Indian Painting and the Performing Arts

Practice questions (19)

Attempt each one before opening the answer. Every explanation names the tempting wrong option as well as the right one, because that is where marks are lost.

1. Which site, a group of rock shelters in Madhya Pradesh discovered for archaeology by V. S. Wakankar in 1957, is known for its prehistoric paintings of hunting and dancing?

   1. Bagh
   2. Bhimbetka
   3. Sittanavasal
   4. Udayagiri
   Show answer

   Answer: B — Bhimbetka

   Bhimbetka, near Bhopal, is the great prehistoric rock-art site and a World Heritage Site. Bagh is also in Madhya Pradesh, which makes it tempting, but its paintings are Buddhist murals of the classical age, not prehistoric rock art; Sittanavasal is a Jain cave in Tamil Nadu.

2. Consider the following statements about the Ajanta paintings:
   1. Their themes are almost wholly Buddhist, many drawn from the Jataka tales.
   2. They are painted on a dry plaster ground and are therefore described as tempera rather than true fresco.
   3. Several of the painted caves at Ajanta are Jain.
   Which of the statements given above are correct?

   1. 1 and 3 only
   2. 2 and 3 only
   3. 1 and 2 only
   4. 1, 2 and 3
   Show answer

   Answer: C — 1 and 2 only

   Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Ajanta is an entirely Buddhist site, so statement 3 is wrong — the cave group with Jain excavations is Ellora. The paintings were made on dry, prepared plaster, which is why they are classed as tempera.

3. Consider the following pairs of mural site and tradition:
   1. Sittanavasal — Jain
   2. Lepakshi — Vijayanagara
   3. Bagh — Chola
   How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

   1. Only one pair
   2. Only two pairs
   3. All three pairs
   4. None of the pairs
   Show answer

   Answer: B — Only two pairs

   Two pairs are correct. Sittanavasal in Tamil Nadu is a Jain cave and Lepakshi's Veerabhadra temple carries Vijayanagara murals. Bagh, in Madhya Pradesh, has Buddhist paintings close to Ajanta in style; the Chola murals are at the Brihadeeswara temple, Thanjavur.

4. The Hamzanama, a vast illustrated manuscript of the adventures of Amir Hamza, is correctly associated with which of the following?

   1. Mir Sayyid Ali and Abdus Samad, in Akbar's atelier
   2. Ustad Mansur, at the court of Jahangir
   3. Nihal Chand, at Kishangarh
   4. Sahibdin, at the Mewar court
   Show answer

   Answer: A — Mir Sayyid Ali and Abdus Samad, in Akbar's atelier

   The Hamzanama was made in Akbar's atelier under the two Persian masters Humayun had brought to India, Mir Sayyid Ali and Abdus Samad. Ustad Mansur is the tempting Mughal name, but he belongs to Jahangir's reign and its studies of birds and animals; Nihal Chand and Sahibdin are Rajasthani painters.

5. Consider the following statements about Mughal painting under Jahangir:
   1. Ustad Mansur was celebrated for his studies of birds and animals.
   2. Abul Hasan received the title Nadir-uz-Zaman.
   Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

   1. Only 1
   2. Only 2
   3. Both 1 and 2
   4. Neither 1 nor 2
   Show answer

   Answer: C — Both 1 and 2

   Both are correct. Jahangir's reign was the peak of Mughal naturalism: Ustad Mansur painted birds and animals with near-scientific accuracy, and the portraitist Abul Hasan was honoured as Nadir-uz-Zaman, "wonder of the age".

6. The painting "Bani Thani", with its elongated face and lotus-shaped eyes, belongs to which school of miniature painting?

   1. Mewar
   2. Basohli
   3. Bundi
   4. Kishangarh
   Show answer

   Answer: D — Kishangarh

   Bani Thani was painted by Nihal Chand at Kishangarh for Raja Sawant Singh, who wrote poetry as Nagari Das. The stylised elongated face is the Kishangarh signature; Basohli is a Pahari school known for bold primary colours, and Mewar for bright Ragamala sets.

