Painting, performing arts, crafts, literature, philosophy and festivals: previous-year questions
41 real UPSC Prelims questions (2011–2026) with the official answer and a clear explanation. 9 of them came in the last five papers.
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Consider the following pairs :
| Craft | Heritage of
| 1. Puthukkuli shawls | Tamil Nadu
| 2. Sujni embroidery | Maharashtra
| 3. Uppada Jamdani saris | Karnataka
Which of the pairs given above is/are correct ?
Answer (a) & explanation
Only pair 1 is correct (a). Puthukkuli shawls, with red and black embroidery on white cloth, are made by Toda women of the Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, and carry a GI tag. Pair 2 is wrong because Sujni is quilted embroidery from Muzaffarpur, Bihar, where women stitch old saris into quilts showing scenes of daily life. Pair 3 is wrong because Uppada Jamdani saris are woven in Uppada, near Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh, and are famous for being light and fine.
UPSC likes to test crafts with GI tags. Notice other examples: Kani shawl (Kashmir), Kasuti embroidery (Karnataka), Chikankari (Lucknow), and Phulkari (Punjab). The Todas are also a PVTG, known for their barrel-shaped huts.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
With reference to Manipuri Sankirtana, consider the following statements :
- 1. It is a song and dance performance.
- 2. Cymbals are the only musical instruments used in the performance.
- 3. It is performed to narrate the life and deeds of Lord Krishna.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Answer (b) & explanation
Statements 1 and 3 are correct (b). Sankirtana of the Manipur valley is a ritual song and dance form (1) that tells the life and deeds of Krishna (3). It is performed in temples and at life events such as births and weddings, and it comes from the Vaishnav devotional tradition. Statement 2 is wrong because the performers use the pung (a barrel drum) as well as cymbals (kartal), and the drummers dance while playing.
UNESCO listed it as Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2013. Notice the related form Manipuri classical dance, with its gentle Ras Lila. Other Indian entries on the UNESCO list include Ramlila, Chhau, Kalbelia, Garba (2023) and Durga Puja in Kolkata (2021).
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
The painting of Bodhisattva Padmapani is one of the most famous and oft-illustrated paintings at
Answer (a) & explanation
The Padmapani painting is at Ajanta (a). The Bodhisattva Padmapani, a lotus-holding form of Avalokiteshvara, is in Ajanta Cave 1. It was painted in the late 5th century under the Vakatakas, beside the Vajrapani on the back wall of the hall. Its lowered eyes, gentle posture and soft shading make it the best-known image of Indian mural art. Badami (b) has Chalukyan cave paintings. Bagh (c), in MP, has Buddhist murals similar to Ajanta's. Ellora (d) is mainly famous for sculpture, such as the Kailasa temple.
Ajanta's murals use the tempera method on dry plaster. Notice the other famous Ajanta scenes: the Dying Princess (Cave 16) and the Jataka tales.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following pairs :
| Traditions | Communities
| 1. Chaliha Sahib Festival | Sindhis
| 2. Nanda Raj Jaat Yatra | Gonds
| 3. Wari-Warkari | Santhals
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched ?
Answer (a) & explanation
Only pair 1 is correct (a). Chaliha Sahib is a 40-day fast and prayer by Sindhis to Jhulelal, their patron saint, held each July–August (1). Pair 2 is wrong because the Nanda Devi Raj Jat is a pilgrimage held about every 12 years in the Garhwal–Kumaon hills of Uttarakhand. It escorts Goddess Nanda to Homkund and has no connection with the Gonds of central India. Pair 3 is wrong because the Wari is the Warkari foot-pilgrimage to Vitthala (Vithoba) at Pandharpur, Maharashtra, carrying the palkhis of saints Dnyaneshwar and Tukaram. It has nothing to do with the Santhals.
Notice the Santhal festivals to keep apart: Sohrai and Karam. The Santhal rebellion was the Hul of 1855.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which one of the following books of ancient India has the love story of the son of the founder of Sunga dynasty?
