Last minute preparation on Arts and Culture topic for NTPC(RRB) examination 2025

Last-minute preparation on the Arts and Culture topic for NTPC(RRB) examination 2025. Here are revision notes on Arts and culture in details, compiled from different websites for Competitive exams in 2025

Arts and Culture

Dance

• Indian dance forms are mainly divided into classical and folk categories.
• The principles of Indian classical dance derive from the Natyashastra by Bharatamuni.
• The Sangeet Natak Akademi and the Ministry of Culture confer classical status to eight Indian classical dance forms.
• Bharatanatyam is a dance of Tamil Nadu in south India.
• Kathakali is a dance of Kerala in south India.
• Manipuri originated from the state of Manipur.
• Odissi dance is the classical dance form of Odisha that has its origin in temples.
• Kathak is indigenous to northern India and developed under the influence of Hindu Muslim cultures.
• Kuchipudi is the classical dance of Andhra Pradesh in south India and originated in a village named Kuchipudi.
• Mohiniyattam is a classical solo dance form of Kerala.
• Sattriya has its origins in the Vaishnava monasteries (sattras) of Assom.
• Bihu dance is a folk dance from the Indian State of Assam related to the festival of Bihu.
• Bhangra is a folk dance from the Indian State of Punjab, conducted by farmers to celebrate the harvest season.
• Ghoomar is a traditional women’s folk dance from the Indian State of Rajasthan.
• Garba is a popular folk dance from the Indian State of Gujarat, performed during Navratri.
• Kummi is a popular folk dance from the Indian State of Tamil Nadu, performed by women clapping their hands rhythmically.
• Dandiya Raas is a folk dance performed during Navratri, originating in Gujarat.
• Bamboo dance is a tribal dance of Nagaland, exclusively performed by girls.
• Kolattam is a folk dance originated in Tamil Nadu, popular throughout India.
• Ootam Thullal is a folk dance of Kerala, introduced by Kunchan Nambiar.

Folk Theatre

• Bhand Pather is a traditional street theatre of Jammu and Kashmir.
• Yakshagana is the traditional folk theatre form of Karnataka, based on mythological stories.
• Krishnattam is a dance oriented folk theatre of Kerala, presenting the story of Lord Krishna.
• Swang is a folk dance drama popular in Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh.
• Nautanki is a mass entertaining folk theatre popular in Haryana, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, etc.
• Rasa Leela is a theatre form popular in Uttar Pradesh and other parts of north India.
• Jatra originated and flourished in Bengal as a result of the Bhakthi movement.
• Bhaona is a traditional religious theatre originated and thrived in Assam.
• Tamasha is a traditional folk theatre form of Maharashtra.
• Dashavatar is a popular theatre form of the Southern Konkan region of Maharastra and Northern Goa, featuring performers wearing masks.
• Therukoothu is the most popular form of folk drama of Tamil Nadu.
• Bhavai is a traditional theatre form of Gujarat, usually performed to revere goddess Amba.

Music

• The origins of Indian classical music can be found from the oldest Vedas, with Samveda describing music at length.
• The basic scale of Indian music is heptatonic with seven notes or svara (sa, ri, ga, ma, pa, dha, ni).
• The pillars of the Indian music system are Swara, Raga, and Taal.
• Two main genres of Indian classical music are Hindustani and Carnatic.
• Carnatic Music flourished under the patronage of Krishnadevaraya in Vijayanagar.
• The golden period of south Indian classical music was during the time of Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar, and Syama Sastri.
• Hindustani is a classical music genre of northern India.
• Amir Khusrau is believed to have originated the khayal, tarana, and qawwali styles and is often called the father of qawwali.
• Zakir Hussain is a famous Tabla player.
• Ravi Shankar is a famous Hindustani Musician and Sitar player.
• Bismillah Khan is associated with the Shehnai.
• Hari Prasad Chaurasia is associated with the Flute.
• Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma is associated with the Santoor.

