Who built the magnificent rock-cut monolithic Kailasa temple at Ellora?

Rekhapida, Pidhadeul, and Khakra are the features of which school of architecture?

Consider the following pairs regarding stages of temple architecture that emerged since the Gupta Period:
1. Second stage – Pradakshina path
2. Third stage – Shikharas
3. Fourth stage – Circular temple
Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?

The figure of Chulakoka Devta is a notable specimen of which art?

Which one of the following best describes the term Salbhanjika seen in ancient India?

Consider the following statements regarding the difference between Ashokan Pillars and Achaemenian Pillars:
1. The shaft of the Ashokan pillars was monolithic while the shaft of Achaemenian pillars was made up of various types of sandstone.
2. The Ashokan pillars were generally attached to state buildings, while Achaemenian-pillars were independently erected by royal diction.

Which of the following region is not matched correctly with painting?

Which of the following folk painting styles started from paintings of mud walls of huts?

Even though the medieval period was dominated by the Mughal style of paintings, numerous imperial schools developed their own styles. In this context, consider the following statements:
1. The famous Bani-Thani painting belongs to the Bundi School.
2. Kangra art, like the art of Ajanta, is essentially an art of line.

With reference to Mughal Paintings, consider the following statements:
1. The two most commonly used themes were daily events of the court, and portraits painting.
2. The European influence on Mughal paintings was introduced under Jahangir’s rule.

Consider the following statements with reference to the unique Pietra Dura style of art:
1. It includes floral designs made of semi-precious stones on the White Marble walls.
2. The Pietra Dura style was used on a large scale in the Moti Masjid.

Consider the following statements regarding Red and Black Pottery:
1. It used black colour to paint the background and red paint was used to draw designs.
2. Trees, birds, animal figures and geometrical patterns were the recurring themes on them.

Consider the following statements related to the coinage of ancient era:
1. Kushan coins contained inscriptions of Siva, Buddha, and Kartikeya.
2. The Turkish Sultans of Delhi introduced Islamic Calligraphy on coins for the first time in India.

With reference to Indian Bronze Sculpture, consider the following statements:
1. The ‘Dancing Girl’ from Mohenjo-Daro is the world’s oldest bronze sculpture.
2. Portrait sculptures made of bronze were made during the Pallava period.

With reference to the ‘Rajput architecture’, consider the following:
1. Forts were usually made by Rajputs on small hills to prevent the entry of any unwanted person.
2. The Rajputs had built the Rathas of Mahabalipuram, the Kailash temple at Ellora and the engravements of Elephanta.
Which of the statements given above is/are incorrect?

Which of the following dynasty was the first to construct Hindu temples in south India?

What does the term Panchayatan signify in ancient India?

An important piece of Chola sculpture was the bronze sculpture of Nataraja. In this context, consider the following statements:
1. Shiva is depicted as suppressing the ignorance of an individual.
2. The bhujangatrasita stance of Shiva implies kicking away illusion from the devotee’s mind.

Consider the following statements regarding the Vijaynagara School of Architecture:
1. It was influenced by the Indo-Islamic style of Bijapur.
2. Secular buildings were also present inside the temple complexes.

Consider the following statements regarding the Vesara School of Architecture:
1. It combines the features of both Nagara School and Dravidian school.
2. Hoysala, Rashtrakutas, and Pallavas patronized this school.

Which of the following pairs is/are correctly matched?
Paintings – Patronized by
1. Ahmednagar Paintings – Hussain Nizam Shah I.
2. Bijapur Paintings – Ali Adil Shah I.
3. Golconda Paintings – Qutb Shahi rulers

Consider the following with reference to the ‘Mural Paintings in India’:
1. The earliest surviving paintings in the Indian subcontinent are from the Harappan period.
2. Murals paintings depict mainly religious themes of Buddhist, Jain and Hindu religions.

Which of the following is/are the characteristic features of the Pre-Historic art?
1. Animal figures were represented in their paintings.
2. Paintings mainly depicted the social life of people of that era.

Which of the following Pre-Historic Period Paintings show a mutual exchange of requirements of the cave dwellers (hilly region) with settled agricultural communities of the plains?

Consider the following features of Dashavatara temple located in Central India:
1. This temple is in the panchayatana style of architecture.
2. The sculpture of Nara-Narayan shows the discussion between the human soul and the eternal divine.
3. Gajendramoksha represents Vishnu’s discussion with the lord of elephants.

