UPSC 2021 Art and Culture Questions with Answers

Explanation

India’s cave architecture is a unique form of ancient rock-cut architecture, primarily serving religious and monastic purposes. Ex-Ajanta Caves, Ellora Caves, Elephanta Caves (Maharashtra), Udayagiri Caves (Madhya Pradesh), Badami Caves (Karnataka) etc.

Option (a) is correct: The Ajanta Caves are a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra. They are carved into a horseshoe-shaped cliff along the Waghora River. The caves are renowned for their exquisite Buddhist rock-cut architecture and paintings, dating from the 2nd century BCE to the 6th century CE.

Option (b) is incorrect: The Sanchi Stupa is located in the Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh near the town of Sanchi. It is not in the gorge of the Chambal River but on a hill near Betwa River. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and contains one of the oldest Buddhist stupas.

Option (c) is incorrect: The Pandu-Lena (Trirashmi) Caves are located near Nashik, Maharashtra.The closest river is the Godavari River, not Narmada. These are Buddhist rock-cut caves, dating from 1st century BCE to 6th century CE and have inscriptions related to the Satavahanas and Western Kshatrapas.

Option (d) is incorrect: The Amaravati Stupa is located in Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh. It is one of the largest Buddhist stupas in India built during the Satavahana period (2nd century BCE). It was rediscovered by Colin Mackenzie in 1797 and located on the banks of the Krishna River, not the Godavari River.

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct: The Chausath Yogini temple is in Morena district in Madhya Pradesh. According to an inscription dated 1323 AD, this temple was built by Kachachapaghata king Devapala (1055-1075).

Statement 2 is incorrect: The temple with a circular design pattern is situated on top of a small hill. It is not the only circular temple in India. Other examples are Kameshwar Temple, Kashmir and Vishnu Temple at Topra (Haryana) etc.

Statement 3 is incorrect: Originally 64 yoginis were placed in 64 subsidiary shrines around the central shrine of Maha Shakti. Today Shiva linga have taken their place in shrines. The central shrine also holds a Shivalinga.

Statement 4 is correct: This temple’s circular design has given rise to the popular idea that our old Indian parliament’s design designed by architects Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker was taken from here. Fig.: Chausath Yogini Temple

Explanation

India’s tribal languages reflect its rich cultural diversity, with hundreds of languages spoken by indigenous communities. These languages belong to various linguistic families, including Indo-Aryan and Dravidian. There are also other smaller language families, such as Austroasiatic (Ex-Munda languages) and Tibeto-Burman (Ex-Bodo). Examples of Tribal Languages include Halbi (Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra), Ho (Jharkhand, Odisha), Kui (Odisha), Gondi (Central India), Korku (Madhya Pradesh), Kurukh (Odisha, Jharkhand), and Bhili (Rajasthan, Gujarat).

Option (d) is correct:

Halbi is spoken in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Maharashtra. It is an Indo-Aryan language influenced by Marathi and Odia. It is used by the Halba tribe and is recognized as a lingua franca among tribal communities in Bastar region. Ho is spoken in Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, and Chhattisgarh. It belongs to the Munda language family which a branch of the Austroasiatic languages. The Ho tribe is an ethnic Munda community which primarily speaks this language. It has its own script called Warang Citi developed by tribal scholar Lako Bodra. Kui is a spoken mainly in Odisha by the Kandha (Kondh) tribe. It is a Dravidian language closely related to Gondi and Telugu. The Kandha tribe has a rich oral traditio and Kui plays a significant role in their cultural expressions.