Paintings

• Indian Paintings can be broadly classified as Murals and Miniatures.
• Mural Paintings are paintings made on walls of caves and palaces, with major themes being Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.
• Some of the earliest murals are found in the caves of Ajanta, Ellora, Elephanta, Bagh, and Sittanvasal.
• Miniature paintings are small and detailed paintings executed on perishable materials like paper or cloth.
• Religious texts on Buddhism (under the Palas) and Jain texts (in western India) are some of the earliest miniature paintings.
• Madhubani Painting is practised in the Mithila region of Bihar, traditionally done by women, leaving no space empty.
• Mahasundari Devi is a famous artist of Madhubani painting.
• Pattachitra is an ancient art genre from Odhisa, based on themes related to Lord Jagannath and Lord Krishna.
• Kalamkari painting flourished in Kalahasti and Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh.
• Pithora Painting is the folk painting of Rathvas and Bhilalas tribes of Gujarati.
• Kolam is a ritualistic design drawn at the threshold of households and temples in South India by women every day.
• Warli Paintings belong to the Warli tribe of Maharashtra and are one of the oldest art forms of India.
• Kalighat paintings originated in the vicinity of Kalighat Kali Temple in Kolkata, with themes from mythology to social issues.
• Thangka Paintings are Tibetan folk paintings with images of Buddha made on cotton or silk cloth.
• Patna Kalam (or Company painting) is a style of Indian painting that existed in Bihar in the 18th and 19th centuries, an off-shoot of Mughal painting.
• Raja Ravi Varma is famous for works like Hamsa Damayanti and Shakuntala.
• Binod Behari Mukherjee is known for ‘Villagers’.
• Jamini Roy is known for ‘Mother and Child’ and ‘Krishna and Balarama’.
• Rabindranath Tagore created works like ‘Landscape’ and ‘Dancing Woman’.
• Abanindranath Tagore is famous for ‘Bharat Mata’.

Martial Arts

• Kalaripayattu originated from Kerala.
• Silambam originated from Tamil Nadu.
• Thang-ta and Sarit Sarak originated from Manipur.
• Gatka originated from Punjab.
• Lathi originated from Punjab & Bengal.
• Musti Yuddha originated from Varanasi.
• Pari-Khanda originated from Bihar.
• Mardani Khel originated from Kolhapur, Maharashtra.

Calendars

• Four types of calendars followed in India are Vikram Samvat, Saka Samvat, Hijri calendar, and Gregorian calendar.
• Vikram Samvat is a Hindu lunar calendar and the official calendar of Nepal.
• The Saka Era was founded by Kanishka in 78 A.D.
• The Saka calendar is the National Calendar of India and is used along with the Gregorian Calendar in the Gazette of India.
• The first month of the Saka Samvat is Chaitra, beginning on March 22 (March 21 in leap years).
• The Hijri calendar is an Islamic lunar calendar, with the first year beginning in 622 AD, marking the emigration of Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina.
• The first day of the Hijri year is observed on the first day of Muharram.
• The Gregorian calendar was introduced in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII and is the most used calendar in the world.

