Indian Culture General Studies MCQs

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Dhodro banam is a single-string musical instrument used by the Santal tribes in Odisha.

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Sankirtana is ritual singing, drumming and dancing of Manipur. Yoga is a group of physical, mental and spiritual practises or disciplines which originated in ancient India. On December 1, 2016, Yoga was listed as UNESCO’s Intangible cultural heritage. Chhau is a traditional dance drama form prevalent in Eastern India.

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Both are correct statements

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The Namgyal Monastery is located in the Dharamshala district of Himachal Pradesh. The Buddhist monastery Shashur is located in the Lahaul valley of Spiti in Himachal Pradesh. The Ghum Monastery is situated at the hill regions of Eastern Himalaya range in Darjeeling, West Bengal.

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Mudiyettu is a traditional ritual theatre and folk dance drama from Kerala. It was inscribed in the UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010. Yoga is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India. Yoga was listed as UNESCO’s Intangible cultural heritage on December 1, 2016. Kalbelia is one of the most sensuous dance forms of Rajasthan, performed by a tribe of the same name. It was declared a part of its Intangible Heritage List by the UNESCO in 2010. Ramman is a religious festival and ritual theatre of the Garhwal region in India. It was declared a part of its Intangible Heritage List by the UNESCO in 2009.

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Santhali, Munda and Hoe languages belong to the Austro-Asiastic family; Malto is a tribal language having its origin from the Dravidian family and is spoken in the Rajmahal hills of Jharkhand. The Austro-Asiatic language family consists of 169 languages spoken in Southeast Asia, in countries located between China and Indonesia.

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Ajivika is one of the “heterodox” schools of Indian philosophy. It is founded in the 5th century BCE by Makkhali Gosala.It is a major rival of Vedic religion, early Buddhism and Jainism. Ajivikas were organised renunciates who formed discrete communities.

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Both reject sacrificial ritualism
There are some basic points of agreement towards which both Samkhya-Yoga and Buddhism were drawn. Their approach is positive and pragmatic. This positivistic attitude is reflected in their rejection of sacrificial ritualism, priests, God, etc. Buddha’s antipathy towards sacrifice and violence is well known. But Samkhya being in the fold of orthodox systems also renounces the ritualistic way unable to solve the problem of suffering. Samkhya Philosophy says that sacrificial rituals are like the ordinary perceptible means; hence ultimately ineffective in bringing that abiding and final release from suffering. Samkhya goes to the extent describing one form of bondage, “Bondage by sacrificial gifts.”
Both are Humanistic / Both reject any divine grace for attaining moksa or enlightenment 
Both Samkhya and Buddhism are humanistic. The goal is achievable by everyone by his own effort; one need not look for any divine grace for attaining moksa. Every liberated man attains to the self-effulgent nature of the isolated Purusa (Kevalin) or Buddhahood by following the prescribed method. A man must depend entirely on himself, as the canonical text says: ‘you yourselves must make the effort; the Buddhas do but point the way’.
Both reject the idea of spirit / soul
Both Samkhya and the early Buddhism rejected the concept of soul. They emphasis on individual rather on cosmic; similarity in the theories of evolution; similarity in the view of the world as a constantly becoming and changing phenomena; acceptance of the concept of Gunas; acceptance of the Satkarya vada that the effect resides in its cause; similarity in enumeration of the basic elements or components of nature; similarity in the notions of liberation kaivalya or nirvana; rejection of both the Vedic authority and the validity of rituals; rejection of extreme practices and self torture etc. The Samkhya abandons the idea of the existence of the absolute, but it retains the idea of spirit (Purusha) and of material world (Prakrti); the Buddhism, on the other hand abandoned both these two conceptions, and retained only the fleeting series of mental states (stream of consciousness) as a quasi reality, In either case there is effort to disown the human psycho-physical apparatus and its functioning.

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Kandara are natural caves. Layanam are caves which were residential before being converted into temples.

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Bhagat Pipa was a 14th century Rajput King of Gagaraungarh, who abdicated the throne to become a mystic poet and saint of the Bhakti movement. He was one of the early Shaivism and Sakta follower; who later adopted Vaishnavism as a disciple of Ramananda and finally preached Nirguni beliefs of life.