Explore our comprehensive guide on Indian Art and Culture GK Questions, perfect for competitive exams and cultural enthusiasts. Dive into India’s rich heritage with curated quizzes.
1. In which of the following dialects Kabir wrote ?
Correct Answer:-A ( Avadhi )
Description:- Kabir, being illiterate, expressed his poems orally in vernacular Hindi, borrowing from various dialects including Avadhi, Braj, and Bhojpuri. His verses often began with some strongly worded insult to get the attention of passers-by. Kabir has enjoyed a revival of popularity over the past half century as arguably the most accessible and understandable of the Indian saints, with a special influence over spiritual traditions such as those of Sant Mat, Garib Das and Radha Soami.
2. Where is “Pushkar Fair” held ?
Correct Answer:-B ( Ajmer )
Description:- The Pushkar Fair, or Pushkar ka Mela, is the annual five-day camel and livestock fair, held in the town of Pushkar in the state of Rajasthan, India. It is one of the world’s largest camel fairs, and apart from buying and selling of livestock it has become an important tourist attraction and its highlights have become competitions such as the “matka phod”, “longest moustache”, and “bridal competition” are the main draws for this fair which attracts thousands of tourists. Pushkar is a town in the Ajmer district. Pushkar is one of the oldest existing cities of India. It lies on the shore of Pushkar Lake. The date of its actual origin is not known, but legend associates Lord Brahma with its creation.
3. Which of the following is called the storehouse of world-art collections ?
Correct Answer:-D ( Salarjung Museum )
Description:- The Salar Jung Museum is an art museum located at Darushifa, on the southern bank of the Musi River in the city of Hyderabad. It is the third largest museum in India housing the biggest one-man collections of antiques in the world. It is well known throughout India for its prized collections belonging to different civilizations dating back to the 1st century. Nawab Mir Yousuf Ali Khan Salar Jung III (1889–1949), former Prime Minister of the seventh Nizam of Hyderabad, spent a substantial amount of his income over thirty five years to make this priceless collection, his life’s passion.
4. Who introduced the famous Persian Festival of Nauroz ?
Correct Answer:-D ( Balban )
Description:- Balban’s conception of kingship was similar to that of the theory of divine right of kings. He cast a halo of superiority round monarchy. He introduced the system of Nauroz to add to the dignity of his court.
5. Which of the following is a famous Assamese festival ?
Correct Answer:-D ( Rongali Bihu )
Description:- Bihu denotes a set of three different cultural festivals of Assam. In a year there are three Bihu festivals in Assam – in the months of Bohaag (Baisakh, the middle of April), Maagh (the middle of January), and Kaati (Kartik, the middle of October). The most important and colourful of the three Bihu festival is the Spring festival “Bohag Bihu” or Rongali Bihu celebrated in the middle of April. This is also the beginning of the agricultural season.
6. Which language is spoken by the people of Lakshadweep?
Correct Answer:-A ( Malayalam )
Description:- The islanders are ethnically similar to the Malayali people of the nearest Indian state of Kerala. Most of the population speaks Malayalam with Mahi being the most spoken language in Minicoy isla
7. In which State is the religious festival ‘Ganesh Chaturthi’ Celebrated with gusto ?
Correct Answer:-C ( Maharashtra )
Description:- ‘Ganesha Chaturthi is the Hindu festival celebrated on the birthday (rebirth) of Lord Ganesha, the son of Shiva and Parvati. While celebrated all over India, it is most elaborate in Maharashtra, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Orissa and Chhattisgarh.
8. Which of the following language has been given the status of classical language by Central Government?
Correct Answer:-B ( Tamil )
Description:- In 2004, the Government of India declared that languages that met certain requirements could be accorded the status of a “Classical Language in India”. Languages so far declared to be Classical are Tamil (in 2004), Sanskrit (in 2005), Kannada and Telugu (in 2008).
9. ‘Rath Yatra’ at Puri is celebrated in honour of
Correct Answer:-C ( Lord Jagannath )
Description:- Ratha Yatra is a huge Hindu festival associated with Lord Jagannath held at Puri in the state of Odisha. This annual festival is celebrated on Ashad Shukla Dwitiya (second day in bright fortnight of Ashad month).
10. The most popular festival in Tamil Nadu is :
Correct Answer:-D ( Pongal )
Description:- The festivals of Tamil Nadu are : Pongal, Jallikattu, Chithirai and Adipperukku.
11. Papeti is the festival of
Correct Answer:-A ( Parsis )
Description:- Papeti is one of the auspicious days of Parsi Calendar. It stands for the new start and new beginning. It comes in the month of Navroj by the Parsis. On Pateti day, the Parsis visit the fire temple.
12. Which among the following city was given as guru dakshina by Pandavas to Guru Dronacharya?
Correct Answer:-D ( Gurgaon )
Description:- As per legend, Gurgaon in Haryana was given as gurudakshina to Guru Dronacharya by his students — the Pandavas — and hence it came to be known as Guru-gram, which in course of time is said to have got distorted to Gurgaon. The BJP government in Haryana renamed Gurgaon as Gurugram in April 2016.