Answer (b) & explanation
Kalidasa's Malavikagnimitram tells the love story of Agnimitra, son of Pushyamitra Shunga, founder of the Shunga dynasty, for the maid Malavika at his court in Vidisha (b). Svapnavasavadatta (a), by Bhasa, is about Udayana of Vatsa. Ratnavali (d), by Harsha, also has Udayana as its hero. The Meghaduta (c) is Kalidasa's lyric poem of a yaksha sending a message through a cloud.
Pushyamitra overthrew the last Mauryan king, Brihadratha, around 185 BCE. Notice how literature can preserve history: this play is a key source on the early Shungas.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
With reference to the cultural history of India, the memorizing of chronicles, dynastic histories and epic tales was the profession of who of the following?
Answer (d) & explanation
Memorising chronicles and epic tales was the job of the Magadha (d). The Magadhas and Sutas were court bards who learnt by heart and recited royal genealogies, dynastic histories and epic stories. The Puranas and the Mahabharata were passed down partly through them. In the Mahabharata, the suta Sanjaya narrates the war to Dhritarashtra. A shramana (a) was an ascetic of non-Vedic traditions such as Buddhism and Jainism. A parivrajaka (b) was a wandering mendicant. An agraharika (c) was linked with an agrahara, a tax-free land grant to Brahmins.
Notice how ancient Indian history depended on oral traditions. Bards kept the genealogies the Puranas later wrote down, which is why historians check them against inscriptions.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following pairs :
| Famous place | Region
| 1. Bodhgaya | Baghelkhand
| 2. Khajuraho | Bundelkhand
| 3. Shirdi | Vidarbha
| 4. Nasik (Nashik) | Malwa
| 5. Tirupati | Rayalaseema
Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
Answer (c) & explanation
Only pairs 2 and 5 are correct (c). Khajuraho (Chhatarpur, MP) lies in Bundelkhand (2), the land of its Chandela builders. Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh) is in Rayalaseema (5), the southern part of Andhra Pradesh. Pair 1 is wrong because Bodhgaya is in Gaya district of Bihar, the ancient Magadha region. Baghelkhand is Rewa–Satna in MP. Pair 3 is wrong because Shirdi is in Ahmednagar (now Ahilyanagar) in western Maharashtra, not Vidarbha (Nagpur–Amravati). Pair 4 is wrong because Nashik is also in western Maharashtra, while Malwa is the plateau around Indore and Ujjain.
Notice how these regional names keep showing up in questions. Learn them with their key districts, since they decide many map-based questions.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Kalamkari painting refers to
Answer (a) & explanation
Kalamkari ("pen-work") is a hand-painted or block-printed cotton textile of South India (a), mainly Andhra Pradesh. The Srikalahasti style is drawn freehand with a bamboo kalam and shows scenes from the epics and temple themes. The Machilipatnam style uses carved wooden blocks. Both use natural dyes and have GI tags. It is not a North-East bamboo craft (b), a Himalayan woollen cloth (c) or a silk cloth of the North-West (d).
Notice how Kalamkari links art, trade and history: Machilipatnam's printed cloth was a major export when European companies traded on the Coromandel coast.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which one of the following was given classical language status recently?
Answer (a) & explanation
Odia became India's sixth classical language in 2014 (a), after Tamil (2004), Sanskrit (2005), Telugu and Kannada (2008) and Malayalam (2013). In 2015, Konkani (b), Bhojpuri (c) and Assamese (d) did not have the status.
Since then the list has grown: in October 2024, Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali were added, making eleven in all. So today Assamese is also classical, though Konkani and Bhojpuri are not. Notice how such questions can change over time; always read them in their year and know the latest position too.
Assamese was not classical in 2015. It was added only in 2024, so the answer then was Odia.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which of the following has/have been accorded ‘Geographical Indication’ status?
- 1. Banaras Brocades and Sarees
- 2. Rajasthani Daal-Bati-Churma
- 3. Tirupathi Laddu
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Answer (c) & explanation
Banaras brocades and saris received a GI tag in 2009, and the Tirupati laddu got one the same year, registered to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams. So 1 and 3 are correct (c). Daal-bati-churma is a well-known Rajasthani dish but has no GI tag, so options with 2 fail.
