India Quiz - August 2011

The Indian Summer Quiz

August 2011

Anannya Deb

The Quiz Map

● Short Theme – 6 questions
● Up – 25 questions + 5 bonus questions
● Set Theory – 6 questions
● Down – 25 questions + 5 bonus questions

Question Spread

Science, Nature, Flora and
Fauna
Media, Literature and
Entertainment
History, Philosophy and
Ideas
Food, Living, Lifestyle
Art, Craft, Architecture,
Folk Arts
Scriptures, Religion,
Legends, Myths, Folklore
Geography, Travel

Short Theme

6 questions – answers to be written down

+10 per correct answer

Points for theme indicated in respective slide

No negatives; one guess per question

Theme #1 – 30 points

The first Indian monarch to be
known as an Emperor retired to
this location, which is named
after this pond, where he
converted to the prevalent
religion and died through a self-
imposed reduction in food
leading to a fast unto death. It
was his atonement for the many
killings he had done as a Enlarged Picture Next Slide
monarch on the battlefield.
Name the place.

1

Shravanabelagola, called the
“Vatican of the Digambar Jains”

Theme #2 – 25 Points

This elaborate temple dance form is
practiced by Dalits and other low
caste communities. The stories are
usually centred around a Dalit
protagonist who is killed or raped
by the upper caste for a
transgression. The spirit of the
Dalit returns as a God and seeks
justice. Brahmins, who would
otherwise shun the Dalits, get up
and worship these dancers dressed Enlarged Picture Next Slide
up as Gods. The name derives from
Sanskrit for God. Name the dance
form.

2

Thaiyyam or Theyyam.
Practiced in North Kerala,
according to legends, it was an
art given to the low castes by
Parashuram as a means of
maintaining their self-esteem.


Contemporary of Marco Polo in
the 13th century, Syed Usman
Marwandi migrated from his
birthplace Tabriz in Iran to
Sehwan in Sindh. Much to the
horror of the local ulema, he
famously went into a brothel
and converted all the prostitutes
there. Listen to Abida Parveen
here and tell me how does he
sign his name?


Formed in 1962 at the request of Nehru, the Special Frontier Force,
a guerrilla commando unit, was trained by the CIA and Indian
Intelligence Bureau and put under the control of IB (and later
RAW). During the '60s when China was testing nuclear weapons
in the Xinjiang province, mountaineers from SFF would climb up
Nanda Devi and Nanda Kot to install ELINT surveillance devices
for a joint US-India intelligence operation. In 1971, Indira Gandhi
requested the force to intervene in the Bangladesh war . They later
also served in Bluestar (Golden Temple), Kargill and Siachen.
From which community do all the recruits come from?

4

Tibetans either exiled and living
in India or wandering tribes
hiding like the Khampas hiding
from the Chinese in Nepal. After
the 1962 war, Nehru decided to
arm the Tibetans for a possible
future battle against the
Chinese.


Originally working on stone in Vellore, this community was asked
to take up another material which made temple idols lighter and
therefore easier to carry during street processions. One of their first
assignments was during the construction of the Brihadeshwara
Temple in Tanjore. For 700 years, this community has been
practicing this particular art. Name the community and the art
form.

5

Sthapathys of Swamimalai who
are the masters of the Chola
Bronze craft.


Allen Ginsberg was greatly
influenced by them; Bob Dylan
called himself an “American
____”. Albert Grossman of
Elektra Records who had earlier
found success with Bob Dylan,
Peter Paul & Mary and Janis
Joplin knew he had another
topper here when he produced
this compilation. Name the folk
music tradition which was also
the name of the album that
Grossman produced.

6

The Bauls of Bengal, considered
part of the Sufi tradition given
their syncretism of Islam and
Hindu concepts along with an
atheist tendency to present the
common man like a boatman as
a divine entity

Theme

1. Prasannamati Mataji, The Nun's Tale
from Sravanabelagola

2. Hari Das, The (Theyyam) Dancer of
Kannur

3. Lal Peri, The Red Fairy, of Sehwan, Sindh

4. Tashi Passang, The Monk's Tale, from
McLeod Ganj

5. Srikanda Sthapathy, The Idol Maker, from
Swamimalai, Tamil Nadu

6. Kanai Das Baul, The Song of the Blind
Minstrel, from Kenduli, West Bengal

The other three are The Singer of Epics, The
Daughters of Yellamma and The Lady Twilight

Infinite Bounce – Clockwise

25 questions + 5 Bonus questions

+10 per question

1

We'll start this quiz with a
connection between a current
meme and an Indian pop
culture meme. Observe the three
elements and provide the
connection from A + B to C
(Audio)

Enlarged Picture Next Slide

1

Harikishen Goswami, born in
Abbotabad, 1937 joined the film
industry in 1957 making his
debut in the film Fashion (Song
is from that film, composed by
Hemant Kumar). Inspired by his
idol Dilip Kumar, he adopted
the name of the character
played by Dilip Kumar in
Shabnam (1949). The name of
the character is Manoj Kumar.
An India Quiz begins with Mr
Bharat!