13. Jalikattu is associated with which Indian festival?
Correct Answer:-B ( Pongal )
Description:- Jallikattu is typically practised in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu as a part of Pongal celebrations on Mattu Pongal day. It is a traditional spectacle in which a bullis released into a crowd of people and multiple human participants attempt to grab the large hump of the bull with both arms and hang on to it while the bull attempts to escape.
14. Who amongst the following is renowned in the field of painting?
Correct Answer:-D ( Raja Ravi Varma )
Description:- Raja Ravi Varma was an Indian painter from the princely state of Travancore who achieved recognition for his depiction of scenes from the epics of the Mahabharata and Ramayana. His paintings are considered to be among the best examples of the fusion of Indian traditions with the techniques of European academic art. During his lifetime Varma is most remembered for his paintings of sari-clad women portrayed as shapely and graceful.
15. Le Corbusier, the architect of Chandigarh was a national of
Correct Answer:-D ( France )
Description:- Charles-Edouard Jeanneret, better known as Le Corbusier, was an architect, designer, urbanist, and writer, famous for being one of the pioneers of what is now called modern architecture. He was born in Switzerland and became a French citizen in 1930. His career spanned five decades, with his buildings constructed throughout Europe, India and America. He was awarded the Frank P. Brown Medal and AIA Gold Medal in 1
16. In which field of Art Jamini Roy make his name ?
Correct Answer:-C ( Painting )
Description:- Jamini Roy was an Indian painter. His key works were “Bride and two Companions”, 1952; and Dual Cats with one Crayfish”, 1968. His new style was a reaction against the Bengal School and Western tradition. His underlying quest was threefold: to capture the essence of simplicity embodied in the life of the folk people; to make art accessible to a wider section of people; and to give Indian art its own identity. He was awarded the Padma Bhusan in 1954.
17. Where is the Swami Narayan temple, Akshar-dham located ?
Correct Answer:-D ( Gandhinagar, Gujarat )
Description:- Akshardham in Gandhinagar is one of the largest temples in the Indian state of Gujarat. The temple complex combines devotions, art, architecture, education, exhibitions and research at one place which is spread in an area of 23 acres. The temple came to international attention when two heavily armed terrorists attacked it in September 2002. It is a predecessor to the Akshardham at Delhi, built by the same religious organisation, Bochasanwasi Akshar- Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) led by Pramukh Swami Maharaj. It was inaugurated on November 2, 1992.
18. What do the paintings of Ajanta depict?
Correct Answer:-C ( Jatakas )
Description:- The Ajanta Caves in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra are 30 rock-cut cave monuments which date from the 2nd century BCE to about 500 or 600 CE. The caves include paintings and sculptures considered to be masterpieces of Buddhist religious art, with Buddha figures and depictions of the Jataka tales. The caves form the largest corpus of early Indian wall-painting. The site is a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India, and since 1983, the Ajanta Caves have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
19. Where did the miniature paintings of Indian heritage develop?
Correct Answer:-D ( Kishengarh )
Description:- The art of Miniature painting was introduced to the land of India by the Mughals, who brought the muchrevealed art form from Persia. In the sixteenth century, the Mughal ruler Humayun brought artists from Persia, who specialized in miniature painting. The succeeding Mughal Emperor, Akbar built an atelier for them to promote the rich art form. These artists, on their part, trained Indian artists who produced paintings in a new distinctive style, inspired by the royal and romantic lives of the Mughals. The particular miniature produced by Indian artists in their own style is known as Rajput or Rajasthani miniature. During this time, several schools of painting evolved, such as Mewar (Udaipur), Bundi, Kotah, Marwar (Jodhpur), Bikaner, Jaipur, and Kishangarh.
20. In which State is the folk painting ‘Madhubani’ popular ?
Correct Answer:-C ( Bihar )
Description:- Madhubani painting or Mithila painting is a style of Indian painting, practiced in the Mithila region of Bihar state, India and the adjoining parts of Terai in Nepal. Painting is done with fingers, twigs, brushes, nib-pens, and matchsticks, using natural dyes and pigments, and is characterized by eye-catching geometrical patterns. There are paintings for each occasion and festival such as birth, marriage, holi, surya shasti, kali puja, Upanayanam (sacred thread ceremony), and durga puja.
21. Who was the painter of the famous painting called – ‘Bharatmata’ ?
Correct Answer:-B ( Abanindranath Tagore )
Description:- Bharat Mata is an epic painting by celebrated Indian painter, Abanindranath Tagore. This painting depicts Bharat Mata as Lakshmi, the Goddess of Plenty, clad in the apparel of a Vaishnava nun.