Fairs and Festivals

• Ugadi is the Telugu New Year.
• Baisakhi is the Punjabi New Year.
• Puthandu is the Tamil New Year.
• Bohag Bihu is the Assamese New Year.
• Pohela Boishakh is the Bengali New Year.
• Bestu Varas is the Gujarati New Year.
• Vishu is the Malayalam New Year.
• Losoong is the Sikkimese New Year.
• Pana Sankranti is the Odisha New Year.
• Navreh is the Kashmiri New Year.
• Losar is the Arunachal Pradesh New Year.
• Gudi Padwa is celebrated as the New Year’s Day in Maharashtra on the first day of Chaitra month.
• Jude Sheetal is the Maithili New Year, celebrated in Bihar, Jharkhand, and Nepal.
• Onam is a festival of Kerala.
• Pongal is a festival of Tamil Nadu.
• Durga Puja is a festival of West Bengal.
• Bhangra and Lohri are festivals of Punjab.
• Ghumar and Gangaur Festival are festivals of Rajasthan.
• Hornbill Festival is celebrated in Nagaland.
• Chapchar Kut is a festival of Mizoram, celebrated in March.
• Kumbh Mela and Ram Leela are festivals of Uttar Pradesh.
• Chhath Puja is a festival of Bihar.
• Garba is performed during Navratri.
• Ghoomar is traditionally performed during occasions like Diwali, Holi, and on a bride’s arrival.
• The Sangai Festival is celebrated in Manipur.
• Elephant festival is celebrated annually in Jaipur.
• Me-Dam-Me-Phi is a communal festival observed by the Ahom community in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
• Chakan Gaan-Ngai, a post-harvest festival, is celebrated in Manipur.
• Rajgir Mahotsav is celebrated in Bihar.
• Aadiperukku (Aadi Monson Festival) is celebrated in Tamil Nadu during July/August.
• Kajri is a song sung during the rainy season.
• Maha Kumbh Mela is generally organized every 12 years.
• Jon Beel Mela in Assam is the only fair in India where the barter system is still used.

Arts and Cultural Institutions

• The Anthropological Survey of India, founded in 1945, is headquartered in Kolkata.
• The Archaeological Survey of India, founded in 1861, is headquartered in New Delhi.
• The Asiatic Society, founded in 1784, is located in Kolkata.
• The Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts, founded in 1985, is in New Delhi.
• Lalit Kala Academy, founded in 1954, is in New Delhi.
• The National Archives of India, founded in 1981, is in New Delhi.
• The National School of Drama, founded in 1959, is in New Delhi.
• Sahitya Academy, founded in 1954, is in New Delhi.
• Sangeet Natak Academy, founded in 1953, is in New Delhi.
• Victoria Memorial Hall is in Kolkata.
• The Central Institute of Buddhist Studies is in Leh.
• The Film and Television Institute of India is located in Pune.
• The Indian Council for Cultural Relations was founded by Abul Kalam Azad.

Temples

• Indian temples are classified into Nagara (North India) and Dravida (South India) orders.
• Shikhara is found in North Indian temples, while Vimana is found in South Indian temples.
• Kalasha is the topmost point of the temple, commonly seen in North Indian temples.
• Amarnath Temple in Jammu & Kashmir is dedicated to Lord Shiva.
• Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab, was founded by Guru Ram Das and Guru Arjan.
• Akshardham Temple is situated in New Delhi and is revered for Hindu deity Swami Narayan.
• Konark Sun Temple (Black Pagoda) in Konark, Odisha, was built by King Narasimhadeva I and is dedicated to Sun God Surya.
• Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha, is dedicated to Lord Jagannath.
• Brihadeeswara Temple in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, built by Chola king Raja Raja Chola I, is dedicated to Lord Shiva.
• Siddhivinayak Temple in Mumbai, Maharashtra, is dedicated to Lord Ganesha.
• Somnath Temple in Saurashtra, Gujarat, is dedicated to Lord Shiva.
• Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha, is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is an example of Kalinga Style (under Nagara style).
• Dilwara Temples in Mount Abu, Rajasthan, are Jain temples.
• Khajuraho Temples in Madhya Pradesh are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, patronized by Chandela kings.
• Tirupati Balaji Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu.
• Virupaksha Temple in Hampi, Karnataka, is dedicated to Lord Virupaksha (a form of Shiva).
• Meenakshi Temple in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, is dedicated to Meenakshi (Parvati) and Sundareshwar (Shiva).
• Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, is dedicated to Lord Shiva.
• Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, is dedicated to Lord Vishnu.
• Gomateshwara Bahubali Temple is in Shravanbela Gola, Karnataka.
• Nataraja Temple in Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, is dedicated to Natarajar (Shiva).
• Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, is dedicated to Lord Shiva.
• Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, is dedicated to Lord Shiva.
• Badrinath Temple in Badrinath, Uttarakhand, is dedicated to Lord Vishnu.
• Kedarnath Temple in Kedarnath, Uttarakhand, is dedicated to Lord Shiva.
• Kailasnath Temple in Ellora, Maharashtra, was built by Rashtrakuta King Krishna I.
• The Shore Temple of Mamallapuram was built by Narasimhavarman II.