7. Consider the following pairs of Pahari school and feature:
   1. Basohli — bold primary colours and pieces of beetle wing
   2. Kangra — flowering under Raja Sansar Chand
   3. Garhwal — the painter-poet Mola Ram
   How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

   1. Only one pair
   2. Only two pairs
   3. All three pairs
   4. None of the pairs
   Show answer

   Answer: C — All three pairs

   All three pairs are correct. Basohli is the bold early Pahari school, using beetle-wing fragments to imitate emeralds; Kangra reached its lyrical peak under Raja Sansar Chand; and the Garhwal school is associated with Mola Ram. The trap is to assume one pair must be wrong.

8. Consider the following pairs of folk painting and state:
   1. Warli — Maharashtra
   2. Pithora — Gujarat
   3. Cheriyal scrolls — Telangana
   4. Phad — Odisha
   How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

   1. Only one pair
   2. Only two pairs
   3. Only three pairs
   4. All four pairs
   Show answer

   Answer: C — Only three pairs

   Three pairs are correct. Phad is the scroll painting of Rajasthan, unrolled by Bhopa priests singing of Pabuji or Devnarayan; the Odisha scroll tradition is Pattachitra. Warli, Pithora (of the Rathwa and Bhil communities) and Cheriyal are correctly placed.

9. A tribal painting tradition uses white rice paste on dark mud walls, builds its figures from circles, triangles and squares, and often shows a ring of dancers around a musician playing the tarpa. Which tradition is this?

   1. Gond
   2. Warli
   3. Pithora
   4. Kalighat
   Show answer

   Answer: B — Warli

   White-on-mud geometric figures and the tarpa dance identify Warli painting of Maharashtra. Gond painting fills its figures with dots and dashes in many colours, Pithora is a colourful ritual painting with horses, and Kalighat is an urban 19th-century style of Kolkata.

10. Consider the following statements about Kalamkari:
    1. In the Srikalahasti style, the design is drawn freehand with a pen.
    2. Kalamkari is a traditional craft of Odisha associated with the Jagannath temple.
    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    1. Only 1
    2. Only 2
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Show answer

    Answer: A — Only 1

    Only statement 1 is correct. Kalamkari belongs to Andhra Pradesh: the Srikalahasti style is drawn freehand with a kalam (pen) on temple themes, while the Machilipatnam style is block-printed. The cloth painting tied to the Jagannath cult of Odisha is Pattachitra.

11. The scheme of 72 melakarta (parent) ragas, which underlies the classification of ragas in Carnatic music, is associated with

    1. Venkatamakhin
    2. V. N. Bhatkhande
    3. Sharngadeva
    4. Amir Khusrau
    Show answer

    Answer: A — Venkatamakhin

    Venkatamakhin set out the 72-melakarta scheme in the 17th century. Bhatkhande is the trap: he too classified ragas, but into ten thaats, and in the Hindustani system. Sharngadeva wrote the Sangita Ratnakara in the 13th century, before the two systems separated.

12. Consider the following statements about Hindustani music:
    1. Dhrupad, the oldest surviving form, enjoyed the patronage of Raja Man Singh Tomar of Gwalior.
    2. Thumri flourished at the Lucknow court of Wajid Ali Shah.
    3. Tappa developed from the songs of the camel riders of Punjab.
    Which of the statements given above are correct?

    1. 1 and 2 only
    2. 2 and 3 only
    3. 1 and 3 only
    4. 1, 2 and 3
    Show answer

    Answer: D — 1, 2 and 3

    All three are correct. Dhrupad grew at the Gwalior court of Man Singh Tomar and was Tansen's form; thumri is the light, romantic form of Wajid Ali Shah's Lucknow; and tappa, with its quick turns, was refined from Punjabi camel riders' songs by Shori Miyan.

