Q250. Which classical dance is mentioned in the text Vyavaharmala?
[SSC CGL Tier I – 2022]
(A) Sattriya
(B) Mohiniyattam
(C) Manipuri
(D) Odissi
Answer: (B) Mohiniyattam
Explanation: Vyavaharamala is frequently cited in accounts of the historical development of Mohiniyattam in Kerala. The reference supports study of the dance’s literary background and older practice, before institutional revival in modern times.
Q249. Ummatt-aat folk dance belongs to which place or region?
[SSC CGL Tier I – 2022]
(A) Itanagar
(B) Kasauli
(C) Coorg
(D) Gangtok
Answer: (C) Coorg
Explanation: Ummattat is a traditional dance of Kodava women in Kodagu, or Coorg, Karnataka. Dancers wear characteristic attire and perform graceful movements in groups, often during festive gatherings and celebrations of the region’s distinctive cultural identity.
Q248. Which Tamil Hindu festival falls during the Tamil solar month of Thai?
[SSC CGL Tier I – 2022]
(A) Karaga
(B) Bihu
(C) Onam
(D) Thaipusam
Answer: (D) Thaipusam
Explanation: Thaipusam takes place during the Tamil month of Thai and honours Murugan, especially in Tamil communities. Temple processions, offerings and kavadi rituals are central practices. The celebration is also important among Tamil diaspora communities.
Q247. At the princely court of Maihar, where Allauddin Khan performed, which present-day state was it located?
[SSC CGL Tier I – 2022]
(A) Tripura
(B) Uttar Pradesh
(C) Madhya Pradesh
(D) Chhattisgarh
Answer: (C) Madhya Pradesh
Explanation: Maihar is in present-day Madhya Pradesh. Baba Allauddin Khan was a major Hindustani instrumental master connected with the Maihar gharana, and his pupils included Ali Akbar Khan and Ravi Shankar. His influence transformed twentieth-century Indian instrumental music.
Q246. Siddhendra Yogi is traditionally credited with developing which dance tradition?
[SSC CGL Tier I – 2022]
(A) Mohiniyattam
(B) Kathakali
(C) Bharatanatyam
(D) Kuchipudi
Answer: (D) Kuchipudi
Explanation: Siddhendra Yogi is associated with the development of Kuchipudi dance-drama in Andhra Pradesh. Traditional narratives credit him with shaping the Bhama Kalapam repertoire and training male Brahmin performers from Kuchipudi village in the form.
Q245. Who designed the Open Hand Monument at Chandigarh?
[SSC CGL Tier I – 2022]
(A) Matthew Nowicki
(B) Maxwell Fry
(C) Le Corbusier
(D) Albert Mayer
Answer: (C) Le Corbusier
Explanation: Le Corbusier designed the Open Hand Monument for Chandigarh’s Capitol Complex. The moving hand symbolises the exchange of ideas and peaceful openness. The modernist urban landscape is part of a UNESCO World Heritage serial property of his architectural work.
Q244. Me-Dam-Me-Phi is an ancestor-veneration festival celebrated in which state?
[SSC CGL Tier I – 2022]
(A) Goa
(B) Himachal Pradesh
(C) Assam
(D) Madhya Pradesh
Answer: (C) Assam
Explanation: Me-Dam-Me-Phi is observed by the Tai-Ahom community of Assam to honour departed ancestors. Traditional prayers and offerings are made to seek their blessings and to preserve the cultural memory of Ahom family and community life.
Q243. Ustad Abdul Karim Khan was a prominent exponent of which Hindustani gharana?
[SSC CGL Tier I – 2022]
(A) Jaipur
(B) Gwalior
(C) Delhi
(D) Kirana
Answer: (D) Kirana
Explanation: Abdul Karim Khan was a founding figure of the modern Kirana gharana, renowned for its sustained, nuanced treatment of melodic notes. His influential style shaped Hindustani vocal music, and later artists such as Bhimsen Joshi helped popularise this school.
Q242. The formation of the Khalsa Panth is commemorated on which Punjabi festival?
[SSC CGL Tier I – 2022]
(A) Lohri
(B) Hola Mohalla
(C) Teej
(D) Baisakhi
Answer: (D) Baisakhi
Explanation: Guru Gobind Singh inaugurated the Khalsa on Baisakhi in 1699 at Anandpur Sahib. The day already held significance as a spring harvest celebration. Sikhs observe it with prayers, processions and remembrance of the five beloved ones.
Q241. Which vocal music form originated in the Punjab region?
[SSC CGL Tier I – 2022]
(A) Bhajan
(B) Tappa
(C) Qawwali
(D) Ghazal
Answer: (B) Tappa
Explanation: Tappa is a brisk and ornamented vocal genre linked historically to Punjab and the songs of camel drivers. Its quick melodic turns and rhythmic energy later found a place in Hindustani semi-classical repertoire through performers such as Shori Mian.