22. The Gandhara Art flourished during the period of
Correct Answer:-D ( Kushans )
Description:- The Kingdom of Gandhara lasted from the early 1st millennium BC to the 11th century AD. It attained its height from the 1st century to the 5th century under the Buddhist Kushan Kings. Peshawar Valley and Taxila are littered with ruins of stupas and monasteries of this period. Many monuments were created to commemorate the Jataka tales. The Gandhara civilization peaked during the reign of the great Kushan king Kanishka (128–151). The cities of Taxila (Takshasila) at Sirsukh and Peshawar were built. Peshawar became the capital of a great empire stretching from Gandhara to Central Asia. Kanishka was a great patron of the Buddhist faith; Buddhism spread to Central Asia and the Far East across Bactria and Sogdia, where his empire met the Han Empire of China. Buddhist art spread from Gandhara to other parts of Asia.
23. Who was the pioneer of the Bengal School of Art ?
Correct Answer:-D ( Abanindranath Tagore )
Description:- Abanindranath Tagore was the principal artist and creator of ‘Indian Society of Oriental Art’ and the first major exponent of swadeshi values in Indian art, thereby founding the influential Bengal school of art, which led to the development of modern Indian painting. He was also a noted writer, particularly for children. Popularly known as ‘Aban Thakur’, his books Rajkahini, Budo Angla, Nalak, and Ksheerer Putul are landmarks in Bengali language children’s literature. Tagore sought to modernize Moghul and Rajput styles in order to counter the influence of Western models of art, as taught in Art Schools under the British Raj and developed the Indian style of painting, later known as Bengal school of art which was an influential art movement and a style of Indian painting that originated in Bengal, primarily Kolkata and Shantiniketan, and flourished throughout India during the British Raj in the early 20th century.
24. Rajasthani and Pahari schools of art froms are famous for
Correct Answer:-D ( Painting )
Description:- The style of painting which flourished in Basohli, Jammu, Garhwal, Chamba, Kangra, Guler and Mandi in the hilly areas in the northwest has been termed the Pahari school. The art of miniature painting in the Punjab hills known as Pahari painting was influenced to some extent by the Mughal painting of Aurangzeb’s period. Scholars have categorized Pahari paintings on the basis of geography and family style. These paintings developed and flourished during the period of 17th to 19th century under the patronage of Rajput kings. Indian Pahari paintings have been made mostly in miniature forms. Developed in the 18th century, this style is an eternal legacy of the Rajasthani style.
25. Who painted the master piece “Hamsa Damayanti” ?
Correct Answer:-D ( Raja Ravi Varma )
Description:- Hamsa Damayanthi is an oil painting on canvas of Raja Ravi Varma. In this painting, Princess Damayanthi is shown talking with Royal Swan about Nalan.
26. Jamini Roy distinguished himself in the field of
Correct Answer:-B ( Painting )
Description:- Jamini Roy (1887-1972), one of the most celebrated artists of modern India, is especially admired for his painting that brought solace to the viewers in a tormented time of history. He gave a novel and daring direction to the art of colonial India by evolving his idiom of expression out of Bengal’s folk painting, discarding at once both of the dominating trends of his days, namely, Western academicism, then insipid and decadent, and Neo-Bengal school, which tended to become cold and fragile. And as the time marched, his concept of art’s agelessness has gained importance in the context of the present generation artists’ new search for the roots.
27. Which of the following places of Sikh religion heritage is not in India?
Correct Answer:-D ( Nankana Saheb )
Description:- Nankana Sahib is a city and capital of Nankana Sahib District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is named after the first guru of the Sikhs, Guru Nanak Dev, the central figure in Sikhism who was born here, so it is a city of high historic and religious value and is a popular pilgrimage site for Sikhs from all over the world. It is located about 80 kilometers south west of Lahore.
28. Who amidst the following is renowned in the field of sculpture?
Correct Answer:-C ( Ram Kinkar )
Description:- Ramkinkar Baij was an Indian sculptor and painter, one of the pioneers of modern Indian sculpture. Modern Western art and pre and post-classical Indian art were his main point of reference. He used local material advantageously, and worked combining the skills of a modeller and a carver.
29. Who, amidst the following is a distinguished painter?
Correct Answer:-A ( Amrita Shergill )
Description:- Amrita Sher-Gil, was an eminent Indian painter, some-times known as India’s Frida Kahlo, and today considered an important woman painter of 20th century India, whose legacy stands at par with that of the Masters of Bengal Renaissance. She is also the ‘most expensive’ woman painter of India. The Government of India has declared her works as National Art Treasures, and most of them are housed in the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi
30. What is the field in which Pradosh Dasgupta distinguished himself ?
Correct Answer:-A ( Sculpture )
Description:- Born in Dacca, Pradosh Das Gupta graduated from the Calcutta University in 1932. He took up sculpture in the same year and received his first training in the subject under two distinguished teachers, Mr. H. Roy Choudhary and Mr. D. P. Roy Choudhary at Lucknow and Madras. He had the distinction of being awarded Guru Prasanna Ghose Travelling Scholarship by the Calcutta University.
