DAY – 61 : Insta 75 Days Revision Plan-2026 : ART & CULTURE

Answer:   (d)

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: The Vesara style is indeed a hybrid architectural style that emerged in the Deccan region. It incorporates elements from the Nagara (Northern) style, such as the curved shikhara, and the Dravida (Southern) style, such as the tiered vimana and intricate carvings. This style reached its peak during the reigns of the Later Chalukyas (Western Chalukyas) and the Hoysalas, as seen in temples like the Chennakesava Temple at Belur.
• Statement 2 is correct: During the Vijayanagara and especially the Nayaka periods, there was a shift in architectural focus. The Gopurams (monumental entrance gateways) were built to massive heights and became much more visually dominant than the central Vimana (the tower over the sanctum). The Meenakshi Temple in Madurai is a prime example where the towering gopurams overshadow the main shrine.
• Statement 3 is correct: The Sun Temple at Modhera (Gujarat) was built during the reign of the Solanki dynasty. A defining feature of the Solanki school of architecture is the presence of a magnificent, stepped temple tank (known as the Surya Kund) located in front of the temple complex, which contains numerous small shrines on its steps.

Answer:   (c)

Explanation:

• Pair 1 is correctly matched: Prithviraj Raso is an epic poem written by Chand Bardai, who was the court poet of Prithviraj Chauhan. It narrates the life and exploits of the king.
• Pair 2 is correctly matched: Tabaqat-i-Nasiri is an important historical text written by Minhaj-i-Siraj in the 13th century. It provides a detailed history of the Islamic world and the early Delhi Sultanate.
• Pair 3 is correctly matched: Kavirajamarga is the earliest available work on rhetoric, poetics, and grammar in the Kannada language. It is attributed to the Rashtrakuta King Amoghavarsha I.
• Pair 4 is incorrectly matched: The Shahnama (Book of Kings) is the national epic of Greater Iran and was composed by the Persian poet Firdausi. Amir Khusrau, while a prolific poet of the Delhi Sultanate, is known for works such as Khaza’in-ul-Futuh and Tughlaq Nama.

Answer:    (b)

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: The Alvars (devotees of Vishnu) and Nayanars (devotees of Shiva) led early Bhakti movements in South India that were known for their inclusive nature. They recruited devotees from all castes, including those considered “untouchable”. These movements also featured prominent women saints, such as Andal (an Alvar) and Karaikkal Ammaiyar (a Nayanar).
• Statement 2 is incorrect: The Divya Prabandham is a compilation of hymns composed by the Alvars (Vaishnavite saints). The sacred compilation of hymns by the Nayanars (Shaivite saints) is known as the Tevaram or Tirumurai.
• Statement 3 is correct: The Virashaiva (or Lingayat) movement in Karnataka, initiated by Basavanna, was radical in its social outlook. They strongly argued for the equality of all human beings, challenged the Brahmanical ideas about caste and the treatment of women, and rejected the authority of the Vedas and the theory of rebirth.

Answer:    (a)

Explanation:

• Bronze Dancing Girl of Mohenjo-daro (c. 2500 BCE): This is one of the most famous artifacts from the Harappan Civilization. It represents the earliest mastery of the lost-wax technique in Indian metallurgy.
• Rock-cut Elephant at Dhauli (c. 3rd Century BCE): Located in Odisha, this sculpture dates back to the reign of the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka. It is considered one of the earliest examples of rock-cut architecture and Ashokan art.
• Varaha Image at Udayagiri (c. 5th Century CE): This monumental rock-cut sculpture of the Boar incarnation of Vishnu was created during the Gupta period. It symbolizes the rescue of Goddess Earth and reflects the zenith of Gupta-era iconography.
• Descent of the Ganges (c. 7th Century CE): Also known as Arjuna’s Penance, this massive relief is sculpted onto two huge boulders at Mahabalipuram. It was created during the Pallava period and is a masterpiece of early South Indian structural and rock-cut art.

