Question Discussion & Solution

The correct answer is Aravali.

Key Points

• Aravalli Range, hill system of northern India, running northeasterly for 350 miles (560 km) through Rajasthan state.
• Isolated rocky offshoots continue to just south of Delhi.
• The system is divided into two sections-
  • the Sambhar-Sirohi ranges, taller and including Guru Peak on Mount Abu, the highest peak in the Aravalli Range (5,650 feet [1,722 meters]). 
  • The Sambhar-Khetri ranges, consisting of three ridges that are discontinuous.
  • It gives rise to several rivers, including the Banas, Luni, Sakhi, and Sabarmati. 
• Hrishikesh- 
  • Rishikesh has long been a spiritual center. It is said that the sage Raibhya Rishi did severe penance here and as a reward, God appeared to him in the form of Hrishikesh, hence the name.
  • Rishikesh, a most tranquil place in northern Uttarakhand, surrounded by hills and bisected by the wide and sluggish Ganges, is often claimed as the `Yoga Capital of the World’.
• Taragarh-
  • Ajmer is surrounded by the Aravali Hills.
  • Situated in the center of the state of Rajasthan on the lower slopes of Taragarh hill.
• Jarga-
  • Gogunda has an undulating and rocky topography with high and low hills.
  • The important hills in the area are- 
    • Dholio Dungar.
    • Jeliyo Dungar. 
    • Jarga hills.
  • Jarga hill is the second highest peak of Rajasthan after Mount Abu.

• The term Chaurapanchasika is generally used for a particular style of painting.
• It emerged in the 15th and 16th centuries.
• The dynamic brushwork and the vigorous symbolism of this idiom found widespread expression, with subtle regional variations in the 16th century.

Key Points

Mewar Style:

• Mewar school of Rajasthani paintings are concentrated on its conservative style, trying to avoid the dominance of the Mughal.
• The flatness, bright colours, and several common motifs showed marked resemblance with the Chaurapanchasika style.

Thus, Mewar style of painting resembles the Chaurapanchsika style.​

Additional Information

Kishangarh Style:

• Kishangarh paintings is basically a fusion of Mughal and regional style.
• The theme of this style consisted of the depiction of the love between Krishna and Radha.
• Kishangarh Style of Painting is best known for its Bani Thani paintings.
• Bani Thani refers to the miniature painting which portrays a woman who is elegant and graceful.

Jodhpur Style:

• Jodhpur style inherited the art tradition of prior Marwar, which Pali, its sub-centre, revived in the early 17th century in its Ragamala paintings.
• It excelled in the depiction of Baramasa, Ramayana, votive images of gods and the scenes of harem life.  ​

Bikaner Painting:

• Influenced by the Mughal style.
• The theme of the court scene and religion.
• Mughal artists were given patronage by the Bikaner court.
• Some elements of Deccan style.
• Example - Painted scenes from the Ragmala, Bhagavata Purana, and Rasa Lila.

The correct answer is 12.

Key Points

• The Thar Desert covers 12 districts of Rajasthan western part of Aravali Range and 12 districts of Rajasthan Barmer, Bikaner, Churu, Ganganagar, Hanumangarh, Jaisalmer, Jhunjhunun, Jodhpur, Jalor, Nagaur, Pali, and Sikar.
• The Thar Desert covers some 77,000 square miles (200,000 square km) of territory. It is bordered by the irrigated Indus River plain to the west, the Punjab Plain to the north and northeast, the Aravalli Range to the southeast, and the Rann of Kachchh to the south. The subtropical desert climate there results from persistent high pressure and subsidence at that latitude. The prevailing southwest monsoon winds that bring rain to much of the subcontinent in summer tend to bypass the Thar to the east.
• It is the world’s 17th largest desert and the world’s 9th largest subtropical desert
• About 85% of the Thar Desert is located within India, rest 15% lies in Pakistan
• 60% of the desert lies in the Indian state of Rajasthan, and it spreads into other states of Gujarat, Punjab, and Haryana, and the Pakistani province of Sindh.

 Additional Information

The correct answer is Kathak.

Key Points

• The word Kathak has been derived from the word Katha which means a story.
• Kathakars or storytellers are people who narrate stories largely based on episodes from the epics, myths and legends.
• Three specific forms of this genre that is three Gharanas (schools), which mostly differ in the emphasis given to footwork versus acting, are more famous names, the Jaipur Gharana, the Benaras Gharana and the Lucknow Gharana.
• One name that has almost become famous in modern-day Kathak dance is Pandit Birju Maharaj, a scion of the legendary Maharaj family and son of Acchan Maharaj.
• He is considered the leading advocate of the Lucknow Kalka-Bindadin Gharana.
• Sitara Devi was also another star of this dance form described as Nritya Samragini that is the empress of dance by Rabindranath Tagore and she continues to retain her Kathak Queen title even after death.
• Other eminent Kathak artists include Roshan Kumari, Shovana Narayan, Maya Rao and Kumudini Lakhia.​

Additional Information

• Kathakali:
  • ​Kathakali is a dance mainly performed in Kerala.
  • It is an art that has evolved from many social and religious theatrical forms which existed in the southern region in ancient times. Chakiarkoothu, Koodiyattam, Krishnattam andRamanattam are a few of the ritual performing arts of Kerala.
• Kuchipudi
  • Kuchipudi is one of the classical styles of Indian dance.
  • Around the third and fourth decade of this century, it emerged out of a long rich tradition of dance-drama of the same name.
  • Kuchipudi is the name of a village in the Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh.
  • It is about 35 km. from Vijayawada.
  • Andhra has a very long tradition of dance-drama which was known under the generic name of Yakshagaana.
• Bharatnatyam
  • Bharatnatyam Dance is considered to be over 2000 years old.
  • Several texts beginning with Bharata Muni's Natya Shastra (200 B.C.E. to 200 C.E.) provide information on this dance form. 
  • It is mainly performed in Tamil Nadu in southern India.

The correct answer is Udaipur.

Key Points

• Rajasthan's then CM inaugurated the country's first skill development centre at Udaipur.
• The aim is to provide job-oriented training programmes to the state's unemployed youth.
• This has been set up under the Livelihood skill Project.
• CM said that the State will witness state's economic development and skill development of youth in the near future.
• It will also help in the development of cultural sites in the state.
• After Udaipur the state government is to open 200 such entities in 33 districts across the state, providing skill for youth.