2

At almost 6 million tonnes per annum, India is the largest
producer of Cicer Aeritinum, the domesticated variety of the
legume genus Cicer. Pakistan is next with about 800,000 tonnes per
annum. There are two varieties – the Desi, small dark seeds with
rough coat mainly grown in India and the ______, large, lighter
coloured seeds with a smooth coat largely grown in the area
spanning Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The latter is so
called because people in India thought it originated from a certain
location in the west. Archaeological evidence points to this legume
being one of the earliest known cultivated crops on earth. How is
Cicer Aeritinum locally known in India / normal English?

2

Chickpeas or Bengal Gram or
Chana – the two varieties are
Desi and Kabuli.

3

Cuon Alpinus is the only extant member of the genus Cuon according
to Wikipedia. In 2004, the IUCN tagged them “Endangered” with
about 2500 of them still around. Majority of them are in the Indian
subcontinent roaming the Central Indian Highlands, the north east
plains, Ladakh and the Terai region. They hunt in packs, the leader
aiming for the prey's nose and eyes blinding it in the process while
the others aim for the flanks tearing it open and devouring the
internal organs. A famous poet wrote their hunting song:
For our white and excellent nights – for the nights of swift running
Fair ranging far-seeing, good hunting, sure cunning!
Name the animal which, among other names, is also called Red
Demon (Lal Rakshasa)?

3

The Dhole, aka Asiatic Wild
Dog or the Indian Wild Dog.
This species, part of the Canidae
family, seems to have evolved
differently from the wolf (genus
Canis)

Bonus Question #1

(Open to all, please write the answer)
This question is dedicated to Grandmaster Rajiv Rai
In Kipling's The Red Dog (from The Second Jungle Book), he describes
the war between the wolves and the dhole. Mowgli, 16 years of age,
helps out by trapping the dhole in a gorge full of bee-hives
overhanging the rushing Wainganga river. The wolves then attack
the dhole who were running away from the bees.
1. While the wolves manage to defeat the dhole, two senior wolves
lose their lives. One was Wontolla (Outlier). Name the other? (5
points)
2. The story ends with a poem – this creature of the Jungle surveying
the battlefield. Which creature? (5 points)

Bonus Question #1

1. Akela, the Lone Wolf
2. Chil the kite “Chil is good
friends with everybody, but he is a
cold-blooded kind of creature at
heart, because he knows that almost
everybody in the Jungle comes to
him in the long-run” - Chil's Song

4

Vandana Trisarana, a Pali chant, is recited by Buddhist monks after
they adopt the specific practice of Taking Refuge as originated by
Gautam Buddha. The chant is made up of three lines with the first
word of each of the line changing. What are the three words and
what are they collectively called?

4

Buddha, Dharma, Sangha – The
Three Jewels that Buddhists
take refuge in.
The Vandana Tisarana goes:
Buddham saranam gacchami
Dhammam saranam gacchami
Sangham saranam gacchami

5

This bust of the Buddha which
is Hellenistic in style is a prime
example of a style of art on
stone or stucco which developed
c 50 BCE during the Parthians. It
flourished during the Kushans
before being destroyed during
the invasion of the White Huns c
5th century CE. Name the
geographically indicated art
style?


5

The Gandhara Art style, part of
the larger Greco-Buddhist
school of art which gave form to
the Buddha and other motifs &
characters from Buddhism.
Greco-Buddhist art began with
Demetrius I, the Greco-Bactrian
king who called himself “saviour
king”. The first sculptures of the
Buddha in human form were
possibly modeled on Demetrius
I

6

An adaptation of a popular
short story, this is the opening
scene of a 1957 film. Name the
story / film and who was the
music composer?

6

Kabuliwala directed by Tapan
Sinha. This is the Bengali film
version with music by Pt Ravi
Shankar.

7

Originally a priest, he came to
India in 1748 as a chaplain in
Madras. After Clive left Madras
and became Governor of Bengal,
in 1755 he was appointed
Governor of Madras and
contributed to growing the
Company (and his own personal
wealth). There is a range of hills
near Chennai named after him.
More significantly, which is the
water body named after him?

7

Palk Straits / Bay named after
Robert Palk, Governor of
Madras (1755 - 1763)

8

Called parisal in Tamil Nadu
and teppa in Kannada, these
primitive bowl-shaped boats
made of bamboo are a major
tourist attraction on the Kaveri
river, especially in a particular
popular tourist spot (where this
picture has been taken). What
are these boats called in
English (there is a Welsh
version of this boat) and which
is the tourist spot where you
will definitely see it? Enlarged Picture Next Slide

8

Coracles at Hogenakkal falls.
From personal experience, you
can take a good long ride
through the rocks with a short
detour trekking through the
forest upstream.

9

A bureaucrat nearing the end of his service decides to become a
vanaprashti and chooses the post of a supervisor of a government
rest house by the river in a forest in Central India. As he sits in
peace on the river bank, he narrates stories of people he meets
there. Name the 1993 book and the writer who claimed to be
“making India accessible to the Western world” ?

