Art & Culture MCQs – Set 1: Advanced Questions for UPSC/PSC/CGL Exam Prep

  1. Which of the following is not one of the classical dances of India?
    (A) Bharatanatyam
    (B) Kathakali
    (C) Garba
    (D) Odissi
    Answer: (C)
  2. Who composed the famous Indian epic ‘Mahabharata’?
    (A) Valmiki
    (B) Kalidasa
    (C) Vyasa
    (D) Panini
    Answer: (C)
  3. The Kailasa temple at Ellora was built during the reign of –
    (A) Gupta Dynasty
    (B) Rashtrakuta Dynasty
    (C) Chalukya Dynasty
    (D) Maurya Dynasty
    Answer: (B)
  4. Which musical instrument is associated with Ustad Bismillah Khan?
    (A) Sitar
    (B) Shehnai
    (C) Sarod
    (D) Tabla
    Answer: (B)
  5. The ‘Garbhagriha’ in a temple refers to –
    (A) Outer hall
    (B) Innermost sanctum
    (C) Mandapam
    (D) Entry gate
    Answer: (B)
  6. Which dance form originates from Manipur?
    (A) Kathak
    (B) Manipuri
    (C) Odissi
    (D) Bharatanatyam
    Answer: (B)
  7. Where is the Sun Temple located in Odisha?
    (A) Puri
    (B) Bhubaneswar
    (C) Konark
    (D) Cuttack
    Answer: (C)
  8. ‘Madhubani’ painting is a famous folk art from which state?
    (A) Bihar
    (B) Gujarat
    (C) Rajasthan
    (D) Odisha
    Answer: (A)
  9. Sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar was awarded which of the following international honors?
    (A) Nobel Prize
    (B) Grammy Award
    (C) Pulitzer Prize
    (D) Oscar
    Answer: (B)
  10. Yakshagana is a traditional theatre form of –
    (A) Kerala
    (B) Tamil Nadu
    (C) Karnataka
    (D) Andhra Pradesh
    Answer: (C)
  11. The architectural style of the Khajuraho temples belongs to –
    (A) Indo-Islamic
    (B) Nagara
    (C) Dravida
    (D) Vesara
    Answer: (B)
  12. The ‘Ratha Yatra’ festival is associated with which deity?
    (A) Vishnu
    (B) Shiva
    (C) Jagannath
    (D) Krishna
    Answer: (C)
  13. Which ancient text is considered the foundational text of Indian classical dance?
    (A) Vedas
    (B) Natya Shastra
    (C) Arthashastra
    (D) Manusmriti
    Answer: (B)
  14. The famous dance-drama form ‘Kathakali’ is characterized by –
    (A) Fast footwork
    (B) Graceful facial expressions
    (C) Heavy makeup and masks
    (D) Sword and stick fighting
    Answer: (C)
  15. The Ajanta caves are renowned for –
    (A) Sculpture
    (B) Fresco paintings
    (C) Rock-cut architecture
    (D) Buddhist relics
    Answer: (B)
  16. Which emperor is known for the construction of Sanchi Stupa?
    (A) Ashoka
    (B) Chandragupta
    (C) Harsha
    (D) Samudragupta
    Answer: (A)
  17. Which among the following is a famous classical musician associated with Santoor?
    (A) Amjad Ali Khan
    (B) Shivkumar Sharma
    (C) Bhimsen Joshi
    (D) Zakir Hussain
    Answer: (B)
  18. ‘Warli’ painting is a tribal art of –
    (A) Rajasthan
    (B) Maharashtra
    (C) Assam
    (D) West Bengal
    Answer: (B)
  19. The Meenakshi temple is located in –
    (A) Rameswaram
    (B) Kanchipuram
    (C) Madurai
    (D) Thanjavur
    Answer: (C)
  20. Who wrote the Sanskrit play ‘Abhijnanasakuntalam’?
    (A) Bhasa
    (B) Kalidasa
    (C) Banabhatta
    (D) Vishakhadatta
    Answer: (B)
  21. Which of the following is not a Gharana of Hindustani classical music?
    (A) Gwalior
    (B) Jaipur
    (C) Tanjore
    (D) Agra
    Answer: (C)
  22. UNESCO has included ‘Kumbh Mela’ in its list of –
    (A) Tangible heritage
    (B) World monuments
    (C) Intangible cultural heritage
    (D) Protected festivals
    Answer: (C)
  23. Which emperor built the ‘Buland Darwaza’?
    (A) Akbar
    (B) Shah Jahan
    (C) Aurangzeb
    (D) Babur
    Answer: (A)
  24. Which temple is considered the finest example of Dravidian architecture?
    (A) Somnath Temple
    (B) Brihadeeswara Temple
    (C) Kedarnath Temple
    (D) Jagannath Temple
    Answer: (B)
