General Studies-History (Art & Culture କଳା ଏବଂ ସଂସ୍କୃତି)

The correct answer is Western Odisha and Southern Chhattisgarh.

Key Points

• Nuakhai is one of the most ancient festivals celebrated in Western Odisha and Southern Chhattisgarh to welcome the new crop of the season.
• The agricultural festival is mainly observed by the people of western Odisha and Southern Chattisgarh in India.
• Nuakhai is a combination of two words, 'nua' meaning new and 'khai' means eat, it thus signifies "eating of new rice".
• The farmers offer the first produce from their lands to Goddess Samaleswari, the famous mother goddess of the Sambalpur district of the state.
• Nuakhai is celebrated across districts like Kalahandi, Sambalpur, Balangir, Bargarh, Sundargarh, Nuapada, Jharsuguda, Sonepur, and Boudh and also across several areas of Jharkhand.

Additional Information

• Odisha (as of 2024)
  • ​Chief Minister- Mohan Charan Majhi
  • Governor - Raghubar Das
  • Capital - Bhubaneshwar
  • National Park - Similipal National Park, Bhitarkanika National Park, Ushakothi Wild Life Sanctuary.
• Chattisgarh (as of 2024)
  • ​Chief Minister- Vishnu Deo Sai
  • Governor - Biswabhusan Harichandan
  • Capital - Raipur
  • National Park - Guru Ghasidas ,Kanger valley National park

The Correct answer is Only 1.

Important Points

• Gandhara was one of the pre-eminent cities of north India. It was the southern capital of the Kushanas and an important centre of crafts and trade, religious activity, and artistic production.
  • Hence statement 1 is correct.
•  Gandhara School was based on Greek-Roman norms encapsulating foreign techniques and an alien spirit.
• It is also known as the Graeco-Buddhist School of art.
• The foreign influence is evident from the sculptures of Buddha in which bear resemblance to the Greek sculptures.
  • Hence statement 2 is incorrect.
• The Mathura style can be seen as a further development of the traditions of sculpture of sites such as Besnagar, Sanchi, etc.
• Important characteristics of Mathura School of Art:
  1. Mathura school of art is noted for its assimilative character. Images of Vaishnav and Shaiva faiths are also found. The Jina image and indigenous style of Buddha's image was a remarkable feature of Mathura art. The Sarvatobhadrika image of four Jain Jinas standing back to back belongs to Mathura School. Hence, the theme varied from Buddhist to Brahmanical to sometimes secular as well.
     • Hence statement 3 is incorrect.
  2. Several Brahmanical deities were first crystallized by this school. They were depicted as more human and less spiritual.
  3. More stress is given to inner beauty and facial emotions rather than bodily gestures.
  4. The sculptures were made of red sandstone. Images in the mottled red sandstone from the nearby Sikri quarries are found widely distributed over north-central India, attesting to Mathura‘s importance as an exporter of sculpture.
  5. In Mathura art tradition, Buddha images have long earlobes, thick lips, wide eyes and prominent noses. The Buddha's image is modelled on the lines of Yaksha images.

The correct answer is BengaliKey Points

The Indian languages belong to four language families

• ​Dravidian: In the south of India, languages from the Dravidian family are predominant, like Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, Toda, Telugu, Kodagri, and Badaga.
• Indo-Aryan:
  • It covers the widest area of the country and is spoken by the largest proportion of its population, especially in the North, East, and West.
  • The root language of this family is Sanskrit and its principal spoken languages include Hindi, Bengali, Nepali, Bihari, Pahari, Gujarati, Bhili, Rajasthani, Konkani, Marathi, Odia, Assamese, and Punjabi.
• Tibeto-Burman: In Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Sikkim, and the Himalayan regions of Jammu and Kashmir languages from the Tibeto-Burman family are used.
• Austro-Asiatic: The population in Meghalaya and some parts of Orissa and Bihar uses Austro-Asiatic languages, like Samthali, Bhandari, Koku, Ho, and Savara.

Important Points

Additional Information8th schedule.