9

A River Sutra by Gita Mehta

10

The lost river of Saraswati is generally believed to have flowed
south west through Punjab-Haryana-Rajasthan before joining with
the Indus. There is much palaeo-archaeological studies on this
along with scholarly interpretations of the various texts of the
times. One text usually referred to is the Rig Veda. According to
Michel Danino, one particular hymn (10.75) is a paen naming
nineteen rivers in an east-west sweep starting with Ganga in the
east and ending with tributaries of the Indus located in
Afghanistan in the west. Name this hymn and between which
two rivers is the Saraswati placed?

10

The Nadistuti Sukta places
Saraswati between Yamuna and
Shutudri (Sutlej).
O Ganga, Yamuna, Sarasvati, Shutudri,
Parushni (Iravati, Ravi), follow my praise! O
Asikni (Chenab) Marudvridha, Vitasta
(Jhelum), with the Arjikiya (Beas) and Sushoma
(Sohan), listen!
First united with the Trishtama in order to
flow, with the Susartu and Rasa, and with this
Svetya (you flow), O Sindhu with the Kubha
(Kabul R.) to the Gomati (Gomal), with the
Mehatnu to the Krumu (Kurram), with whom
you rush together on the same chariot.

11

This lady from Goa is one of the
first female exponents of this
gharana founded by Ustad
Alladiya Khan. This gharana is
considered to be the first to be
founded in the khayal gayaki
tradition. Name the lady and
the gharana?

11

Kesarbai Kerkar of the Jaipur-
Atrauli Gharana

12

When his first book “An Introduction to the Study of Indian History”
was published in 1956, it became mandatory reading for all history
students and many future historians like Romila Thapar have been
influenced by the methods he proposed. In 1967, posthumously,
his last paper was published which delved on the methods of
fieldwork in history. The paper titled “______ __________ of India”
asserted that Indian history is more than the physical evidence of
inscriptions, ruins, coins, etc. It lies in the ancient rituals, customs,
language, folklore, etc of people who make up the many tribes and
ethnic groups in the country. Name the historian and the phrase /
title of the paper.

12

DD Kosambi and the “Living
Prehistory of India”

13

Ramachandra Guha describes this man from Khonomah village as
“one of those remarkable makers of Indian history who is still to find a
biographer.” After an American Baptist education and jobs as an
insurance salesman and a Rangoon dockworker, he joined the
Japanese Army in the hope that they would defeat the British (and
consequently his tribe and their realm would become
independent). On July 19th 1947, he met Gandhi and declared that
on August 15th 1947, along with India and Pakistan, he and his
fellow tribals will declare themselves independent as well. In 1953,
this region erupted into a civil war largely unnoticed to the rest of
the country. Name the person?

13

Angami Zapu Phizo. Leader of
the Naga National Council,
during the election campaign of
the first General Elections
1952 ,Nehru had come to Assam
where Phizo once again
demanded independence.
Nehru said nothing doing.
Phizo called for a boycott of the
elections and next year launched
a war.

14

The reddish colour of the laterite soil combined with a legend
surrounding Parashuram and his killings give this river its name
derived from the Sanskrit for red. It rises in the Zayal Chu ranges
in eastern Tibet and flows westwards. It is a popular destination
for river rafting professionals. Its geographical significance comes
downstream when it merges with another river coming from Tibet.
The confluence which flows westwards has its own name but in
local legends and folk tales, the name of the original river is also
used. What is the name of this river?

14

The Lohit river. It merges with
the Tsiang to form the
Brahmaputra. In Assam, the
name Lohit is also used for the
Brahmaputra.

15

The first song features
Mohammad Rafi, a regular
singer for the actor on which
this song is picturised.
However, in the next song,
another singer does playback.
What could be the possible
reason? (Note: this was common
for about 3 years and there is a
clue in the clip itself, if you
know where to find it)

15

Between 1963 and 1966,
Mohammad Rafi boycotted
singing with Lata Mangeshkar.
One of the lesser petty reasons
was the listing of Lata in the
Guiness Book of World Records
for the most number of songs
recorded (based on a claim
made by Raju Bharatan).

Bonus Question #2

This song ended another Lata
feud when this person re-started
collaborating with her due to
family pressure?
1. What was the family
pressure? (5 points)
2. Which lyricist had his first
hit with this song? (5 points)

Bonus Question #2

Song from Bandini (1962) ,
music director – SD Burman
who for 5 years refused to work
with Lata, unhappy with her
arrogant attitude.
1. RD Burman, in 1962, was
doing Chhote Nawab and
wanted to record his first song
with Lata. So he put pressure on
his dad to mend fences
2. Gulzar is the lyricist

16

Percival Spear, in his “A History of India Vol 2” lists out seven
individuals as the 'Great Mughals'. On one of them, Spear says that
this individual is commonly neglected because his reign lasted
barely five years. He acceded to the throne at the age of 63 after the
death of his father, the previous Emperor, at the age of 88.
However, his reign is notable as he, to quote Spear, “made a
settlement with the implacable Marathas, tranquilised the Rajputs,
decisively defeated the Sikhs in the Punjab and took their last Guru into
his services.” Name this Great Mughal.

16

Qutb ud-din Muhammad
Mua'azzam aka Shah Alam aka
Bahadur Shah (I). Third son of
Aurangzeb, after him, the
Empire started breaking up.

