Insights Static Quiz -171, 2018 –Art and Culture

Solution: b)

• Madhubani which means ‘forest of honey’, is a style of folk painting old enough to find mention in some of the ancient Indian texts like Ramayana. It is also known as Mithila, for its origin in the Mithila region in Bihar.
• Instead of contemporary brushes, objects like twigs, matchsticks and even fingers are used to create the paintings.
• Since the paintings have been confined to a limited geographical range, the themes as well as the style are more or less, the same.
• Madhubani is now found on apparel, paper, canvas, and other products, which boast of designs inspired by Hindu deities such as Krishna, Rama, Lakshmi, Shiva, Durga, Saraswati, all of whom have been painted in Madhubani since ancient times.

Solution: a)

• Unlike Mughal painting which is primarily secular, the art of painting in Central India, Rajasthani and the Pahari region etc. is deeply rooted in the Indian traditions, taking inspiration from Indian epics, religious texts like the Puranas, love poems in Sanskrit and other Indian languages, Indian folk-lore and works on musical themes.
• The cults of Vaishnavism, Saivism and Sakti exercised tremendous influence on the pictorial art of these places. It did not develop as anti-Sanskrit movement.

Solution: a)

• Emperor Akbar was keenly interested in the art of painting and architecture.
• The Mughal style is marked by supple naturalism based on close observation of nature and fine and delicate drawing. It is of a high aesthetic merit. It is primarily aristocratic and secular.

Solution: c)

• It is a folk theatre of Jammu and Kashmir. It involves contemporary social satire or even mythical stories. It is secular in outlook, although it is performed by Muslims. It has music, dance and drama.

Solution: c)

• The craft of the Thatheras of Jandiala Guru constitutes the traditional technique of manufacturing brass and copper utensils in Punjab.
• This is an oral tradition that is passed on to generations of the ‘Thathera’ community. The metals are heated and moulded into thin plates with curved shapes.
• It is recommended for medicinal purposes in several Ayurveda texts. It was patronized and encouraged by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in the 19th century.
• The utensils are of wide variety like those used in household and community kitchens (langar) of Sikh Gurudwaras.