The Geographical Indications of Goods Act was passed in 1999 and came into force in 2003; the first Indian GI was Darjeeling tea (2004). GIs protect products whose quality comes from their place of origin. Notice how GI tags support local artisans and farmers by preventing imitation.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which one of the following pairs does not form part of the six systems of Indian Philosophy?
Answer (c) & explanation
The six astika darshanas, which accept the authority of the Vedas, are Sankhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Mimamsa and Vedanta. So options (a), (b) and (d) are all genuine pairs. Lokayata (Charvaka) was a materialist school that rejected the Vedas, and the Kapalikas were a Tantric Shaiva sect, not a system of philosophy, so (c) is the answer.
The darshanas are usually studied in pairs. The nastika schools that rejected Vedic authority include Charvaka, Buddhism, Jainism and Ajivika. Notice how this debate on authority and reason shaped Indian thought for centuries.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following towns of India :
- 1. Bhadrachalam
- 2. Chanderi
- 3. Kancheepuram
- 4. Karnal
Which of the above are famous for the production of traditional sarees/fabric?
Answer (b) & explanation
Chanderi (Ashoknagar, Madhya Pradesh) weaves light, sheer silk-cotton saris with zari borders, and Kanchipuram (Tamil Nadu) is famous for heavy silk saris with temple borders. Both carry GI tags, so the answer is (b). Bhadrachalam in Telangana is known for its Rama temple on the Godavari, and Karnal in Haryana is an agricultural centre, home to the National Dairy Research Institute, so options with 1 or 4 fail.
Other famous weaves include Banarasi, Paithani, Pochampally ikat and Muga silk. Notice how handloom questions blend art and culture with geography and GI tags.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
With reference to the famous Sattriya dance, consider the following statements :
- 1. Sattriya is a combination of music, dance and drama.
- 2. It is a centuries-old living tradition of Vaishnavites of Assam.
- 3. It is based on classical Ragas and Talas of devotional songs composed by Tulsidas, Kabir and Mirabai.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer (b) & explanation
Sattriya, founded by Srimanta Sankardeva in the 15th–16th century, combines music, dance and drama (1 correct). It is a living tradition of the Vaishnava monasteries (sattras) of Assam (2 correct). Statement 3 is wrong: it is set to the borgeets of Sankardeva and Madhavdeva, not songs of Tulsidas, Kabir or Mirabai. So the answer is (b).
Sattriya was recognised as a classical dance by the Sangeet Natak Akademi in 2000. It grew out of the one-act plays called ankiya nat. Notice how the Bhakti movement shaped regional arts, from Sattriya in Assam to Odissi and Kathak.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
With reference to India’s culture and tradition, what is ‘Kalaripayattu’?
Answer (d) & explanation
Kalaripayattu is an ancient martial art and a living tradition of Kerala and nearby parts of South India (d). It is practised in a training pit called the kalari and covers footwork, kicks, weapons such as the flexible urumi sword, and healing massage. It is not a Shaiva Bhakti cult (a) or a bronze craft (b). The Malabar dance-drama in option (c) describes Theyyam or Kathakali.
Kathakali dancers draw on Kalari training for body control. Notice how martial arts, dance and traditional medicine (Ayurvedic massage) blend into one cultural world in Kerala.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following pairs :
- 1. Garba : Gujarat
- 2. Mohiniattam : Odisha
- 3. Yakshagana : Karnataka
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
Answer (c) & explanation
Pairs 1 and 3 are correct (c). Garba is Gujarat's circle dance performed during Navratri, and it was added to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2023. Yakshagana is the coastal Karnataka dance-drama with painted faces and tall headgear. Pair 2 is wrong: Mohiniattam, the graceful solo dance of the enchantress Mohini, belongs to Kerala. Odisha's classical dance is Odissi.