Bonus Question #3

Open to all, please write down the answer.
The one in Agra was built by Shah Jahan inside the Agra Fort,
north of the Diwan-e-Aam. Shah Jahan also built one inside Lahore
Fort. Aurangzeb built one inside the Red Fort in Delhi. Bahadur
Shah I built a small one, similar to the design of one inside the Red
Fort, at Mehrauli, inside the shrine of Qutbuddin Baktiar Kaki.
1. What common name do all these above structures have? (5
Points)
2. Who succeeded Bahadur Shah I as the Mughal emperor?

Bonus Question #3

1. Moti Masjid (Pearl Mosque)

2. Abu'l Fath Muiz-ud-din
Muhammad Jahandar Shah

17

In Lizzie Collingham's Curry – A Tale of Cooks and Conquerors, she
says that this particular dish originated in Persian but perfected in
Kashmir where the Mughals would go during summers. The name
of the dish in Persian means 'stewed in hot clarified butter' while in
Kashmiri, however, one part of the name means red. There are two
versions in Kashmir. The Brahmins cook without onions or garlic,
instead they use fennel and hing for flavour. The Muslims however
use a lot of onions and garlic as well as maval (dried flower of the
cockscomb plant). Name the dish.

18

At an elevation of 1000m, this is the highest point in the Dangs
forest. The name of the forest is probably a British corruption of
the Sanskrit Dand Aranyaka (Bamboo Forest). There is nothing
much in this place but the mere fact that it is elevated makes it, as
per the tourist literature, the only hill station in this state. Name
the place about 200km from Mumbai?

18

Saputara, Gujarat's hill station

19

According to a 14th century legend, Asait Thakar, a priest, went out
to negotiate the release of the daughter of Hemlata Patel who had
been kidnapped by some Muslim dacoits. When asked by dacoits
as to his relationship with the girl, Asait claimed that he was her
father. In order to prove it, he ate from the same plate as offered to
the girl. The girl was released but Asait's fellow priests
excommunicated him for breaking caste rules. So Asait joined
some gypsies and his descendents are called Tragalas. What folk
performing art style claims this legend as its origin?

19

Bhavai, a folk art from Gujarat
typically performed by lower
caste people. All performers are
usually male.

20

This 1971 movie based on a 1968
play should not be confused
with another play published in
1964 even though the
protagonist is the same. Name
the respective creators / writers.

20

Mohammad bin Tughlaq is the
protagonist – the first one is
Girish Karnad's 1964 play. The
second one is a 1971 Tamil film
based on a 1968 Tamil play by
Cho Ramaswamy (who also
directed the film and acted as
Tughlaq)

21

Connect this list with the visual

Mahayana sutras, 224 pu
Mahayana sastras, 192 pu
Sthavira sutras, sastras, 14 pu
Mahasangika, 15 pu
Mahisasaka, 22 pu
Sammitiya, 15 pu
Kasyapiya, 17 pu
Dharmagupta, 42 pu
Sarvastivadin, 67 pu
Treatises on the sciences of Inference, 36 pu
Etymological treatises, 13 pu Enlarged Picture Next Slide
Total – 657 pu

Pu is a treatise / text in Sanskrit

21

The 657 Buddhist scriptures
copied and taken by Huien
Tsang during Harshavardhan's
reign back to China where he
translated them into Chinese
and in the process aligned the
Chinese buddhist thought with
the original Buddhism as
preached by the Buddha.

22

In Tanjore temple inscriptions, this place is mentioned as
Timaittiru, “islands of impurity”, inhabited by cannibals. Marco
Polo writes that the inhabitants of this place are “are without a king
and idolators and no better than wild beasts” He goes to the extent of
saying “they eat everything that they can catch if not of their own race”.
However, Henry Yule in Hobson Jobson says that reports of
cannibalism are unfounded. He traces the name to originate from
the Malay language. Name the place.

22

Andaman Islands (derived from
the Malay Agamitae, name of the
aborigines)

Bonus Question #4

Open to all, write down your
answers
This is a famous photograph of the
Sentinelese tribe in North Sentinel
Island
1. When was this photograph
taken? (5 points)
2. The Sentinelese and the Jarawa
are two of the four Negrito tribes of
the Andamans. Which are the
other two? (5 points for both
answers, no part points)

Bonus Question #4

1. 2004 Tsunami, the Indian
Coast Guard helicopter which
was checking for survivors came
upon this hostile tribal who
started firing arrows at the
helicopter

2. The Great Andamanese and
the Onge tribes.

23

Give the specific historical
connect!

23

Scenes from Malayalam films
Kaalapani (1996) and 1921 (1988).
1921 is based on the last Moplah
Rebellion. All Cellular Jail
prisoners from Kerala were
essentially part of the Moplah
Rebellion. Highly exaggerated
claims are of 20,000 prisoners /
rebels deported to Andamans
(available records list 21 names
though it is said the Japs burnt
down the jail and with it most
records).

