Art Culture – True/False – GK Questions

Bankura horses from West Bengal are traditional terracotta figurines made by Kumhar potters. Symbolic of rural Bengal, they are used in rituals and as decorative items. Received GI tag in 2018.

Losar marks the Tibetan New Year, celebrated with prayers, cham dances, and feasts in Buddhist communities of Ladakh, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, and Arunachal Pradesh. Dates follow the Tibetan lunar calendar.

Tamasha is a vibrant folk theatre form of Maharashtra combining dance, music, and drama. Known for Lavani songs, witty dialogue, and social commentary. Recognized for preserving Marathi folk culture.

'West Meets East' (1967) was a groundbreaking collaboration between sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar and violinist Yehudi Menuhin. It won a Grammy and introduced Indian classical music to global audiences.

Rabindranath Tagore won the 1913 Nobel Prize in Literature for Gitanjali (Song Offerings), becoming the first non-European laureate. His works profoundly influenced Indian literature and nationalism.

Chhau dance, with martial, folk, and classical elements, is performed in Jharkhand, Odisha, and West Bengal. Three styles: Seraikella, Mayurbhanj, Purulia. UNESCO Intangible Heritage since 2010.

Chand Baori in Abhaneri, Rajasthan, is a 9th-century stepwell with 3,500 narrow steps arranged in perfect symmetry. Built by King Chanda of the Nikumbha dynasty for water conservation.

Company School (late 18th-19th century) refers to paintings produced by Indian artists for British patrons. They combined Mughal/Rajput techniques with European realism, perspective, and watercolor medium.

Kalidasa (4th-5th century CE) is regarded as the greatest Sanskrit poet and dramatist. His masterpieces include Abhijnanashakuntalam (play), Meghaduta (lyric poem), and Raghuvamsha (epic).

Banaras Gharana is one of the six major tabla gharanas, known for its robust style, intricate kayda patterns, and use of bol-baant. Prominent exponents include Pandit Kishan Maharaj.

Sahitya Akademi was founded in 1954 to promote literature in India's 24 recognized languages. It confers the annual Sahitya Akademi Award and publishes literary journals and translations.

Instituted in 1961, the Jnanpith Award recognizes outstanding contribution to Indian literature in any of the 22 scheduled languages or English. First recipient was G. Sankara Kurup (Malayalam) in 1965.

Dokra is an ancient metal casting craft using the lost-wax technique, practiced by tribal communities in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and West Bengal. Known for tribal motifs and rustic finish.

The Kailasa Temple (Cave 16) at Ellora, Maharashtra, is the world's largest monolithic structure, carved top-down from a single basalt rock in the 8th century by Rashtrakuta King Krishna I.

Onam is Kerala's biggest festival, marking the mythical return of King Mahabali. Celebrations include Vallamkali (boat race), Pookalam (flower rangoli), and Sadya (grand feast).

Pandit Ravi Shankar, a legendary sitar maestro, played a pivotal role in introducing Indian classical music to Western audiences through collaborations with The Beatles and international performances.

The Mahabharata, one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, is traditionally attributed to Sage Vyasa. It contains the Bhagavad Gita and is considered the longest epic poem ever written.

Qutub Minar in Delhi stands 73 meters tall and was started by Qutb-ud-din Aibak in 1199. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and exemplifies Indo-Islamic architecture.

Kabir Das, a 15th-century Bhakti saint, composed his poetic verses (dohas and sakhis) in vernacular languages like Awadhi and Braj Bhasha to make spiritual teachings accessible to common people, rejecting Sanskrit elitism.

Kumbh Mela was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2017. It is the world's largest religious gathering, held cyclically at four sacred river sites in India.