UPSC Essentials : Daily Subject-wise quiz | History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 29)

1. It is the tallest statue of Lord Shiva’s dancing form in the world.

2. The statue is a panchdhatu (five-metal alloy) piece of art.

3. The design draws inspiration only from the Thillai Nataraja Temple in Chidambaram.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

QUESTION 2

With reference to the Konark Temple, consider the following statements:

1. It was constructed in the sea to give the appearance of the Sun God rising from the water at dawn.

2. It is also known as White Pagoda.

3. The 24-spoke Konark wheel represents timeless knowledge, cutting-edge civilisation, and architectural brilliance.

4. The Konark Sun Temple was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

QUESTION 3

Consider the following statements:

1. It is recognised by its thick, coarse cotton material which can endure the roughest washes.

2. They have the characteristic conventional checks and temple patterns for borders as well.

3. Tamil Nadu has got a Geographical Indication (GI) tag for this handloom.

The above-mentioned statements refer to

(a) Hmaram

(b) Pawndum

(c) Bobbili Veena

(d) Kandangi Saree

QUESTION 4

With reference to the Kokborok language, consider the following statements:

1. It was first recognised as the official state language of Sikkim in 1979.

2. The Borok is the branch of Boro people of Assam belonging to the Sino-Tibetan linguistic group and racially Mongoloids.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

QUESTION 5

With reference to the Adi Shankaracharya, consider the following statements:

1. He became a proponent of Advaita Vedanta.

2. The statue of Adi Shankaracharya was unveiled in Telangana.

3. The guru of Adi Shankaracharya was Govinda Bhagavatpada.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

ANSWERS TO THE MCQs

1. (a)

FYI:

— Greeting G20 leaders in front of Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi’s Pragati Maidan this weekend will be a magnificent 27-foot Nataraja, the tallest statue of Lord Shiva’s dancing form in the world. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— The statue is an ashtadhatu (eight-metal alloy) piece of art, crafted by sculptors from Swamimalai in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— Srikanda Sthapathy, 61, who crafted the statue along with his brothers draws inspiration from three revered Nataraja idols — the Thillai Nataraja Temple in Chidambaram, the Uma Maheswarar Temple in Konerirajapuram, and the Brihadeeswara (Big) Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in Thanjavur. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

— All three temples the Bharat Mandapam Nataraja statue is inspired from were originally constructed by the Cholas, who at their peak around the 9th-11th centuries AD, ruled over much of peninsular India.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

2. (b)

FYI:

— The Konark Sun Temple, which was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984, is a popular destination for pilgrims. It is situated in Odisha, some 35 kilometres from Puri, and served as the model for the Konark Wheel that was displayed at the G20 Summit. Hence, statement 4 is not correct.

— The temple was built by King Narasimha Deva I in the 12th century and paying tribute to the Sun God, it has a huge framework, symmetry, precision, and detailed artwork that never ceases to astound visitors.

— The temple was fashioned like the Sun God’s chariot, which was drawn by seven horses and had twenty-four exquisitely carved wheels.

— According to some researchers, the Sun Temple was constructed in the sea to give the appearance of the Sun God rising from the water at dawn. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— The European sailors called the temple “Black Pagoda” due to the perception of the temple’s roof being dark. It acted as a crucial signpost for sailors back then who were sailing the Bay of Bengal. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— The 24-spoke Konark wheel, which represents timeless knowledge, cutting-edge civilisation, and architectural brilliance, has also been incorporated into India’s national flag. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

3. (d)

FYI:

— Kandangi Sarees are recognized by its thick, coarse cotton material which can endure the roughest washes.

— These sarees have the characteristic conventional checks and temple patterns for borders as well.

— Karaikudi is dry (owing to its tropical climate) and in contrast, the Kandangi sarees exude brilliant colours like bright yellow, orange, red and a minimal black in the traditional pattern of stripes or checks with broad borders woven in coarse cotton.

— Tamil Nadu has got a Geographical Indication (GI) tag for Kandangi Sarees under Sub-section (1) of Section 13 of Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

(Source: search.ipindia.gov.in)

4. (b)

FYI:

— Kokborok has a long history and is recognised as an official language of the state as per the three-language policy, but it does not have a script.

— Bengali or Roman (English) script has mostly been used to write Kokborok, since the BJP first came to power in 2018, there has been a push to introduce Devanagari for it.

— Kokborok was first recognised as the official state language of Tripura in 1979, when the first Left Front government was in power. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

— The Borok or Tripuris are the branch of Boro people of Assam belonging to the Sino-Tibetan linguistic group and racially Mongoloids. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— Borok or Tripuris live not only in Tripura but also in the north-eastern states, Pithoragarh in Uttaranchal, and neighbouring countries such as Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, and Bhutan, numbering around 1.5 million people.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

5. (b)

FYI:

— Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan unveiled the 108-foot-tall ‘Statue of Oneness’ of Adi Shankaracharya at Omkareshwar.

— The statue depicts Shankaracharya as a 12-year-old child when he is said to have visited Omkareshwar. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— Adi Shankara, who is believed to have lived between 788 and 820 AD, was born in Kerela’s Kaladi, situated on the bank of the Periyar River.

— He studied under his guru Govinda Bhagavatpada and soon became a proponent of Advaita Vedanta, challenging prevailing philosophical traditions – including Buddhism and Jainism. Hence, statement 1 and 3 are correct.

— In his lifespan of 32 years, he is said to have visited all the important spiritual centres of the time — from Kanchi (Kancheepuram in Tamil Nadu) to Kamrup (Assam), and Kashmir and the Kedar and Badri dhams, as well as Sringeri, Ujjain, Kashi, Puri, and Joshimath.

— He is said to have authored 116 works. The most notable among them are the commentaries on the 10 Upanishads, the Brahmasutra and the Gita.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 29)

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 28)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 28)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 28)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 28)

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