24

This is a flower of a species of
deciduous trees common in
India called B. ceiba. Called
Mullilavu in Tamil and Salmali in
Sanskrit, it is widely planted in
parks and along roads in India.
The white fibrous stuff inside its
fruit was used as a substitute to
another commodity of which
India is second largest producer
in the world. This usage gives it
its common name. What?

24

The Cotton Tree (also called Silk
Cotton Tree). In fact, the entire
genus Bombax is called cotton
tree.

Bonus Question #5

Open to all, write down answers
1. The “Cotton” in the Cotton Green railway station comes from
the 19th century Cotton Exchange building nearby. Where does the
word “Green” come from? (5 points)

2. A cotton fabric where some threads are bunched together, the
texture of the fabric suggests a sprinkling of sugar on milk. Used
for every thing from shirts, suits, etc, personal experience says this
fabric is most comfortable for hot and humid weather of Bombay.
What? (5 points)

Bonus Question #5

1. Green comes from “Grain”
warehouses in the area

2. Seersucker from the Hindi –
shir o shakkar (milk and sugar)

25

The fall of the Chouhans in the 12th century saw this community of
craftsmen called Bhulia migrate to the east. Taking their Baandha,
they worked here but demand for it was mostly local.
Radhakrishna Meher was responsible for making the craft more
organised and popular outside of their area. His descendents like
Kunja Bihari Meher, Kruthrath Acharya, etc have received Padma
Shree awards for their achievement. Indira Gandhi made this craft
nationally famous. Sonepuri, Pasapali, Bomkai, Barpali and Bapta are
some varieties referring to the villages where they are produced.
What is the Geographically Indicated craft name?

25

Sambalpuri Ikkat Sari, the very
difficult tie-and-dye craft from
Orissa / Odisha

Set Theory

6 Questions

All written

Points explained in each slide

Set Theory 1

1. Zubeida, 2001, 2. Samar*, 1999 2. Mammo, 1995, 3. ______, 1993,
4. Arohan, 1982, 5. _____, 1979, 6. Manthan, 1977, 7. Nishant, 1976

1. Fill in the two blanks? (5 points – no part points)
2. The * attached to Samar indicates it is the odd one out. What
makes it the odd one? (5 points)

Set Theory #1

Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda, Junoon

Seven movies have won the
Rajat Kamal, Best Hindi Film

Samar, 1999, won the Swarn
Kamal, Best Film overall

Set Theory #2

Methi, Saunf, Kala jeera (Nigella), jeera, ______

The blank has two options, Give both. (5 Points each)

Set Theory #2

Ajwain (Radhuni) and Celery
Seed (Dhania)

The Indian Five Spices (Panch
Phoron in Bengali)

Set Theory #3

Totally 16 of them, the first few are given below

_____, ______, Chandragupta I, Samudragupta, Ramagupta,...

Give the first two. (5 points each)

Set Theory #3

Srigupta (founder of the Gupta
dynasty), Ghatotkacha are the
first two (c 4th Century CE)

Set Theory #4

First World War – 9 (1914 – 1918), ________ - 1 (1921), Second
World War – 19 (1939 – 1945)

1. What is this? (5 Points)
2. Fill in the blanks (5 Points)

Set Theory #4

Indian Victoria Cross Recipients

Ishari Singh of the 28th Punjab
Regiment was given a VC in the
1921 Waziristan Campaign

Set Theory #5

This is an ordered set of six.
What is this six? (2.5 Points)
What do the six represent? (2.5 Points)
Name the missing one? (5 Points)

Images on the next slide

Set Theory #5

The Six Principal Ragas
according to the Ragamala
treatise, all other raags are wives
(Ragini), sons (Ragaputra) or
daughter (Ragaputri).

They repesent the six seasons

The missing one is Malkauns
(the wedding season)

Set Theory #6

Set of 9
Maurya, Mughal, Maratha, Kakatiya, Chola, ____, _____, _____,
____

2.5 Points for each blank

Set Theory #6

9 ITC Luxury Collection hotels
Windsor (Bangalore), Gardenia
(Bangalore), Sonar Bangla
(Kolkata), Grand Central
(Mumbai)

26

The Salabhanjika artistic form is
seen in Hoysala temples of
Karnataka. A similar form called
Madanika is seen in the Chalukya
temples also in Karnataka. It
depicts a young, well-endowed
chaste woman posing under a tree,
usually sal or asoka, her touch
leading to fertility of the tree. There
may be a Buddhist reference
Larger Visual Next Slide
specifically to a particular event
involving a woman under an asoka
tree. Which woman / incident?

26

Queen Maya giving birth to
Prince Siddhartha under the
asoka tree in the park in
Lumbini. This theory has been
propounded by some German
Buddhist scholars

27

Vishwamitra

Gayatri Mantra, supposedly
composed and first recited by
Vishwamitra

Vishwamitra and Menaka, two
paintings by Raja Ravi Varma

28

June 23rd 1953, the Manchester Guardian published an editorial
about a growing controversy that triggered from a recent event.
There were two issues of which the first one (the more sensitive
one) was which country did a particular individual belong to as he
was born in one and lived in the other. While terming it “an
absurdity”, it nonetheless warned that unless checked, it could
become “an ugly quarrel”. It finally recommends that both
countries should honour the person alike and not indulge in
jealousy. The editorial made a passing snide remark saying “We
ourselves, after all, are not unwilling to proclaim the success of the
__________ as a triumph for Britain.” What is the controversy?