India has eight dance forms recognised as classical by the Sangeet Natak Akademi. Notice how matching dances to states is easier when linked to their temples, festivals and myths.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
A community of people called Manganiyars is well-known for their
Answer (b) & explanation
The Manganiyars of the Thar desert (Barmer and Jaisalmer) in Rajasthan are hereditary Muslim folk musicians of North-West India (b). They sing for their Hindu patron families at births and weddings, playing the bowed kamaicha and the khartal. The other options are wrong: they are not a martial tradition of the North-East (a), South Indian classical singers (c) or pietra dura craftsmen (d).
The Langas are a related musician community. Notice how the patron–musician bond shows the shared, syncretic culture of Rajasthan, which has carried folk music across generations.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
The national motto of India, ‘Satyameva Jayate’ inscribed below the Emblem of India is taken from
Answer (d) & explanation
"Satyameva Jayate" (truth alone triumphs) comes from the Mundaka Upanishad (3.1.6), so the answer is (d). The other Upanishads have their own famous lines: the Katha (a) has the Nachiketa–Yama dialogue, the Chandogya (b) has "Tat tvam asi", and the Aitareya (c) has "Prajnanam Brahma". The motto is written in Devanagari below the Sarnath lion capital in the State Emblem, adopted on 26 January 1950.
Madan Mohan Malaviya did much to popularise the phrase during the freedom struggle. Notice how ancient texts gave the new Republic its symbols.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following languages :
- 1. Gujarati
- 2. Kannada
- 3. Telugu
Which of the above has/have been declared as ‘Classical Language/Languages’ by the Government?
Answer (c) & explanation
Telugu and Kannada were declared classical languages in 2008, after Tamil (2004) and Sanskrit (2005). So 2 and 3 are correct. Gujarati has never received the status, which rules out options (a) and (d); option (b) misses Kannada.
Malayalam followed in 2013 and Odia in 2014. In October 2024 Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali were added, taking the total to eleven. The criteria include high antiquity of early texts (1,500–2,000 years), a body of ancient literature valued as heritage, and an original literary tradition. Notice how this links language policy to the Eighth Schedule and to cultural history.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following historical places :
- 1. Ajanta Caves
- 2. Lepakshi Temple
- 3. Sanchi Stupa
Which of the above places is/are also known for mural paintings?
Answer (b) & explanation
Ajanta and Lepakshi are correct (b). Ajanta (Maharashtra, about 2nd century BCE to 5th century CE) has India's finest ancient murals, painting Jataka stories, such as the Padmapani Bodhisattva (1). The Lepakshi Veerabhadra temple (Andhra Pradesh, Vijayanagara period, 16th century) has large ceiling murals of epic scenes, and a hanging pillar (2). Item 3 is wrong: Sanchi is famous for stone carvings on its gateways (toranas), not paintings. So (a), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice the others: Bagh caves (MP), Sittanavasal (Tamil Nadu, Jain), Badami and the Brihadeeswara temple's Chola murals. The Hoysala temples and Lepakshi are on UNESCO's lists, with Lepakshi on the Tentative List. Trap: Sanchi is Buddhist art like Ajanta, but in stone.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
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?
- 1. Dhrupad originated and developed in the Rajput kingdoms during the Mughal period.
- 2. Dhrupad is primarily a devotional and spiritual music.
- 3. Dhrupad Alap uses Sanskrit syllables from Mantras.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below :
Answer (b) & explanation
Statements 2 and 3 are correct per UPSC's key (b). Dhrupad is the oldest surviving form of Hindustani classical music, and it is primarily devotional and spiritual, rooted in temple singing (2). Its alap uses syllables such as a, ta, na, ri, num, believed to come from mantras like 'Om Ananta Narayana' (3). Statement 1 is the doubt: Dhrupad's roots lie in temple music long before the Mughals, though it flourished under Raja Man Singh Tomar of Gwalior and at Akbar's court with Tansen, so some books mark (c). UPSC treated its origin as pre-Mughal.
Notice the living tradition: the Dagar family (Dagarvani) and the Gundecha brothers kept it alive. Khayal later became more popular. Trap: 'developed in Rajput courts' is half-true, but 'originated' is not.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.