Medium Level – GK Questions

UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards (since 2000) honor excellence in heritage conservation across 48 countries. Indian recipients include projects like Humayun's Tomb restoration and Jaipur's walled city conservation.

Ayurveda, India's ancient holistic medicine system (c. 1500 BCE), focuses on dosha balance, diet, lifestyle, and herbal/mineral formulations. Recognized by WHO, it is practiced globally for preventive and curative healthcare.

Ravanahatha, one of the world's oldest bowed instruments, is used by Bhil and Rajasthani folk musicians. Legend attributes its invention to Ravana. It features a coconut/metal resonator and horsehair strings, producing soulful melodies.

Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar (Sangeet Natak Akademi) honors artists under 40 for outstanding achievement in performing arts. Named after the shehnai maestro, it encourages emerging talent and preserves traditional arts.

Pokkali rice from Kerala's coastal wetlands is salt-tolerant, organic, and cultivated in rotation with prawn farming. Its unique agro-ecological system received GI tag in 2010, supporting sustainable livelihoods and biodiversity.

Nalanda University (Bihar, 5th-12th century CE) was a premier Buddhist monastic university attracting scholars from across Asia. Excavations reveal monasteries, temples, and libraries. Inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016.

Kalidas Samman (1980) honors artists in four categories: classical music, dance, theatre, and plastic arts (visual arts). Named after poet Kalidasa, it includes a cash award, citation, and shawl, promoting classical traditions.

Navalratna tradition refers to nine eminent scholars patronized by rulers like Vikramaditya and Akbar. They excelled in diverse fields: poetry, grammar, astronomy, medicine, etc., fostering interdisciplinary knowledge production.

Chhau dance has three styles: Seraikella (Jharkhand, uses masks), Mayurbhanj (Odisha, no masks), Purulia (West Bengal, elaborate masks). All blend martial arts, folk traditions, and mythology. UNESCO Intangible Heritage since 2010.

Parvathy Baul, a prominent female Baul singer and practitioner, received Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2010. She promotes Baul philosophy through performances and workshops, preserving this intangible cultural heritage.

Johads are earthen check dams in Rajasthan that capture rainwater, recharge groundwater, and support agriculture. Revived by organizations like Tarun Bharat Sangh, they exemplify community-based traditional water management.

Kupgal petroglyphs (Bellary district, Karnataka) feature Neolithic rock carvings (c. 2000 BCE) showing cattle herding, human figures, and geometric patterns. They offer insights into early agro-pastoral societies of South India.

Ram V. Sutar, renowned sculptor of the Statue of Unity (Sardar Patel), received Padma Vibhushan in 2014. His works include statues of national leaders and historical figures, blending traditional craftsmanship with modern aesthetics.

Tirukkural by Thiruvalluvar (c. 1st-5th century CE) was preserved through oral tradition (guru-shishya parampara) before being transcribed on palm leaves. This dual transmission ensured textual accuracy across generations.

Therukoothu ('street play') is Tamil Nadu's folk theatre featuring elaborate costumes, music, and improvisation. Performances based on epics and local legends are held in village squares during festivals, preserving oral narrative traditions.

Saraswati Samman recognizes literary excellence in any of the 22 scheduled languages. Conferred by KK Birla Foundation, it includes a citation, plaque, and cash prize. First recipient was Harivansh Rai Bachchan (Hindi) in 1991.

Mixed cropping (polyculture) is a traditional practice where compatible crops are grown together to optimize resources, reduce pests, and improve soil health. Examples: millets with pulses, rice with fish cultivation in wetlands.

Yakshagana from coastal Karnataka is an all-night theatre form featuring vibrant costumes, heavy makeup, and improvisation. Performers enact episodes from epics, accompanied by live music (chenda, maddale) and vocal narration.

Akademi Ratna (Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship) is the highest honor conferred by India's national academy for music, dance, and drama. Limited to 40 living recipients, it recognizes lifetime achievement in performing arts.

Palm leaf manuscripts (ola-chuvadi) were the primary writing medium in South India. Scribes used iron styluses to incise text, then applied soot/oil to make letters visible. This technique preserved texts for centuries in tropical climates.