28

Whether Tenzing Norgay was
Nepali (his country of birth) or
Indian (his country of
residence). Tenzing, who is
Tibetan by ethnicity, at the age
of 19 emigrated and settled in
Darjeeling (the Sherpa
community there) and lived till
his death at the age of 71.

29

Girish Chandra Ghosh, the legendary theatre personality of
Bengal, in 1905 wrote two historical plays – a single event viewed
from the eyes of two protagonists. According to Sisir Kumar Das,
The History of Indian Literature 1800-1910 (published: Sahtya
Akademi), this play was part of a period in Indian drama which saw
many Indian plays based on “historical episodes but the construction
of its story and character-portrayal strongly resemble Shakespearian
tragedies like Hamlet and Macbeth.” In Girish Chandra Ghosh's plays,
he presents, whom many nationalist historians call, the first Indian
freedom fighter. What were the two plays?

29

Sirajudaullah and Mirkashim.
One of the notable performances
of Sirajudaullah was by Utpal
Dutt in the '50s.

30

Fill in the blanks

La Plata – Franciscana, Pontoporia blainvillei
Yangtze – Baiji, Lipotes Vexillifer (till 2006)
Amazon – Boto, Inia Geoffrensis
_____ - Bhulan , Platanista minor
_____ - Susu, Platanista _________

30

Indus and Ganga. Family of
river dolphins.

31

Vikram Doctor in his “Little Luxuries” series says that there is an
obsession for kallumakai which runs in the family (since his mother
is from North Kerala). Meaning “fruit of the rocks” in Malayalam,
Doc's grandma used to go Dharmadam beach near Kannur to pick
them up from the rocks there. She would then pickle them and
when the kallumakai were over, strips of carrot resembling it in
colour would be put in to extract every bit of colour. Another way
of eating it is Arikkadukka, stuffing with rice flour and spices,
steaming it and then frying. Doc advises to avoid Goan Hindu
restaurants in Mumbai who fry them with a semolina coating.
What is kallumakai?

32

Name the author (referred to as X in the passage below.
From Google Books, “Britain's Betrayal of India”, Second Edition,
Simon Wallenberg Press, 2007
While acknowledged as an outstanding work of research and scholarship by
historians, the book tells a fascinating story. X (the author) chronicles the
history of the Y community and covers the main periods in the life of the
community, outlining their achievements and their illustrious history. The
first part is an account of the earliest times of the Y, 1639 to the period
between the founding of the main settlements in Madras by the East India
company and their expansion into the South in 1791. The second part covers
the period of conquest from 1791 to the great Indian mutiny and includes the
post mutiny period to the years after India's independence. In the third part
the author chronicles the post Independence battles that the community faced
and life in India after the country became independent.

32

Frank Anthony, an Anglo
Indian, was India's
representative at the UN, also
first Anglo-Indian MP in the Lok
Sabha during Nehru's time

Bonus Question #6

Open to all, answers to be
written down
This song is from an English
language film (one of the worst
ever made) on the Anglo
Indians living in a particular
area of Calcutta
1. Name the film? (5 points)
2. Who directed the film as well
as was the music director? (5
points)

Bonus Question #6

1. Bow Barracks Forever (Bow
Barracks a set of apartment
blocks with about 130 families,
80% are Anglo Indian, the
remaining are Muslim and
people of Chinese origin

2. Anjan Dutta

33

In 1861, this poet (whose
tombstone you can see),
published The Ballad of
Meghnad's Death (Meghnad Badh
Kabya). In this poem, influenced
by Milton's blank verse, he turns
the protagonist, Meghnad, into a
tragic hero dying at the hands of
Ram. Name the poet.

33

Micheal Madhusudan Dutt,
creator of the Bengali blank
verse and Bengali sonnet.

34

In the mid 1660s East India Company had a flourishing trade in
this commodity from India which supplanted the woad plant. At
the same time, Isaac Newton, having bought two prisms, was
doing work in optics. What did Newton make of it?

34

Newton published “A Theory
Concerning Light and Colour”
where he explained the
spectrum of light as it passs
through a prism. He named
seven colours including indigo,
the first use of this dye as a
spectral colour. He got to know
about indigo from the indigofera
tinctoria imports of the East
India Company

35

These are two Feynman
diagrams – the first one is an
annihilation, the second one is a
scattering, Together they
contribute to the scattering
interactions inside electron-
positron colliders. In quantum
electrodynamics, what is the
name of the process which is
used as a luminosity monitor in
collision experiments?

35

Bhabha Scattering, named after
Homi Bhabha derived the
expression for calculating the
probabilities of scattering
positrons by electrons.