• According to constitutional status, the Eighth Schedule has greatly influenced the course of language management in the country.
• Originally it contained 14 languages: Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu.
• By the Constitution (Twenty-first Amendment) Act 1967, Sindhi was later added to the list of Schedule VIII.
• In the year 1992, three languages namely Nepali, Manipuri and Konkani were included in the list by the Constitution (Seventy-first Amendment) Act, 1992, increasing the number to eighteen.
• The Constitution (Ninety-second Amendment) Act, 2003 introduced four languages: Bodo, Dogri, Maithili and Santhali
• Currently, the number of Languages was twenty-two.

Correct Answer-Option 3-Andhra Pradesh

• Kuchipudi has its roots in Andhra Pradesh.
• The musical instruments such as cymbals, mridangam, tambura, veena and flute are included in the performance.
• A Sutradhara or Nattuvanar who is the conductor of the entire performance recites the musical syllables and the story or spiritual message is sung.
• Other danceforms of Andhra Pradesh- Burra Katha, Andhra Natyam, Veeranatyam, etc.
• Danceforms of Kerala- Kathakali, Mohiniyattam,  Theyyam, Chakyar Koothu Koodiyattam, etc.
• Danceforms of Arunachal Pradesh-Aji Lamu, Chalo, Hiirii Khaniing, Popir, Ponung, Pasi Kongki, etc.
• Danceforms of Himachal Pradesh- Nati, Shand and Shabu, Dangi, Dandras, etc.

The correct answer is Vesara.
Key Points

Vesara Style of Architecture:

• It is a hybridized style of Nagara and Dravida style of temple architecture.
• It became popular after the mid-seventh century in the region of Karnataka, under the patronage of Chalukyas rulers.

• The Chalukyas were great patrons of art.
• They developed the Vesara style in the building of structural temples.
• Cave temple architecture was also famous under the Chalukyas.
• Their cave temples are found in Ajanta, Ellora, and Nasik.
• The best specimens of Chalukya paintings can be seen in the Badami

Features of Vesara style:

• Compound walls may or may not be present.
• Gopurams may or may not be present.
• The plan of these temples looks like a star and is thus known as a stellate plan.
• Examples: Durga Temple (Aihole), Virupaksh Temple (Pattadkal), and Keshava Temple (Somnathpur).

Additional Information Dravida Style:

• Generally enclosed within a compounded wall.
• The entrance gateway is known as Gopuram.
• The shape of the Temple tower is known as Vimana (similar to Shikhara in Nagara style).
• Large water tanks are common in the temple complex.
• Examples: Brahadeeshwara temple, and Rajarajeswara temple.

Nagara Style:

• Built on a stone platform with steps leading up to it.
• Have a tower or Shikhara.
• Have Grabhagriha ( A place for the idols of gods and goddesses).
• Examples: Kandariya Mahadeo temple at Khajuraho, Lakshamana temple

Gopuram:

• Gopuram or Temple tower is a pyramidal structure that has a huge importance in Dravidian architecture
• The dravida temple is enclosed within a compound wall and the front wall has an entrance gateway in its centre, which is known as a gopuram.

ସଠିକ ଉତ୍ତର ଗୋଆ ଅଟେ |

Key Points

• ତରଙ୍ଗମେଲ ହେଉଛି ଗୋଆର ଲୋକ ନୃତ୍ୟ ଯାହା ଏହି ଅଞ୍ଚଳର ଯୌବନକୁ ପାଳନ କରିଥାଏ |
• ଦଶହରା ଏବଂ ହୋଲି ସମୟରେ ଏହା କରାଯାଏ |

Additional Information

• ଭାରତ ସରକାରଙ୍କ ଦ୍ୱାରା ଆଠଟି ଶାସ୍ତ୍ରୀୟ ନୃତ୍ୟ ସ୍ୱୀକୃତିପ୍ରାପ୍ତ ଅଟେ |
• ଏଗୁଡ଼ିକ ହେଉଛି ଭାରତନାଟ୍ୟମ୍, କଥକାଲି, କୁଚିପୁଡି, ମୋହିନିୟଟମ୍, କଥକ, ମଣିପୁରୀ, ଓଡ଼ିଶୀ, ଏବଂ ସତ୍ୟ୍ରିୟା |