13. In the classical fourfold classification of Indian instruments, the ghatam and the jaltarang belong to which class?

    1. Tata vadya
    2. Sushira vadya
    3. Avanaddha vadya
    4. Ghana vadya
    Show answer

    Answer: D — Ghana vadya

    Both are ghana vadya, solid instruments whose own body rings when struck — the clay pot of the ghatam and the porcelain bowls of the jaltarang. The water in the jaltarang only tunes the bowls; it does not make it a wind (sushira) instrument, and neither has a stretched skin (avanaddha).

14. Consider the following pairs of musician and instrument:
    1. Bismillah Khan — shehnai
    2. Shivkumar Sharma — santoor
    3. Hariprasad Chaurasia — sarod
    How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

    1. None of the pairs
    2. Only one pair
    3. Only two pairs
    4. All three pairs
    Show answer

    Answer: C — Only two pairs

    Two pairs are correct. Hariprasad Chaurasia is the master of the bansuri (bamboo flute); the great sarod players are Ali Akbar Khan and Amjad Ali Khan. Bismillah Khan (shehnai) and Shivkumar Sharma (santoor) are correctly matched.

15. Consider the following pairs of classical dance and state:
    1. Kuchipudi — Andhra Pradesh
    2. Mohiniyattam — Kerala
    3. Manipuri — Assam
    How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

    1. Only two pairs
    2. Only one pair
    3. All three pairs
    4. None of the pairs
    Show answer

    Answer: A — Only two pairs

    Two pairs are correct. Manipuri belongs to Manipur; the classical dance of Assam is Sattriya, born in Shankaradeva's satras. Kuchipudi (Andhra Pradesh) and Mohiniyattam (Kerala) are correctly matched.

16. Consider the following statements about Kathakali:
    1. Green (pacha) make-up marks noble, heroic characters.
    2. The poet Vallathol founded the Kerala Kalamandalam, which helped revive it.
    3. It is traditionally a solo dance performed by women in the lasya style.
    Which of the statements given above are correct?

    1. 1 and 2 only
    2. 2 and 3 only
    3. 1 and 3 only
    4. 1, 2 and 3
    Show answer

    Answer: A — 1 and 2 only

    Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Kathakali is a dance-drama traditionally performed by men, with many characters and vigorous movement. The solo, female, lasya dance of Kerala described in statement 3 is Mohiniyattam.

17. Consider the following statements about Chhau:
    1. It is one of the eight dance forms recognised as classical by the Sangeet Natak Akademi.
    2. Of its three styles, the Mayurbhanj style is performed without masks.
    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    1. Only 1
    2. Only 2
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Show answer

    Answer: B — Only 2

    Only statement 2 is correct. Chhau is a martial dance of Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal, masked in its Seraikella and Purulia styles and unmasked in Mayurbhanj. It is a UNESCO intangible heritage element, but it is not among the Akademi's eight classical dances.

18. Consider the following pairs of puppet tradition and state:
    1. Kathputli — Rajasthan
    2. Tholu Bommalata — Andhra Pradesh
    3. Putul Nautch — West Bengal
    4. Pavakoothu — Kerala
    How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

    1. Only one pair
    2. Only two pairs
    3. Only three pairs
    4. All four pairs
    Show answer

    Answer: D — All four pairs

    All four pairs are correct: Kathputli is the string puppetry of Rajasthan, Tholu Bommalata the leather shadow puppetry of Andhra Pradesh, Putul Nautch the rod puppetry of West Bengal and Pavakoothu the glove puppetry of Kerala. Each pair also hides a different technique, which is how the paper often asks it.

19. Which is the only surviving tradition of Sanskrit theatre, performed in Kerala in temple theatres called koothambalams?

    1. Yakshagana
    2. Theyyam
    3. Mudiyettu
    4. Koodiyattam
    Show answer

    Answer: D — Koodiyattam

    Koodiyattam is the living Sanskrit theatre of Kerala and is on UNESCO's intangible heritage list. Mudiyettu is also a Kerala ritual drama on that list, which makes it tempting, but it is a folk ritual about the goddess Kali, not Sanskrit theatre; Yakshagana belongs to Karnataka.