Indian Culture MCQs

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Satyajit Ray was an Indian filmmaker who is regarded as one of the greatest auteurs of 20th century cinema. Ray’s first film, Pather Panchali (1955), won eleven international prizes, including Best Human Documentary at the Cannes film festival. This film, Aparajito (1956) and Apur Sansar (1959) form The Apu Trilogy. Ray did the scripting, casting, scoring, and editing, and designed his own credit titles and publicity material. Ray received many major awards in his career, including 32 Indian National Film Awards, a number of awards at international film festivals and award ceremonies, and an Academy Honorary Award in 1992.

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Tarnetar festival of Gujarat spans for three days and takes place in August or September as per the Georgian calendar. As per the historians, the festival is organized to celebrate Draupadi’s swayamwar, which was won by Arjuna by piercing the eye of rotating fish by looking at its reflection on the water in the boiling oil. The festival takes place to commemorate archery performance of Arjun. The fair is not only a celebration of their union, but also that of other young men and women who look for and find love and togetherness here.

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Ganga Sagar Mela is one of the most famous fairs held in West Bengal. It is a religious festival in which lakhs of pilgrims descend on Sagar island, a part of the Sundarbans archipelago, in the month of January and on the day of Makar Sankranti. The Ganga Sagar Mela is the second biggest fair of India after Kumbha Mela.

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Lusei language is the common language spoken in Mizoram. Originally Lusei was spoken by only a particular group of the Mizos known as Lusei group, other Mizo groups speak their own dialect. The Mizo language is mainly based on Lusei dialect but it has also derived many words from its surrounding Mizo subtribes and sub-clan.

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Maharishi Vyas is the author of Brahmasutra. Maharishi Vyas is the composer of Vedanta. Vedanta means the final principle of the Vedas. The Brahmasutra composed by Maharishi Vyasa is the original text of this philosophy. This philosophy is also called Uttar Mimamsa. According to this philosophy, Brahma, being the doer and destroyer of the world, is the cause of the world. Not a factor or an integral cause.

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Pithora painting is a type of painting, which is made on the walls of the house on Pithora, the biggest festival of the Bhil tribe. The Pithora region of Madhya Pradesh is considered to be the origin of this art. Lakhada is famous for Pithora paintings. While Lakhada paints, Barwa and his companions continue to sing traditional songs. Most of the depictions in Pithora paintings date back to the time of religious rituals performed by them.

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Kalighat painting first gained prominence in Kolkata during British rule in the 19th century. The art form got its name because the painters usually painted near the Kalighat temple in Kolkata.
The brushes used to paint in this art form are made with goat and squirrel hair. In earlier times, mythological figures and scenes from the Hindu epic Shri Ram Charit Manas were painted on cloth tips instead of canvas. However, now the subjects address modern issues like education, freedom struggle, and daily life.

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A round mound-shaped structure used to house sacred Buddhist relics is called Stupa. These used to be Buddhist prayer places. This stupa is also called Chaitya. About 84000 sputas were built during the reign of Maurya ruler Ashoka.

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The Malwa style of architecture flourished in the Malwa region during the 15th and 16th centuries. The main examples of the style are found in the cities of Dhar, Mandu, and Chanderi. Pointed arches with spearhead fringe. Combination of arches with columns, lintels, and beams. Jahaz Mahal, Ashrafi Mahal, etc. were examples of Malwa-style architecture.

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Salim Chishti’s tomb is renowned as one of the finest examples of Mughal architecture in India, built between 1580 and 1581.