Answer:     (b)

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: The Chishti silsila, established in India by Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, was known for its austerity and its policy of keeping a distance from the state and political power. They emphasized Sama, which involved musical recitals intended to induce a state of spiritual ecstasy and bring the devotee closer to God.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: The Naqshbandi silsila, particularly under the leadership of Sheikh Ahmad Sirhindi, was one of the most orthodox and conservative Sufi orders in India. Sirhindi was a staunch critic of liberal policies and pantheistic practices, and he actively opposed the integration of local yogic traditions or “un-Islamic” customs. It was the Shattari silsila and some Chishti saints who were more famous for integrating yogic breath control and practices.
• Statement 3 is correct: The philosophy of Wahdat-ul-Wujud (Unity of Being), which suggests that God and His creation are fundamentally one, was a cornerstone of Sufi thought in India. While controversial among orthodox theologians, it was widely accepted by many Sufi saints and provided a common ground for interaction with the Hindu concept of Advaita.

Answer:    (d)

Explanation:

• Row 1 is correctly matched: Pithora paintings are ritualistic art forms created by the Rathwa, Bhil, and Nayka tribes of Gujarat and parts of Madhya Pradesh. These paintings are executed on walls and are characterized by the presence of horses, which represent the deity Pithora Deva.
• Row 2 is correctly matched: Thangka is a traditional Tibetan Buddhist art form consisting of painted or embroidered scrolls. They are typically made on cotton or silk applique and depict Buddhist deities, scenes from the life of the Buddha, or mandalas.
• Row 3 is correctly matched: Cheriyal Scroll painting is a stylized version of Nakashi art, indigenous to the Telangana These scrolls are narrative in nature, often depicting stories from Indian mythology, and were historically used by wandering bards (storytellers) to illustrate their performances.
• Row 4 is correctly matched: Phad is a religious scroll painting style found in the Bhilwara district of Rajasthan. These large scrolls (often several meters long) depict the heroic deeds of folk deities like Pabuji or Devnarayan and are used by traveling priest-singers known as Bhopas.

Answer:    (b)

Explanation:

• Literary Contribution: Krishnadeva Raya, the most famous ruler of the Tuluva dynasty of the Vijayanagara Empire, was a prolific scholar. He composed the epic poem Amuktamalyada in Telugu, which describes the story of the wedding of the Hindu Lord Vishnu and Andal. His court was famously graced by the Ashtadiggajas (eight literary giants).
• Architectural Legacy: He is credited with building the magnificent Vittalaswamy Temple (famous for its musical pillars) and the Hazara Rama Temple in the capital city of Hampi (Vijayanagara).
• Administrative Feats: Inscriptions also note his engineering projects, such as constructing a large dam across the Tungabhadra River and a several-kilometer-long canal-cum-aqueduct to provide water to the capital.
• Religious Architecture: A notable feature of temple construction during his reign was the building of Kalyana Mandapas (marriage halls) within the temple complexes.

Answer:    (b)

Explanation:

• Feature 1 is correct: The introduction of the true arch and dome (using the arcuate style of construction) is a defining characteristic of the Delhi Sultanate period. Prior to this, Indian architecture primarily utilized the trabeate (corbelled) system.
• Feature 2 is incorrect: Red sandstone was already being used extensively in Indian architecture long before the Sultanate period, notably in the Mathura school of art (Kushana period) and various Gupta-era temples. While the Sultans used it, they did not introduce it as a building material to India.
• Feature 3 is correct: The use of decorative calligraphy (inscriptions of Quranic verses) and arabesque patterns (intertwined floral and geometric designs) as surface ornamentation were new aesthetic elements brought by the Islamic rulers. These replaced the traditional anthropomorphic (human/animal) figures which were generally avoided in Islamic religious structures.
• Feature 4 is incorrect: The concept of the Charbagh (a four-quartered garden divided by walkways or flowing water) was introduced to India by Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire, in the early 16th century. It was not a standard feature of the preceding Delhi Sultanate architecture.