Swara, Raga, and Tala are the three main pillars of Indian classical music. In this regard, consider the following statements:
1. Swara is the smallest gradation of pitch representing the quality of frequency.
2. Raga forms the basis of melody.
3. Tala forms the basis of rhythm.

What are the differences between Hindustani and Carnatic Schools of Classical Music?
1. While Hindustani Music is completely indigenous, Carnatic music has foreign influence.
2. There is no freedom to improvise in Carnatic music while there is a scope for variations in Hindustani music.

The term ‘Sushira Vadya’ refers to:

Which of the following pairs related to the musical instruments is/are correctly matched?
1. Tata Vadya – Sound is produced by the vibration of a string.
2. Reed instruments – Sound is produced by blowing air into a hollow column.
3. Avanaddha Vadya – Sound produced by striking animal skin.

As per Abhinaya Darpan, the famous treatise on dance, an act has been broken into three basic elements. In this context, consider the following pairs:
1. Nritya – Basic dance steps
2. Natya – Dramatic representations
3. Nritta – Emotions evoked through dance

Match the following:
A. Kathakali – Kerala
B. Kathak – Uttar Pradesh
C. Kuchipudi – Andhra Pradesh

Consider the following statements regarding the Odissi dance:
1. Jatiswaram, Shabdam, Varnam, etc are some of the elements of this dance.
2. This dance is accompanied by Hindustani classical music.

With reference to the ‘folk dances in India’, consider the following statements:
1. Kalbelia is a folk dance performed by the women of the Kalbelia community of Bihar.
2. Alkap is a rural dance-drama performance of Gujarat and Rajasthan.

Which of the following pairs are correctly matched?
A. Rouff – Jammu & Kashmir
B. Raut Nacha – Chhattisgarh
C. Ghumura – Odisha
D. Puli Kali – Kerala

Match the following:
A. Kalaripayattu – Kerala
B. Gatka – Punjab
C. Pari-Khanda – Bihar
D. Inbuan Wrestling – Mizoram

Consider the following statements regarding Classical Sanskrit Theatre:
1. Classical Sanskrit plays always had a happy ending.
2. The protagonists of these plays were males who would always achieve the object of his desire.

‘Tholu Bommalata’ is a traditional art of:

Which of the following statements regarding traditional theatre is incorrect?

The passage describes: “It is the most theatrical of shadow puppetry and is a popular form of entertainment in the Odisha region. The puppets are made of deerskin and depict bold dramatic postures. They do not have any joints attached to them, making it a more complex art. There is the use of non-human puppets, such as trees and animals as well.”

Which of the following statements regarding Puppetry is incorrect?

With reference to the different style of singing in Hindustani music, consider the following statements:
1. Dhrupad includes the use of Sanskrit syllables and is of temple origin.
2. Thumri is semi-classical Indian music revolving around the love for Shiva.

Consider the following pairs:
1. Kundhei – String Puppet
2. Pavakoothu – Shadow Puppet
3. Yampuri – Glove Puppet
4. Tholu Bommalata – Rod Puppet

Maniyaro is a variety of folk dance of which of the following state?

Which of the following statements regarding Kamsale dance is/are correct?
1. It is a unique folk art performed by the devotees of God Vishnu.
2. It comprises a cymbal in one hand and a bronze disc in the other and is used to produce a rhythmic clang.

Mudiyettu is a traditional folk theatre of which of the following state?

Pata Kunitha is a popular folk dance of which of the following state?

With reference to the Tarana school of Hindustani music which of the following statement is correct?

In which of the following theatre form, even the male’s roles are played by female actors?

Consider the following statements regarding Sattriya dance:
1. Khol and Flute are the main instruments played in this dance.
2. It combines the elements of Lasya and Tandava.

Which of the following statement is/are correct regarding the Khayal style of Hindustani music?
(a) The origin of this style was attributed to Amir Khusrau.
(b) One of the most unique features of Khayal is the use of ‘taan’ in the composition.
(c) Alap is given much less room in the Khayal music.

Which of these schools of philosophy view the earthly life as full of suffering and liberation is the supreme end of life?
1. Sankhya
2. Mimamsa
3. Vaisheshika
4. Nyaya

Consider the following statements regarding Philosophies of Sufism:
1. The concept of Wahadat al-Wujud was coined by Ibn Arabi while Wahadat ul-shujud was formulated by Ala al-Dawlah Simnani.
2. The concept of Wahadat al-Wujud means the ‘Oneness of Existence’ while the concept of Wahadat ul-shujud means the ‘unity of appearance’.
Which of the above statements is/are incorrect?

