankranti, a ritual of pilgrims taking bath in holy water and visiting nearby famous Kapil Muni Temple is performed.

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Sandalwood is the term used for Kannad cinema. Tollywood is used for Telugu cinema. Kollywood is used for Tamil Cinema.

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Buddhism stupa are called Chorten in North east India and Tibet

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The Dalai Lama is considered a reincarnation of Avalokiteśvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. Avalokiteśvara is the patron saint of Tibet and embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. The Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. The 14th and current Dalai Lama is Tenzin Gyatso, who lives in exile in India.
According to Tibetan Buddhism, the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth is a key belief. When a Dalai Lama dies, they believe that their spirit is reincarnated in the body of their successor, who is born at the moment of their death. Search parties are sent across Tibet to find children who are “special” and born within a year of the Dalai Lama’s death.

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Guru Angad Dev Ji, the 2nd guru of Sikhs, invented a new script for Punjabi language known as “Gurmukhi” in order to make the scriptures (Guru writings) available for the common people of the society. Gurmukhi means “from the mouth of the Guru.”

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Ramkinkar Baij was an Indian sculptor and painter, one of the pioneers of modern Indian sculpture and a key figure of Contextual Modernism. He is a noted scholar on Indian scriptures and a recipient of Padma Bhushan in 1999.

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Carpet making was first introduced in India in Kashmir in the 15th Century. Sultan Zain ul-Abadin is believed to have brought carpet weavers from Persia and Central Asia to train local weavers.

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The temple was used as a navigational point by European sailors. They referred to it as the ‘Black Pagoda’ due to its dark color and its magnetic power that drew ships into the shore and caused shipwrecks. Black Pagoda is a massive conception of artistic magnificence and engineering dexterity.