UPSC Prelims 2012
Indian Art & Culture Previous Year Questions (PYQs)
Explore 6 solved UPSC Prelims 2012 Indian Art & Culture questions with detailed step-by-step bilingual solutions, option analysis, and answer keys.
The Nagara, Dravida and the Vesara are the:
Detailed Explanation:
Nagara (Northern style), Dravida (Southern style), and Vesara (Mixed style) are the three main styles of Indian temple architecture.
Nagara features beehive-shaped shikharas, Dravida has pyramidal vimanas, and Vesara combines elements of both styles, prevalent in the Deccan region.
Lord Buddha’s image is sometimes shown with the hand gesture called ‘Bhumisparsha Mudra’. It symbolizes
Detailed Explanation:
Bhumisparsha Mudra (Earth-touching gesture) depicts the moment when Siddhartha Gautama, under attack by Mara's temptations at Bodh Gaya, touched the ground with his right hand to call upon Earth goddess (Vasudhara/Sthavira) as witness.
The Earth testified to Buddha's accumulated merits, purity, and spiritual worthiness across countless past lives, defeating Mara's claim and confirming his right to enlightenment. The gesture symbolizes witnessing purity and chastity, not physical protection from disturbance.
With reference to the religious history of medieval India, the Sufi mystics were known to pursue which of the following practices?
- Meditation and control of breath
- Severe ascetic exercises in a lonely place
- Recitation of holy songs to arouse a state of ecstasy in their audience
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
Detailed Explanation:
✅ Statement 1 – Correct: Sufi mystics practised meditation (muraqaba) and breath control (habs-i-dam) techniques to attain spiritual concentration and self-purification.
✅ Statement 2 – Correct: Many Sufis engaged in ascetic practices (khalwa) involving seclusion in lonely places (khanqahs), fasting, and self-denial to detach from worldly desires.
✅ Statement 3 – Correct: Sama (musical assemblies) involving recitation of devotional songs (qawwali) and poetry (ghazals) were central to Sufi practice to induce spiritual ecstasy (wajd) and divine connection.
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With reference to Dhrupad, one of the major traditions of India that has been kept alive for centuries, which of the following statements are correct?
- Dhrupad originated and developed in the Rajput kingdoms during the Mughal period.
- Dhrupad is primarily devotional and spiritual music.
- Dhrupad Alap uses Sanskrit syllables from Mantras.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
Detailed Explanation:
❌ Statement 1 – Incorrect: Dhrupad originated in ancient times from Samaveda chanting and developed in temples during the 12th–15th centuries, well before the Mughal period. It was later patronized by Rajput and Mughal courts but did not originate there.
✅ Statement 2 – Correct: Dhrupad is primarily devotional and spiritual music, traditionally sung in temples before deities, emphasizing meditation and introspection.
✅ Statement 3 – Correct: The Dhrupad Alap uses Sanskrit syllables from Vedic mantras such as "Om, Ananta, Hari, Narayana", reflecting its roots in Vedic chanting traditions.
How do you distinguish between Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam dances?
- Dancers occasionally speaking dialogues is found in Kuchipudi dance but not in Bharatanatyam.
- Dancing on the brass plate by keeping the feet on its edges is a feature of Bharatanatyam but Kuchipudi dance does not have such a form of movements.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Detailed Explanation:
✅ Statement 1 – Correct: Kuchipudi dancers use Vachika Abhinaya (spoken dialogues) during performances, which is a unique feature not found in Bharatanatyam.
❌ Statement 2 – Incorrect: Dancing on brass plates (Tarangam) is a distinctive feature of Kuchipudi, not Bharatanatyam.
With reference to the history of ancient India, which of the following was/were common to both Buddhism and Jainism?
- Avoidance of extremities of penance and enjoyment
- Indifference to the authority of the Vedas
- Denial of the efficacy of rituals
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
Detailed Explanation:
❌ Statement 1 – Incorrect: Buddhism advocated the Middle Path (Madhyama Marga) avoiding extremes of luxury and penance, but Jainism emphasized extreme asceticism and severe penance for spiritual liberation.
✅ Statement 2 – Correct: Both Buddhism and Jainism rejected the authority of the Vedas and did not consider them as ultimate religious texts, marking them as heterodox (Nastika) traditions.
✅ Statement 3 – Correct: Both traditions denied the efficacy of Vedic rituals and sacrifices (yajnas), emphasizing instead personal ethical conduct, right knowledge, and mental discipline for attaining liberation.
UPSC Prelims 2012 - Indian Art & Culture Chapter-wise Distribution
Indian Architecture
1 Qs (16.7%)Religions in India
1 Qs (16.7%)Indian Dance
1 Qs (16.7%)Indian Music
1 Qs (16.7%)Bhakti & Sufi Movements
1 Qs (16.7%)Indian Sculpture
1 Qs (16.7%)UPSC Prelims 2012 - Indian Art & Culture Questions FAQs
Q1 How many Indian Art & Culture questions were asked in UPSC Prelims 2012?
Q2 What is the chapter-wise question distribution for Indian Art & Culture in UPSC Prelims 2012?
- Indian Architecture: 1 questions (16.7%)
- Religions in India: 1 questions (16.7%)
- Indian Dance: 1 questions (16.7%)
- Indian Music: 1 questions (16.7%)
- Bhakti & Sufi Movements: 1 questions (16.7%)
- Indian Sculpture: 1 questions (16.7%)