Art & Culture – UPSC Prelims PYQs
220 questions · 1995–2026 · answers as per the UPSC key · page 4 of 5
Consider the following statement:
- Kitab-I-Nauras, a collection of songs in praise of Hindu deities and Muslim saints, was written by Ibrahim Adil Shah II
- Amir Khusrau was the originator in India of the early form of the musical style known as Qawwali.
Which of these statements is/are correct?
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Which one of the following statements is correct?
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In ancient Indian Buddhist monasteries, a ceremony called Pavarana used to be held. It was the
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Match List I (Artist) with List II (Art) and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists:
- Bharatanatyam dance B. Malini Rajurkar
- Hindustani vocal music C. Pratibha Prahlad
- Kuchipudi dance D. Vempati Chinna Satyam
- Puppetry
List I (Artist)
List II (Art)
A. Hiren Bhattacharya
Codes: ABCD
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Who was the first Indian actress to receive the Padma Shri Award?
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Match List I (Book) with List II (Author) and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists:
- Mulk Raj Anand B. India: A Wounded Civilization
- Nirad C. Chaudhuri C. Confessions of a Lover
- R. K. Narayan D. The English Teacher 4. V. S. Naipaul
List I (Book)
List II (Author)
A. Autobiography of an Unknown Indian
Codes:
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Chapchar Kut is a festival celebrated in the state of
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In which one of the following cities is the Lingaraja Temple located?
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Who amongst the following Englishmen first translated the Bhagavad-Gita into English?
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Hoysala monuments are found in
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Which of the following pairs is NOT correctly matched?
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Match List I with List II
and select the correct answer using the codes given below the Lists:
List I (Dancer) I. Kalamandalam Kshemavaty II. Kottakkal Sivaraman III. Lakshmi Viswanathan IV. N. Madhabi Devi
List II (Dance) A) Kathakali B) Manipuri C) Mohiniyattam D) Bharata Natyam
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Which one of the following pairs is correctly matched?
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The Raga which is sung early in the morning is
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Consider the following statements regarding the Chakiarkoothu form of dance: I. It is performed by Chakiar caste. II. It cannot be traditionally witnessed by the higher caste Hindus. III. Mizhavu is the accompanying instrument. IV. Its theatre form is called koothambalam.
Which of these statements are correct?
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Match List I (Books) with List II (Authors) and select the correct answer using the codes given below the Lists:
List I I. My Music, My Life II. Adha Gaon III. Radha IV. The Pilferer
List II A) Laxman Gaikwad B) Rahi Masoom Raza C) Ramakanta Rath D) Ravi Shankar
Codes:
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Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the Lists:
List I (Artist) I. Balamurali Krishna II. Mita Pandit III. Kanyakumari IV. Nikhil Bannerjee
List II (Medium of music delivery) A) Hindustani vocal B) Ghatam C) Sitar D) Violin E) Carnatic vocal
Codes:
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Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched?
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Assertion (A): The Aham and Puram poems of the Padinen Kilukanakku group formed a continuation of the Sangam composition.
Reason (R): They were included under the Post-Sangam works as against the Sangam works proper.
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Consider the following statements: The striking feature of the Jama Masjid in Kashmir completed by Zain-ul-Abidin include(s) I. Turret. II. Similarity with Buddhist pagodas. III. Persian style.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
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The first writer to use Urdu as the medium of poetic expression was
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The paintings of Abanindranath Tagore are classified as
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Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the Lists:
List I I. Pandit Vishnu Digamber Paluskar II. Venkatamahi III. Shyama Shastri IV. Amir Khusru
List II A. Introduced the scheme of Raga classification of Indian music B. Proponent of Carnatic music C. Proponent of the Khayal form of Hindustani music D. Wrote the music for the song ‘Vande Mataram’
Codes:
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The first feature film (talkie) to be produced in India was
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Match List I with List II
and select the correct answer using the codes given below the Lists:
List I (Libraries) I. Saraswati Mahal Library II. Library of Tibetan Work and Archives III. Raza Library IV. Khuda Baksh Oriental Public Library
List II (Locations) A. Patna B. Dharamsala C. Thanjavur D. Rampur
Codes:
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Which one of the following pairs of folk-dance forms and states is not correctly matched?
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Which one of the following statements is correct?
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Match List I with List II
and select the correct answer using the codes given below the Lists:
List I (Writers) I. Sashi Tharoor II. Amitav Ghosh III. Anita Desai IV. Vikram Chandra
List II (Books) A) Clear Light of Day B) Circle of Reason C) Love and Longing in Bombay D) Show Business
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Match List I with List II
and select the correct answer using the codes given below the Lists:
List I (Books) I. The First Indian War of Independence II. Anand Math III. Life Divine IV. Sadhana
List II (Authors) A) Rabindranath Tagore B) Sri Aurobindo C) Bankim Chandra Chatterji D) Vinayak Damodar Savarkar
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Which one of the following languages belongs to the Austric group?
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Assertion (A): The Gandhara School of art bears the mark of Hellenistic influence.
Reason (R): Hinayana form was influenced by that art.
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Which of the following pairs are correctly matched? I. Lothal: Ancient dockyard II. Sarnath: First Sermon of Buddha III. Rajgir: Lion capital of Asoka IV. Nalanda: Great seat of Buddhist learning
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
Codes:
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The concept of Eight-fold path forms the theme of
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Many of the Greeks, Kushanas and Shakas embraced Buddhism rather than Hinduism because
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Which of the following pairs are correctly matched? I. Mrichchhakatikam — Shudraka II. Buddhacharita — Vasuvandhu III. Mudrarakshasha — Vishakhadatta IV. Harshacharita — Banabhatta
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
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Match List I with List II
and select the correct answer using the code given below the lists:
List I I. Gupta II. Chandella III. Chalukya IV. Pallava
List II A) Badami B) Panamalai C) Khajuraho D) Deogarh
Codes:
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The film ‘The Making of the Mahatma’ has been directed by
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Which one of the following statements regarding Asokan stone pillars is incorrect?
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Which one of the following pairs of composers in different languages and their works on the Mahabharata theme is correctly matched?
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Which one of the following dances involves solo performance?
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Which one of the following scripts of ancient India was written from right to left?
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The famous dialogue between Nachiketa and Yama is mentioned in the
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Milindapanho is in the form of a dialogue between the King Menander and the Buddhist monk
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In the Mahayana Buddhism, the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara was also known as
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Match List I with List II
and select the correct answer by using the codes given below the lists:
List I (Author) I. Varahamihira II. Visakhadatta III. Sudraka IV. Bilhana
List II (Text) A) Prabandha Chintamani B) Mrchchhakatikam C) Brhat-Samhita D) Devi Chandraguptam E) Vikramankadevacharita
Codes:
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Prem Vatika, poems on the life of Krishna, was composed by
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Which one of the following works has recently been made into a full-length feature film?
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Which one of the following is an important historical novel written during the latter half of the nineteenth century?
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According to ancient Indian cosmogonic ideas the sequential order of the cycle of four aeons (Yugas) is
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Which one of the following temples figured in the news regarding the institution of the Devadasis?