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Art, Culture & Heritage

General Awareness · History & Culture

Useful for: SSC CGL, Railway RRB

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Overview

Culture items test classical dances, temple styles, monuments with their builders, music traditions and literary works.

Key points

Eight classical dances: Bharatanatyam (Tamil Nadu), Kathak (North India), Kathakali and Mohiniyattam (Kerala), Kuchipudi (Andhra Pradesh), Odissi (Odisha), Manipuri (Manipur), Sattriya (Assam).
Temple styles: Nagara (north), Dravida (south), Vesara (mixed, Deccan).
Konark Sun Temple was built by Narasimhadeva I (Eastern Ganga dynasty, 13th century).
Brihadeeswara Temple, Thanjavur, was built by Rajaraja I (Chola).
Khajuraho temples were built by the Chandelas.

Explanation

Tansen was a musician at Akbar’s court.
Kalidasa wrote Abhijnanashakuntalam and Meghaduta; Tulsidas wrote Ramcharitmanas.
Carnatic music trinity: Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar, Syama Sastri.
Madhubani (Bihar), Warli (Maharashtra), Pattachitra (Odisha) are folk painting styles.

Step by step

Identify the exact fact asked (person, year, article, place).
Recall it from a linked group, not in isolation.
Eliminate options from the wrong period or category.

Examples

Sattriya is a classical dance of → Assam.
The Brihadeeswara Temple was built by → Rajaraja I.
The Konark Sun Temple was built by → Narasimhadeva I.

Traps and advanced points

Trap: Giving Mohiniyattam to Tamil Nadu.
Trap: Mixing Chola and Chandela monuments.
Trap: Calling Vesara the southern style.

Quick revision

Dance ↔ state.
Monument ↔ builder ↔ dynasty.
Nagara north, Dravida south.

Practice MCQs

Exam practice: The Great Bath is associated with which Harappan site?
1. Mohenjo-daro
2. Harappa
3. Lothal
4. Kalibangan
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Answer: (a) Mohenjo-daro. The Great Bath is associated with Mohenjo-daro.
Exam practice: The Non-Cooperation Movement was launched in which year?
1. 1920
2. 1919
3. 1942
4. 1930
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Answer: (a) 1920. The Non-Cooperation Movement was launched in 1920.
Exam practice: The Vernacular Press Act was enacted in 1878 during whose viceroyalty?
1. Lord Curzon
2. Lord Ripon
3. Lord Irwin
4. Lord Lytton
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Answer: (d) Lord Lytton. The Vernacular Press Act was enacted in 1878 during whose viceroyalty? — Lord Lytton.
Akbar’s revenue minister was who?
1. Todar Mal
2. Tansen
3. Birbal
4. Abul Fazl
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Answer: (a) Todar Mal. Akbar’s revenue minister was Todar Mal.
The Ajanta caves are especially famous for what?
1. Buddhist paintings
2. Mughal miniature paintings
3. Indus seals
4. Chola bronzes
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Answer: (a) Buddhist paintings. The Ajanta caves are especially famous for Buddhist paintings.
Bharatanatyam belongs to —
1. Odisha
2. Manipur
3. Tamil Nadu
4. Kerala
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Answer: (c) Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu.
Kathakali belongs to —
1. Kerala
2. Assam
3. Andhra Pradesh
4. Tamil Nadu
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Answer: (a) Kerala. Kerala.
Sattriya belongs to —
1. Assam
2. Manipur
3. Odisha
4. Kerala
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Answer: (a) Assam. Assam.
Kuchipudi belongs to —
1. Tamil Nadu
2. Andhra Pradesh
3. Karnataka
4. Kerala
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Answer: (b) Andhra Pradesh. Andhra Pradesh.
The Nagara temple style is found mainly in —
1. north India
2. south India
3. the Deccan only
4. Kerala only
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Answer: (a) north India. North.