  25. What does the term ‘Raga’ refer to in Indian classical music?
    (A) A musical instrument
    (B) A musical scale
    (C) A rhythm cycle
    (D) A temple style
    Answer: (B)
  26. Which festival in Assam is associated with harvest and dance?
    (A) Pongal
    (B) Bihu
    (C) Holi
    (D) Onam
    Answer: (B)
  27. Which famous Indian musician was also known as ‘Bharat Ratna of Strings’?
    (A) Hariprasad Chaurasia
    (B) Ravi Shankar
    (C) L. Subramaniam
    (D) M. S. Subbulakshmi
    Answer: (B)
  28. Which of these is not a painting style of India?
    (A) Tanjore
    (B) Pattachitra
    (C) Kalamkari
    (D) Ukiyo-e
    Answer: (D)
  29. The Ellora caves depict art from –
    (A) Buddhist only
    (B) Hindu only
    (C) Jain only
    (D) All of the above
    Answer: (D)
  30. The Chola dynasty is known for –
    (A) Metal sculpture
    (B) Oil painting
    (C) Islamic art
    (D) Buddhist monasteries
    Answer: (A)
  31. Which Indian dance form includes the tradition of storytelling through gestures and mudras?
    (A) Kathak
    (B) Bharatanatyam
    (C) Kuchipudi
    (D) All of the above
    Answer: (D)
  32. Which Indian city is recognized as a UNESCO Creative City for Music?
    (A) Varanasi
    (B) Hyderabad
    (C) Jaipur
    (D) Chennai
    Answer: (D)
  33. ‘Guru-Shishya Parampara’ is a hallmark of –
    (A) Modern architecture
    (B) Tribal arts
    (C) Classical music and dance
    (D) Buddhist sculpture
    Answer: (C)
  34. The instrument ‘Veena’ is most associated with –
    (A) Carnatic music
    (B) Hindustani music
    (C) Folk music
    (D) Jazz fusion
    Answer: (A)
  35. Kalamkari painting is traditionally done on –
    (A) Metal
    (B) Stone
    (C) Cloth
    (D) Wood
    Answer: (C)
  36. Which classical dance is associated with temples of Odisha?
    (A) Bharatanatyam
    (B) Odissi
    (C) Mohiniyattam
    (D) Kuchipudi
    Answer: (B)
  37. Which festival is considered the ‘festival of colors’?
    (A) Diwali
    (B) Dussehra
    (C) Holi
    (D) Raksha Bandhan
    Answer: (C)
  38. Which of these is a famous theatre form of Tamil Nadu?
    (A) Yakshagana
    (B) Therukoothu
    (C) Bhavai
    (D) Tamasha
    Answer: (B)
  39. The ancient university known for Buddhist learning was –
    (A) Takshashila
    (B) Vikramshila
    (C) Nalanda
    (D) Ujjain
    Answer: (C)
  40. Raja Ravi Varma was a famous –
    (A) Musician
    (B) Poet
    (C) Architect
    (D) Painter
    Answer: (D)
  41. The architectural marvel ‘Vittala Temple’ is located at –
    (A) Halebidu
    (B) Badami
    (C) Hampi
    (D) Pattadakal
    Answer: (C)
  42. Which classical dance form uses the element of speech (dialogue) the most?
    (A) Mohiniyattam
    (B) Kathak
    (C) Kuchipudi
    (D) Bharatanatyam
    Answer: (C)
  43. The Sattriya dance originates from which Indian state?
    (A) West Bengal
    (B) Assam
    (C) Manipur
    (D) Tripura
    Answer: (B)
  44. Which Indian musical instrument is wind-based?
    (A) Sarod
    (B) Sitar
    (C) Shehnai
    (D) Tabla
    Answer: (C)
  45. Which Mughal ruler built the Red Fort in Delhi?
    (A) Akbar
    (B) Humayun
    (C) Shah Jahan
    (D) Jahangir
    Answer: (C)
  46. Who built the famous Dilwara temples at Mount Abu?
    (A) Chalukyas
    (B) Solanki rulers
    (C) Rajputs
    (D) Marathas
    Answer: (B)
  47. Which among the following is not a dance drama tradition?
    (A) Kathakali
    (B) Yakshagana
    (C) Sattriya
    (D) Manipuri
    Answer: (D)
  48. Which musical instrument is played with a bow?
    (A) Sitar
    (B) Sarangi
    (C) Tabla
    (D) Veena
    Answer: (B)
  49. The Konark temple was built to worship –
    (A) Shiva
    (B) Vishnu
    (C) Surya
    (D) Ganesha
    Answer: (C)
  50. India’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site was –
    (A) Taj Mahal
    (B) Ajanta Caves
    (C) Sanchi Stupa
    (D) Qutub Minar
    Answer: (B)

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