Answer:    (c)

Explanation:

• Pair 1 is correctly matched: The Gandhara School (centered in modern-day Pakistan and Afghanistan) is famous for its Graeco-Buddhist or Hellenistic style. It is characterized by the use of bluish-grey schist stone and features such as curly hair, muscular bodies, and draped garments that resemble Roman togas.
• Pair 2 is correctly matched: The Mathura School was indigenous and developed simultaneously with Gandhara. It is easily identified by the use of spotted red sandstone and its focus on local imagery, including the earliest representations of the Buddha as well as Hindu and Jaina deities.
• Pair 3 is correctly matched: The Amaravati School (flourishing in the Krishna-Godavari valley) utilized white marble (or limestone). Unlike the other two schools which focused more on individual statues, Amaravati is renowned for its narrative reliefs carved into the railings and domes of stupas, often depicting stories from the Jataka tales or the life of the Buddha.

Answer:    (d)

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: Adi Shankara was the primary proponent of Advaita (Non-dualism). He argued that Brahman is the ultimate, unchanging reality and that the perceived world is Maya (an illusion or a superimposition). According to this school, the individual soul (Atman) and Brahman are fundamentally one and the same.
• Statement 2 is correct: Ramanuja proposed the philosophy of Vishishtadvaita (Qualified Non-dualism). He argued that while the soul and the material world are parts of the divine (Brahman/Vishnu), they remain distinct entities even after liberation. He emphasized that the best means of salvation was through total devotion (Bhakti).
• Statement 3 is correct: Madhvacharya was the founder of the Dvaita (Dualism) school. His philosophy was based on a strict dualism, maintaining that the individual soul and God are eternally separate and distinct. He rejected the idea that the soul could ever become identical to the divine.

Correct Answer: (c)

Detailed Solution:

C is the father of A, so C is male.

A is the father of E, so A is also male.

F is the sister of E, and E is the brother of F. Therefore, E is male and F is female.

“B is the brother of D’s husband” implies that D is married to a male member of the family.

Among the members, A is the only suitable married male in the middle generation. Therefore, D must be the wife of A.

Thus, D is the mother in the group.

Therefore, the correct answer is (c) D.

Correct Answer: (c)

Detailed Solution:

P and Q are a married couple, with P as the male member.

R is the brother of P.

S is the only son of R, and T is the sister of S.

Q is the daughter-in-law of U. Since Q is married to P, U must be the mother of P.

As R is the brother of P, U is also the mother of R.

Therefore, U is the mother of S’s father.

Hence, U is the grandmother of S.

Correct Answer: (a)

Detailed Solution:

When persons face the center of a circle, the immediate left is in the anticlockwise direction.

Fix B at any position.

A is to the immediate left of B, so A sits anticlockwise to B.

D is to the immediate left of A, so D sits anticlockwise to A.

Thus, the partial anticlockwise arrangement becomes:

B -> A -> D

The remaining two positions are occupied by C and E. Since C is between D and E, one valid anticlockwise arrangement satisfying all conditions is:

B -> A -> D -> C -> E

Therefore, the person sitting to the immediate left of E is B.

Correct Answer: (b)

Detailed Solution:

“V is third to the left of Q” gives the structure:

V _ _ Q

“V is to the immediate right of S” means S is immediately to the left of V:

S V _ _ Q

“R is exactly between V and Q” places R in the middle position:

S V R _ Q

Now apply the condition:

“U is at one of the ends and has T as his immediate neighbor.”

The only arrangement satisfying all conditions is:

P S V R Q T U

Verification:
• V is third to the left of Q
• S is immediately left of V
• R is exactly between V and Q
• U is at the end with T adjacent to U

In a row of seven persons, the 4th position is the middle position.

R occupies the 4th position.

Therefore, R is standing exactly in the middle.

Correct Answer: (c)

Detailed Solution:

The passage explains that monetary policy mainly influences the demand side of the economy and has limited effectiveness against supply-side shocks.

It further states that inflation in developing economies is often caused by supply-side factors such as monsoon failure and rising global oil prices.

The passage also highlights the problem of long and uncertain policy time lags, which make monetary interventions difficult to time effectively.

Option (a) is incorrect because the passage does not say monetary policy is ineffective against demand-side inflation.

Option (b) is incorrect because the issue discussed is the inability to directly address supply-side shocks, not merely predicting them.

Option (d) goes beyond the passage by recommending a policy preference that is not explicitly stated.

Therefore, the most logical inference is that monetary policy alone may not be sufficient to manage inflation effectively in developing economies.