UPSC STATIC QUIZ – Art and Culture : 26 April 2024

Solution: c)

Statement 4 is incorrect.

Hoysala architecture, developed between the 11th and 14th centuries in southern Karnataka under the Hoysala Empire, is characterized by:

A unique style blending elements of Dravida and Nagara architectures.

Influences from Bhumija, Nagara, and Karntata Dravida architectural traditions.

Distinctive ‘Hoysala Temple’ form with multiple shrines around a central pillared hall in a star-shaped layout.

The use of soapstone, allowed intricate carving of sculptures, especially in the jewelry adorning temple walls.

Solution: c)

Statement 1 is incorrect.

The old Parliament building has for long been a symbol of India’s democracy, its graceful, dignified architecture enshrining the jostling aspirations of a billion people.

However, a similar, round and pillared structure in India pre-dates the Parliament by several centuries, and many believe it inspired the 20th century building. This structure is the Chausath Yogini temple in Mitaoli, Madhya Pradesh.

According to the Morena district’s website, it was built around 1323 by King Devapala of the Kachchhapaghata dynasty.

Dedicated to the 64 (chaunsath in Hindi) yoginis, its architecture is different from the temples dedicated to one deity.

The Mitaoli temple is circular, with 64 chambers dedicated to the 64 yoginis, and a central shrine dedicated to Shiva. While most Hindu temples have a shikhara, or projecting dome, the Mitaoli temple, like other Chausath Yogini temples, is hypaethral, which means it has no roof. The central shrine has a slab with perforations, for excess rainwater to drain off.

Solution: d)

Kheer Bhawani temple is situated in Jammu and Kashmir.

Solution: a)

Only statement 2 is correct.

Angkor Wat is a temple complex in Cambodia and one of the largest religious monuments in the world.

It was originally constructed as a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Vishnu for the Khmer Empire, it was gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple towards the end of the 12th century.

It was built by the Khmer King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century in Yaśodharapura (present-day Angkor), the capital of the Khmer Empire, as his state temple and eventual mausoleum.

The temple is constructed in the Dravidian style and the sculptures depict episodes from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.

Solution: c)

Built by King Narasimhadeva-I, the ruler of the Ganga dynasty, the Sun Temple is a symbol of Odisha’s glorious heritage. Around 1,200 artisans and craftsmen took around 12 years to develop artistic magnificence and engineering dexterity using chlorite and sandstone on the shores of the Bay of Bengal at Konark.

Since the ruler used to worship the sun, the temple was considered a chariot for the Sun God. Designed in the form of a chariot mounted on 24 wheels, each of them is about 10 feet in diameter and drawn by seven mighty horses. The images of animals, foliage, dancing women and other structures carved around the temple’s base showcase the architectural grandeur.

While the main temple which enshrined the presiding deity and the Natya Mandap has fallen off and only the remains can be seen, the large structure seen at present is known as the Jagamohana (the assembly hall or audience hall or Mukhasala).

From 1900 to 1903, four entrances to the Jagamohana were sealed and filled with sand by the Britishers to provide structural stability to the monument.