UPSC Essentials : Daily Subject-wise quiz | History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 37)

1. These are a form of prehistoric rock art, created on the surface of laterite plateaus.

2. They are present only in the form of paintings.

3. They are made by removing a part of the rock surface through an incision.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

QUESTION 2

This painting is an age old craft of Mewar region. These paintings are hung behind the statute of Lord Krishna, providing a frame for the idol. The best part about these paintings is, they there are no rigid rules on hanging them on the wall. Besides adorning the backdrop of the walls of the temple, these paintings do not carry any religious beliefs.

The above-mentioned lines refer to which painting?

(a) Jasrota painting

(b) Kalamkari painting

(c) Warli painting

(d) Pichhwai painting

QUESTION 3

With reference to the Kolkali dance, consider the following statements:

1. It is a folk dance from Karnataka.

2. This dance is performed using small sticks.

3. The women’s version of Kolkali dance is called Kolattam.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

QUESTION 4

Consider the following statements:

1. The temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu.

2. It was consecrated around 1117 AD by the Hoysala king Vishnuvardhana.

3. There are over 80 Madanika sculptures in the temple, dancing, hunting, standing under tree canopies, and so on.

The above-mentioned statements refer to which temple?

(a) Kesava temple

(b) Hoysaleswara temple

(c) Badami Cave Temple

(d) Chennakeshava temple

QUESTION 5

Consider the following statements:

1. It is an important traditional cloth of the Mizo people.

2. It is worn by wrapping it around the waist and covers the lower part of the body down almost to the feet.

3. It is characterized by bold warp stripes of handspun indigo-dyed blue-black cotton and naturally dyed red cotton obtained from barks of different plants.

The above-mentioned statements refer to:

(a) Pawndum

(b) Muga Silk Handicraft

(c) Idu Mishmi Textile

(d) Puanchei

ANSWERS TO THE MCQs

1. (b)

FYI:

— Experts and environmentalists have expressed concern about the proposed location of a mega oil refinery in Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri district’s Barsu village. They claim that the refinery will harm prehistoric geoglyphs discovered in the area.

— Geoglyphs are a form of prehistoric rock art, created on the surface of laterite plateaus (Sada in Marathi). Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— They are made by removing a part of the rock surface through an incision, picking, carving or abrading. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

— They can be in the form of rock paintings, etchings, cup marks and ring marks. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— The listing by UNESCO mentions “Konkan geoglyphs.” However, the term petroglyph (literally, “rock symbol/character”) is also used elsewhere. According to the UNESCO listing, petroglyphs and geoglyphs are similar in that both require the ability to remove parts or engrave a symbol on the rock surface.

— Ratnagiri district has more than 1,500 pieces of such art, also called “Katal shilpa,” spread across 70 sites.

— According to UNESCO, “rock art in India is one of oldest material evidence of the country’s early human creativity.” Ratnagiri’s rock art is evidence of the continued existence of human settlements from the Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age) to the early historic era.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

2. (d)

FYI:

— Nathdwara Pichhwai painting is an age old craft of Mewar region.

— This unique word Pichhwai comes from the Sanskrit words, ‗pich‘ meaning back and ‗wais‘ meaning hanging. and these paintings are hung behind the statute of Lord Krishna, providing a frame for the idol.

— The base is mostly red woven with yellow or any bright coloured embroidery. The focus is mainly on using intense and bright colours such as red, yellow, green, black along with a border beautified. The most beautiful ones are mainly filled with pure gold.

— Themes commonly used in Nathdwara Pichhwai paintings are based on Ramayana, Krishna Lila, Choura Panchasika, Ragamala series and Gita Govinda.

— The best thing about these paintings is that there are no hard and fast rules for hanging them. These paintings, aside from adorning the backdrop of the temple’s walls, do not carry any religious beliefs.

— The motive behind the making of these paintings is the joy and happiness that spread over Vrindavan during the time of Lord Krishna.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

(Other Source: search.ipindia.gov.in)

3. (b)

FYI:

— MP Shashi Tharoor shared a video of a folk dance from Kerala that looked a lot like dandiya-garba. These group dance forms are popular in the Malabar region of the southern state. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

— The video shows a group of women dressed in Kasavu sarees and dancing with each other using sticks.

— The Kolkali dance form and its many variations are performed using small sticks. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— The women’s version of Kolkali dance is called Kolattam. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

4. (d)

FYI:

— Three Hoysala-era temples in Karnataka recently made it to UNESCO’s World Heritage List, under the collective entry of ‘Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas’.

— The three temples include the Chennakeshava temple in Belur, the Hoysaleswara Temple in Halebidu, and the Keshava Temple in Somanathapura.

— The Hoysalas ruled Karnataka from the 10th to the 14th centuries. The dynasty began as provincial governors under the Western Chalukyas, but as the two dominant empires of the South, the Western Chalukyas and the Cholas, crumbled, the Hoysalas established themselves as rulers.

Chennakeshava temple

— The Chennakeshava temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu.

— The Hoysalas used soft soapstone for their structures as they were found suitable for intricate carvings.

— There are more than 80 Madanika sculptures in the temple, dancing, hunting, standing under canopies of trees and so on.

— It was consecrated around 1117 AD by the mighty Hoysala king Vishnuvardhana, to mark his victories against the Cholas. It is thus also called the Vijaya Narayana temple.

Kesava temple: It was built in Somanathapura around 1260 by Somanatha, a general of Hoysala King Narasimha III.

Hoysaleswara temple in Halebidu: It is believed to be the largest Shiva temple built by the Hoysalas, and is dated to the 12th century.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

5. (a)

FYI:

— Pawndum is an important traditional cloth of the Mizo people.

— Pawndum was characterized by bold warp stripes of handspun indigo-dyed blue-black cotton and naturally dyed red cotton obtained from barks of different plants such as sentezel.

— Pawndum is worn by wrapping it around the waist and covers the lower part of the body down almost to the feet.

— Pawndum has a deep cultural significance. The Pawndum was to be used as a shroud to cover her dead husband’s body had he died during her lifetime.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

(Source: search.ipindia.gov.in)

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 37)

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 36)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 36)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 36)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 36)

Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter and stay updated with the news cues from the past week.