Bonus Question #7

Open to all, answers to be written down
1. With the outbreak of WW2, Bhabha returned to India and joined
IISc under CV Raman. After working for a couple of years, he
moved to Bombay. Which two institutions did start in 1945 and
1948? (5 points for both)
2. TAPS, MAPS, KAPS, NAPS, RAPS, _____ Generating Station.
Fill in the blanks. (5 points)

Bonus Question #7

1. TIFR and Atomic Energy
Research Centre (later renamed
Bhabha ARC after his death)

2. Kaiga in Karnataka
(Tarapur, Rajasthan, Madras,
Narora and Kakrapar)

36

Connect the two audio clips.

36

Maihar
First is a tune from The
Householder composed by
Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, of the
Maihar gharana founded by his
father Ustad Allauddin Khan.
The second is the Maihar Band,
the first (and still the only
according to some) Indian
classical music band formed by
the father to develop orphaned
children in the Maihar state

Bonus Question #8

A little contrived to be in this quiz but anyway give book and
author, founder of the Elmwood Institute.
I dedicate this book to
Ali Akbar Khan
Carlos Castaneda
Geoffrey Chew
John Coltrane
Werner Heisenberg
Krishnamurti
Lie Hsiu Ch'i
Phiroz Mehta
Jerry Shesko
Bobby Smith
Maria Teuffenbach
Alan Watts for helping me find the path
and to Jacqueline who has traveled with me on this path most of the time

Bonus Question #8

The Tao of Physics by Fritjof
Capra.

37

This riverine sanctuary is one of the last surviving habitats of the
Gangetic River Dolphin. It is home to the gharial, the marsh
crocodile, eight species of turtles and smooth coated otters. Besides
these, there are over 330 species of birds, both resident and
migratory including the sarus crane. It is one of the cleanest rivers
in India as there are very few people living around it, no temples,
no effluents flowing into it, etc. Known as Charmanyati in the
Mahabharata, it was on the banks of this river where the infamous
dice game was held leading to the disrobing of Draupadi. She had
then cursed anyone who drank its waters. This is the given reason
for its cleanliness. Name the sanctuary / river which is a tributary
of the Yamuna?

37

The National Chambal
Sanctuary, preserving the
perennial Chambal riverine
ecosystem.

38

The location of this scene is a
geologically significant entity in
India. It is named after a British
officer who founded a town
here. Name the geological
entity.

38

Closepet Granite around
Ramanagram (originally called
Closepet after Sir Brian Close
who founded the town). The
Closepet Granite is one of the
oldest granite beds on the
earth's surface.

39

A scion of the “branch” which
according to history came out of
the “new country”. Along with
the “old country” and the “hill
country”, they formed the four
main powers of that time. Name
the quartet?

39

The Pallavas (branch), the
Cholas (new country), the
Pandyas (old country) and the
Cheras (hill country)

40

What are these three and give the missing part?
Muga – som tree and suala tree, naturally golden.
Eri – castor oil plant, non violent.
Pat - ????, white / off white.

40

Three varieties of Assam silk;
the Pat silk comes from
silkworms (Bombyx Mori –
silkworms of the mulberry tree)
who feed on mulberry trees.
Muga comes from the Antherea
assamensis silkworm whose
larvae feed on the som and suala
trees. Assam Muga has the
status of a Geographic Indicator.

41

Percival Spear says he “reconciled Sunni legalism with religion of the
spirit” and laid down the germ for a Muslim state in India. A
website called Islam Laws, while calling him a “Great Indian
Saint” says, he “elaborated a new set of Sufi doctrines and disciplines
grounded in following the prophetic example (sunna) and Islamic law
(Sharia)”. It agrees with Spear when it says that “selective
interpretations of his work have been used to justify the state of
Pakistan”. What is known is that he strongly opposed Akbar's
syncretism and advocated that kafirs should be insulted and
humiliated. Who is this 16th - 17th century highly influential
figure?

41

Sheikh Ahmed Naqsbandi of
Sirhind, Punjab. Called the The
Reviver of the Second Millennium,
his biggest follower was
Aurangzeb who reversed most
of Akbar's liberal policies.

42

Hazrat Shaikh al-Mushaek Jalal-ud-Din aka Shah Jalal, originally
from Mecca, was a 14th century Sufi who came to this part of the
country to provide spiritual support to the Muslim general
Sikandar Ghazi, nephew of Firozshah Tughlaq, who was fighting
the local Hindu ruler Govinda of Gaur. His spiritual support and
proselytisation efforts led to a significant number of people
converting to Islam thus reducing the king's local support. Many
centuries later, this place held a significant referendum. Name the
place and what was the referendum about?

42

Sylhet. In July 1947, with 43%
votes, Sylhet voted to be part of
Pakistan (only Karimganj
district voted to be part of
India). In 1971, it was the place
where the Mukti Bahini began
their guerrilla operations aided
by India.

43

With respect to a specific event
in 2006, connect the two.

43

In the summer of 2006, Roly
Books brought out the 50th
Anniversary edition of
Khuswant Singh's Train To
Pakistan in a special edition
which had over 60 Margaret
Bourke-White photographs of
the Partition. Apparently, some
of these photographs were
posted at Khan Market during a
launch event but people just
walked past.

44

Mint, Jan 2011, Shamanth Rao
quotes Nilanjana Roy:
“The actual journey is dusty,
unromantic and unremarkable but
the idea is attractive – discovering
India, snaking through her spinal
cord, and the music of that phrase:
'__ se __ tak'”

Connect with the video.

