Art Culture – GK Questions

Q: The 'Dadasaheb Phalke Award', India's highest cinema honor, was first conferred in the year _____.

1969 – Dadasaheb Phalke Award was instituted in 1969 to honor lifetime contribution to Indian cinema. First recipient was actress Devika Rani. Conferred annually by the President at National Film Awards ceremony.

Q: Both Nagara and Dravida temple styles include a 'mandapa' (pillared hall) for gatherings, but only Dravida style features towering 'gopurams' at entrance.

True – Mandapa is common to both styles for rituals and gatherings. Gopuram (ornate gateway tower) is characteristic of Dravida temples (South India), while Nagara temples (North India) emphasize curvilinear shikhara over sanctum.

Q: Which Bhakti saint-poet, a woman from Karnataka, composed Vachanas advocating gender equality and personal devotion to Shiva?

Akka Mahadevi – Akka Mahadevi (12th century) was a Lingayat saint who composed over 400 Vachanas in Kannada. She rejected social norms, wore no clothes (symbolizing renunciation), and sought union with Shiva as Chennamallikarjuna.

Q: The 'Sanchi Stupa', commissioned by Emperor Ashoka, is one of the oldest _____ structures in India.

stone – Great Stupa at Sanchi (Madhya Pradesh, 3rd century BCE) is among India's oldest stone structures. Originally brick, Ashoka encased it in stone. Features toranas (gateways) with exquisite Buddhist narrative reliefs.

Q: The 'Culture Startup India' initiative, launched in 2024, provides seed funding and mentorship to entrepreneurs innovating in heritage tech, craft e-commerce, and cultural tourism.

True – Culture Startup India (2024) supports startups developing AR/VR heritage experiences, artisan marketplaces, and sustainable cultural tourism. Part of Startup India's sector-specific verticals to boost creative economy.

Q: Which festive dish, prepared during Onam in Kerala, is a grand vegetarian feast served on banana leaves with 24+ items?

Sadya – Sadya is Onam's traditional feast: rice served with avial, olan, thoran, pickles, and multiple payasams on plantain leaves. Reflects Kerala's culinary heritage, hospitality, and Ayurvedic principles of balanced nutrition.

Q: The 'Bharatanatyam' dance form originated in the temples of _____ and was traditionally performed by Devadasis.

Tamil Nadu – Bharatanatyam originated in Tamil Nadu temples, performed by Devadasis as devotional service. Revived in 20th century by Rukmini Devi Arundale, it is now India's most widely practiced classical dance form.

Q: The transition from Prakrit to Sanskrit in royal inscriptions (c. 1st-4th century CE) reflects the growing prestige of Sanskrit as a language of power and scholarship.

True – Early inscriptions (Ashoka, Satavahanas) used Prakrit for mass communication. Later Gupta-era inscriptions adopted Sanskrit, signaling its association with elite culture, religious authority, and pan-Indian political legitimacy.

Q: Which technology is used in the 'Virtual Hampi' project to create immersive 3D reconstructions of Vijayanagara ruins?

Photogrammetry – Virtual Hampi (2025) uses photogrammetry (3D modeling from photographs) and LiDAR scanning to digitally reconstruct monuments. Enables virtual tours, conservation planning, and educational access to UNESCO-listed Hampi.

Q: In 2025, the Ministry of Culture launched the '_____ Initiative' to provide free online certification courses in traditional crafts for rural artisans.

Shilp Shiksha – Shilp Shiksha (2025) offers MOOCs in pottery, weaving, embroidery, and woodwork via SWAYAM platform. Includes business skills, digital marketing, and GI tag awareness to enhance artisan livelihoods and market access.