Languages

• The Eighth Schedule to the Constitution currently consists of 22 languages.
• Originally, there were 14 languages in the 8th Schedule.
• Sindhi was added by the 21st amendment, 1967.
• Konkani, Manipuri, and Nepali were added by the 71st amendment, 1992.
• Bodo, Dogri, Santhali, and Maithali were added by the 92nd Amendment, 2004.
• Tamil was the first Classical Language of India (since 2004).
• Other current classical languages are Sanskrit (2005), Telugu (2008), Kannada (2008), Malayalam (2013), and Odiya (2014).
• Dravidian languages are Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam.
• Tamil is the oldest Dravidian language and the oldest Indian Language.
• Konkani language is widely spoken in Goa.
• The language spoken in Lakshadweep islands is Malayalam.
• The Indian language known as the ‘Italian of the East’ is Telugu.
• The official language of Nagaland is English.
• Devanagari script is used to write the Haryanvi language.

Awards

• Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian award of India, instituted in 1954.
• The first recipients of Bharat Ratna were C. Rajagopalachari, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, and C. V. Raman.
• A maximum of three nominees can be awarded Bharat Ratna per year.
• Padma Vibhushan is the second-highest civilian award.
• Padma Bhushan is the third-highest civilian award.
• Padma Shri is the fourth-highest civilian award.
• Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award is the highest honour for a sportsperson in India.
• The first recipient of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award (now Major Dhyan Chand) is Viswanathan Anand.
• Dhyan Chand Award is given to veteran sportspersons for their lifetime achievement.
• Dronacharya Award is given to coaches and sports teachers, initiated in 1985.
• Arjuna Awards are given to recognize outstanding achievement in sports, instituted in 1961.
• Literature Awards mentioned include Jyanpith award, Saraswati Samman, Moorti Devi Award, Bihari Puraskar, and Sahitya Academy Award.
• Gallantry awards include Param vir chakra, Maha vir chakra, Vir chakra, Ashoka chakra, Kirti chakra, and Shaurya chakra.

Other Important Facts

• Iron craft is the traditional work of the Agaria tribe.
• Karnataka confers the Basavashree award.
• A Fire temple is a place of worship for Zoroastrians.
• The Barabar Hill Caves are the oldest surviving rock-cut caves in India.
• Matrimandir is located in Pondicherry.
• The Bhimbetka rock shelters in Madhya Pradesh are an archaeological site of the Palaeolithic period.
• Kambala Sport is held in Karnataka.
• Castle Naggar heritage site is located in Himachal Pradesh.
• The birth place of Guru Nanak is Nankana Sahib.
• The famous painter Vincent van Gogh belonged to Netherlands.
• Pablo Picasso belonged to Spain.
• Nand Lal Bose, Manjit Bawa, and Tyeb Mehta are Painters.
• Raja Harishchandra, an early Indian film, was produced by Dada Saheb Phalke.
• Homi Vyarawalla is acclaimed as India’s first Lady Photojournalist.
• Ikebana is the Japanese art of flower arrangement.
• The technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid lime plaster is known as Fresco.
• Ramkinker Baij was a well-known sculptor.
• Chamba is famous for embroidered handkerchief.
• The Irula tribe, well-known for snake-catching, are native to Tamil Nadu.
• Kondapalli, famous for toys, is located in Andhra Pradesh.
• The city famous for its Chikankari work of embroidery is Lucknow.
• Origami is the Japanese art of paper folding.
• Chatkora dance is the folk dance of Korku tribe of Madhya Pradesh.
• Lathmar Holi is celebrated in Barsana.
• Bihu is a post-harvest folk dance in Assam.
• Piliya will be sung during the occasion of birth.