44

Himsagar Express. Om Puri in
Shyam Benegal's Yatra travels
from Kanyakumari se Kashmir tak.

45

This name means “loss of beauty”. It refers to the fact that many
animals lost their distinctive features as they were taken away in
the creation of this person. There is this passage in the
Mahabharata (Book 3, Vana Parva):
“Cast thou away these costly robes and ornaments.” And at these
words of her lord, the large eyed damsel of thighs tapering as the
stem of the plantain tree cast away her handsome and costly robes
of fine texture. And casting them away she dressed herself in rags
and barks and deerskins and became her husband's equal in vows
and acts.
Name the name / character.

45

Lopamudra, wife of Agastya, so
named as she was created by
Agastya by taking different
features from different animals –
eyes of a deer.

Bonus Question #9

Open to all, answers to be
written down
1. This place, a capital of a
dynasty, is named after a person
killed by Agastya. Name the
place. (5 Points)
2. Name the UNESCO World
Heritage Site which is associated
with the dynasty which ruled
from the above place? (5 points)

Bonus Question #9

1. Badami (Vatapi), capital of
the Chalukyas. Vatapi was
digested by Agastya.

2. Pattadakal, the temple
complex, where the Chalukyan
kings had their coronation

46

Cervus Elaphus ______ is the only surviving subspecies of Cervus
Elaphus in Asia. Ironically Cervus Elaphus is one of the most
common species of its family. In early 20th century, they numbered
5000. Post independence, the number came down to 400 (1957) and
180 (1967). There was a project initiated by the state government
along with IUCN. It was called Project ______. Because of these
efforts by 1988, the population rose to 918. Political trouble in the
state caused a breakdown of conservation efforts. Poaching by
insurgents for meat caused significant reduction in population. In
2008, it was estimated at 127 and it rose slightly to 220 (2011). Most
of these animals inhabit this specially demarcated sanctuary which
has an elevation of 3000+ metres. Name the animal and the
sanctuary.

46

Hangul (Kashmir Stag) and
Dachigam National Park.

47

Vikram Doctor says that this herb originated in the northwest part
of India. It was taken to the west by Alexander (though not
completely proven) where it was given the name from the Greek
for king. The Arabs called it “rihaan” or the fragrant one. The Latin
genus is Ocimum and the one in India is called Ocimum Tenuiflorum
(earlier known as Ocimum Sanctum) though it is used more for
medicinal purposes and not for cooking. Doctor mentions that
there is a John Keats poem Isabella where the lady preserves the
decapitated head of her lover in a pot of the herbs. Which herb is
this and what does Vikram Doctor call this herb, a reference to
second generation Indian kids living abroad who become so
exotically good looking and glamourous?

47

Basil (Ocimum Basillicum) or
Tulsi (Holy Basil, Ocimum
Tenuiflorum). Doc calls it the
Padma Lakshmi of Indian
herbs.

48

This palace, used in Octopussy,
was built for the king so that he
could enjoy the monsoon clouds
as well as see Chittorgarh, his
ancestral home. Now under the
management of the Forest
Department, name this
specimen of 19th century Rajput
architecture?

48

Sajjangarh ak.a The Monsoon
Palace, in the Aravalli Hills
overlooking Udaipur.

49

This is an ACK
reproduction of a cave
painting from Ajanta
caves. It shows the
migration of a group of
people from Bengal led by
their king Vijaya across the
seas. The name of the place
where they settled and the Larger Picture Next Slide
ethnic peoples there get
their name from this group
of people. Name the place
and the people.

49

Sri Lanka, Sinhala. The Sinhas
from Bengal migrated south to
this island which they named
after themselves. This theory has
been proposed by a number of
historians including Romila
Thapar.

Bonus Question #10

Open to all, answers to be written down.
Another question from Amar Chitra Katha. This particular title “X
to the Rescue – Adapted from the Rig Veda” #319, Oct 1 1984, has this
short intro:
Judging by the number of hymns in the Rig Veda, X seem to be next in
importance to Indra, Agni and Soma.
Most of these hymns are either an appeal for their help or panegyrics for
the help rendered to men in distress.
X are extremely fond of honey and even carry it wherever they go,
distributing it to bees and mortals.
Who is X? (10 points)

Bonus Question #10

The Ashwin twins.

50

We come back to DD Kosambi for the last question. In an essay,
“The Bourgeoisie Comes of Age in India”, published in Science and
Society, 1946, he reviews and discusses a recent publication:
“The long-awaited publication of X's book on India: past and present, has
in many ways justified the great hopes raised by the author's
distinguishing record in the struggle for India's freedom and by his active
share in his struggle against war.”
On a few historical facts that seemed to be taken mostly from
British records, DD Kosambi isn't angry with X saying “This may be
condoned because Indian political prisoners hardly have reference
libraries at their disposal.” Who is X and which book is this?

Dhanyavaad

And the winner eej...

50

Jawaharlal Nehru's The
Discovery of India, written in
jail (during the Quit India
movement) and published in
1946

India Quiz - August 2011

India Quiz - August 2011

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