QUIZ – 2020: INSIGHTS STATIC QUIZ, 30 October 2020 – Art and Culture

Solution: b)

While some of the raw materials that the Harappans used were available locally, many items such as copper, tin, gold, silver and precious stones had to be brought from distant places.

The earliest evidence of metallurgy in the Indian subcontinent comes  from the site of Mehrgarh in Baluchistan dated to circa 6500 BCE, a part of early Harappan civilization. It is recovered in the form of a tiny copper bead from grave of a child.

Solution: c)

The paintings over a period of time developed as a distinct school of Indian painting. An important achievement of the Kalighat artistes was that they made simple paintings and drawings, which could easily be reproduced by lithography.

From the depiction of Hindu gods, goddesses, and other mythological characters, the Kalighat paintings developed to reflect a variety of themes.

The artists also chose to portray secular themes and personalities and in the process played a role in the Independence movement. They painted heroic characters like Tipu Sultan and Rani Lakshmibai.

Solution: a)

Abul Fazl, courtier and chronicler at the court of the Emperor Akbar, defines the dhrupad verse form in his Ain-e-Akbari as “four rhyming lines, each of indefinite prosodic length.

The elaboration of Dhrupad alap is done using the syllables of a mantric phrase, it is slow in the beginning and raises tempo after some time.

Dhrupad and khyāl are the two forms of classical singing that exist today in North India.

Solution: c)

Originated in eastern part of Uttar Pradesh, the term ‘thumri’ is derived from the Hindi verb thumakna which means “to walk with dancing steps so as to make the ankle-bells tinkle.”

The form is, thus, connected with dance, dramatic gestures, mild eroticism, evocative love poetry and folk songs of Uttar Pradesh, though there are regional variations.

The text is romantic or devotional in nature, and usually revolves around a girl’s love for Krishna.

Thumri is characterized by its sensuality, and by a greater flexibility with the raag.

The lyrics are usually in Uttar Pradesh dialects of Hindi called Awadhi and Braj Bhasha.

Solution: b)

Known as the “Khajuraho of Vidarbha”, the temple of Markandadeo is situated on the bank of River Wainganga in district Gadchiroli of Maharashtra.

The temples belong to the Nagara group of temples of North India. On stylistic grounds, their date ranges in between 9- 12th centuries CE. The temples belong to saiva, vaishnava and sakta faith. Most of the temples have a simple plan, with ardhamandapa, mandapa, antarala and garbhagriha forming the component of the entire set up.