Indian Culture General Studies MCQs

Notes:
Buddhists, Jains, and Hindus have directed an almost equal attention to the Gopura or gateways o f their towns and temples. These, both in form and purpose, resemble the pylons of the Egyptian temples.

Notes:
Starting off his six-decade literary career as a bohemian poet and editor of Kritibas, a monthly poetry magazine, Sunil Gangopadhyay wrote his first novel, Athmo Prakash (Self-Revelation), at the behest of the editor of the hugely popular periodical Desh for its special Durga Puja edition. Two of the most critically acclaimed films of legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray — Pratidwandi and Aranyer Din Ratri — were based on novels written by him.
 

Notes:
Girija Devi belongs to Banaras gharana. She performs classical and light classical music and has helped elevate the profile of thumri.
 

Notes:
Celebration of the biggest post-harvest festival of the Zeliangrong community, Chakan Gaan-Ngai, also popularly known as Gaan-Ngai was kick-started in Manipur recently with different organizations celebrating the festival in their own manner with traditional gaiety and religious fervour. The State Level celebration of the festival was organized by State Level Gaan Ngai-2013 Committee at Langol Tarung village with Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh as Chief Guest.
 

Notes:
Hornbill Festival is a weeklong annual event of Nagaland. The popularity and importance of Hornbill festival is not just a national phenomenon but has gained popularity around the world. Organized by the State Tourism and art and Culture Department, Hornbill Festival dubbed as the Festival of Festivals in Nagaland, encourages inter-tribal interaction, showcasing the entire array of Naga life and culture. Unlike other years, with more activities added to the event, the Department is expecting the biggest participation of both domestic and international tourists.
 

Notes:
The temple is located near the banks of the Yamuna River. The temple was opened to the general public on 6th November 2005. It holds the Guinness World Record for the World’s Largest Comprehensive Hindu Temple.

Notes:
Rajgir, the ancient capital of the Magadhan empire in Bihar is held sacred by both Buddhists and Jains for its association with the Buddha and Mahavir. Department of Tourism, Bihar holds a colourful festival of dance and music, Rajgir Mahotsav or Dance Festival every year in Rajgir.

Notes:
To pay a befitting tribute to the man of letters, Nobel Laureate, Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, on his 150th birth anniversary, the Government of India has set up a ‘Tagore Centre for the Study of Culture and Civilization’ (TCSCC) at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS), Shimla. The objectives of the Centre include: to encourage the study of Tagore’s work; support translations of Tagore’s work into other Indian languages; promote comparative study of his work with poets, artists and writers in other parts of India and the world; study the elements of his Humanist philosophy and his cosmopolitanism; and explore his concerns regarding the relationship between science and society.
 

Notes:
Baul are a group of mystic minstrels from Bengal. Bauls constitute both a syncretic religious sect and a musical tradition. Bauls are a very heterogeneous group, with many sects, but their membership mainly consists of Vaishnava Hindus and Sufi Muslims. They can often be identified by their distinctive clothes and musical instruments. Not much is known of their origin. Lalon Fakir is regarded as the most important poet-practitioner of the Baul tradition. Baul music had a great influence on Rabindranath Tagore’s poetry and on his music (Rabindra Sangeet). Though Bauls comprise only a small fraction of the Bengali population, their influence on the culture of Bengal is considerable. In 2005, the Baul tradition was included in the list of “Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity” by UNESCO.