Consider the following statement regarding Sufi Silsilah in India:
1. Chishti Silsilah usually stayed away from State powers.
2. Quadariya Silsilah supported the concept of Wahadat-al-wajud.
3. Naqshbandi Silsilah was established by Khwaja Bahauddin Naqshbandi in India.

Consider the following statements regarding the development of the Sanskrit language:
1. Ashvagosha’s Buddhacharita was written in Sanskrit.
2. Panini’s Asthadhyayi is the oldest book related to Sanskrit grammar.

With reference to the ‘Pali literature’, consider the following statements:
1. It is concerned mainly with Mahayana Buddhism.
2. The Sanskrit language is much older than Pali.

Consider the following statements regarding Sangam Literature:
1. It is called Sangam literature as assemblies were organised where poets, bards, and writers would flock from various parts of South India.
2. These assemblies were organised by the Kingdom of Pandya.

Which one of the following is considered the Bible of Sangam literature?

Consider the following statements regarding the Hindi Language:
1. It has its direct origin in the Prakrit language.
2. It got its biggest boost from the Bhakti movement.
Which of the above statements is/are incorrect?

Languages in India can be classified into major subgroups. Consider the following statements:
1. The majority of languages spoken in India belong to the Indo-Aryan group.
2. Sikkimese and the Assamese belong to the Sino-Tibetan group of languages.

In the context of the contribution of Christian Missionaries (since the beginning of the 16th century) in the development of Indian literature, consider the following statements:
1. They established lithographic printing press for printing literature in local languages.
2. They published dictionaries and grammar in several local languages.

Consider the following statements:
1. Sangeet Natak Academy is the apex body for preserving and promoting performing arts in India.
2. Sahitya Academy is India’s premier literary institution that promotes literature in the Schedule VIII languages only.

Consider the following statements about Lalit Kala Academy:
1. Lalit Kala Akademi functions as the apex body and promotes the cultural heritage of India in music, dance and drama.
2. National School of Drama is a theatre training institute set up by Lalit Kala Akademi.
Which of the statements given above is/are incorrect?

Which of the following statements regarding different cultural awards is/are correct?
1. Jnanpith Award is bestowed only to Indian writers writing in Indian languages mentioned in the Eighth Schedule of Indian Constitution.
2. Tagore Award is given for outstanding achievement in fostering harmony and universalism and values of cultural harmony.

‘Char Dhams’ is a belief among Vaishnavite Hindus that visiting these sites helps achieve Moksha. Which among the following temple is associated with Char Dham?

Nabakalebar festival is associated with which of the following temples in India?

Consider the following pairs:
1. Nagarjuna – Chemistry
2. Bhasakaracharya – Mathematics
3. Narayan Pandit – Medicine

Which among the following festival is described in the passage?
(a) Mahapushkaram
(b) Bathukamma
(c) Losar
(d) Bonalu

Consider the following statements on Kumbh Mela:
1. It is the largest peaceful congregation of pilgrims on Earth.
2. It is organised at Haridwar only.

Kheer Bhawani is a:
(a) Geographical tag holding local sweet delicacy of Madhya Pradesh.
(b) Prestigious Saree variant of Kerala weaved from banana leaves.
(c) An annual festival of Jammu and Kashmir dedicated to the Goddess Kheer Bhawani
(d) Famous painting of Mughal style.

Consider the following statements related to the forms of Bhakti:
1. Nirguna Bhakti worships the manifestation of God in Human form.
2. Saguna Bhakti worships abstract form of god.
Which of the above statements is/are incorrect?

Consider the following statements regarding the Chapchar Kut festival:
1. It is a festival celebrated in the state of Mizoram.
2. It is a harvest festival named after bamboo that has been dried and cut.

Which of the following were the main features of the Bhakti Movement?
1. Rejection of rituals and ceremonies.
2. Need for a true Guru to realize God.
3. Stressed on the idea of a personal connection with God.

Consider the following pairs:
Festival – State
1. Ambubachi Mela – Jammu and Kashmir
2. Kharchi Festival – Tripura
3. Chamliyal Mela – Assam

Consider the following statements regarding the Pushkaram Festival:
1. It is an annual festival celebrated at shrines along the banks of South Indian Rivers only.
2. Mahapushkaram occurs once in 500 years.

Consider the following statements regarding Zoroastrianism:
1. It is a monotheistic religion that beliefs in one eternal god.
2. Their sacred text is called Zend Avesta and fire along with water is seen as a symbol of purity.