Indica:The quiz of India finals

THE QUIZ OF INDIA
INDICA
QUESTIONS BY
AMITABH SHARMAHELD ON 16TH AUGUST, 2015

Niyama- The Rules
 There will be 42 QUESTIONS, divided into 4 ROUNDS.
NO BOUNCE.
Separate rules will be provided BEFORE EACH ROUND.
DO NOT CHEAT.

12 questions
+10/0 on direct, +5/0 on a pass and +10/-5
on pounce

1. This famous ceremony normally requires Neem trees for proper
completion. However, the trees also need to meet an extensive set of
requirements.
One of the trees has to be darker in colour, while the other two must
be slightly lighter. The dark tree must have four principal branches .
Near the trees should be present- a small water body, a cremation
ground, a hermitage, a Shiva temple and finally, trees from the rare
varieties of Varuna, Sahada and Vilva. Near the roots of one of the
trees, there must be an ant-hill as well as a snake-pit of a cobra. No
bird must have made nests in any of the trees; no creepers should
have grown on the trees and no branches must be broken or cut. The
tree has to be located near a three-way or has to be surrounded by
three mountains. Finally, on each of the tree trunks, there must be
natural impressions of a conch-shell and a chakra.
What ceremony, which also occurred this year, are we talking about?

The Jagannath Naba Kalebara Ceremony, in which
the idols of the Jagannath Temple at Puri are
changed, after a gap of more than 12 years.

2. Lalita ke Aansoon (The tears of Lalita) is a book of poems written by
Krant Lal Verma. They depict a fictional narrative by Lalita, the wife of a
famous Indian personality, describing her suspicions regarding her
husband’s death.
Till this day, many people believe that the husband, who died in 1966,
was poisoned, possibly due to his actions, and this book promoted this
theory.
Which famous personality?

3. Nobody is sure about the origins of this famous dish. However, a widely
accepted theory is that Ali Ahmed Aslam, proprietor of the Shish Mahal
restaurant in Glasgow, invented it by improvising a sauce made from
yogurt, cream and spices. This theory was also promoted by the BBC show,
‘Hairy Bikers’.
In 2001, British Foreign Secretary, Robin Cook, declared “It is now a true
British national dish, not only because it is the most popular, but because
it is a perfect illustration of the way Britain absorbs and adapts external
influences.“
Which SPECIFIC DISH?

4. Many believe that Svayambhuva Kambu was an Indian
prince who later went on to become a legendary sage. His
wanderings led him to the far east, where he encountered a
kingdom of ‘Nagas’. He defeated their king and married their
princess, Mera. This kingdom became what we know today as
Cambodia, the name coming from Kambu himself.
Considering that Kambu married Mera, derive the name of
something that has horrified people from other parts of the
world, and which is always associated with Cambodia.

5. The _____ limit is the maximum mass of a stable white dwarf star
which is equal to 1.44 times the mass of the Sun. Exceeding this limit
would mean that the star would collapse into a black hole. _____ , a
famous astrophysicist, after whom this limit is named, calculated this at
the mere age of 19.
But, black holes were then considered to be a scientific impossibility.
This, coupled with petty politics ensured that this ground-breaking
theory was ignored and largely forgotten.
_____ however had the last laugh. He won the 1983 Nobel Prize for his
work.
Which astrophysicist?

6. This amazingly beautiful region in Kerala is locally known
as ‘Sairandhrivanam’ or Sairandhri’s forest, because Draupadi
supposedly stayed here for some time during the 13 year exile
of the Pandavas.
First explored by British botanist, Robert Wright, this region
has one of the last undisturbed tracts of mountain rainforests
and tropical moist evergreen forests, besides being home to
the endangered lion-tailed macaque. Although it has seen its
share of environment related conflicts, it has remained
relatively peaceful as the name itself suggests.
What is the equally amazing name for this region?

7. Following his ‘Upanayan’ ceremony at the age of 11, he
embarked on a tour of India along with his father. For several
months, he travelled, while simultaneously studying Indian
history, modern science and astronomy, and Sanskrit.
Four years later, he returned home and completed a set of
major works, one of them being a long poem in the Maithili style
of Vidyapati. As a joke, he announced that these were the lost
works of (what he claimed was) a newly discovered 17th
century Vaishnav poet Bhānusimha. Interestingly, even regional
experts accepted them as the lost works of Bhānusimha, and it
was much later that the joke was discovered.
Who is being talked about here?

8. ‘Chasing _____’ is a 1991 novel by Alexander Frater,
rated 3.96 by Goodreads.
The book describes how Frater pursued something all over
India. He began his journey in approximately the third week of
May and ended it in July, moving through places as diverse as
Delhi, Kerala, West Bengal and Meghalaya. He also paid a visit
to places outside India like Akyab in Myanmar.
What is the book about?

9. X is a dialect of Y, a prominent Indo-Aryan language.
X was originally very similar to the Hindustani vernacular
spoken in the Kannauj area of Uttar Pradesh. But, over the
years it shifted away and leaned more towards Y, so much so
that it is now considered to be a dialect.
During the colonial era, Abdul Hamid, a linguist and scholar,
designed a script for X, which was based on the Kaithi script
of the Awadh region. However, the script did not gain much
popularity. Later, campaigns did occur calling for recognizing X
as a separate language, but they were ultimately unsuccessful
Identify X and Y

X- Sylheti, which is spoken widely in Silchar
Y- Bangla/Bengali

10. 1998 was a ‘special’ year for India at the annual Ig Nobel
Prize Ceremony. Deepak Chopra won the physics prize for his
research on ‘quantum healing’.
The Ig Nobel Peace Prize that year, was jointly awarded to Atal
Bihari Vajpayee and Nawaz Sharif, both prime ministers of
their respective countries at that time.
What events, which have recently come back to prominence,
resulted in this ‘honour’?

The Pokhran-II Nuclear Test in India.
In response, Pakistan conducted its own
nuclear tests, Chagai-I and Chagai-II

11. The first principal of the prestigious Sir Jamsetjee
Jeejebhoy (JJ) School of Arts was British. The house
where he lived still exists in the campus, and now serves
as the official residence of the College Dean.
The house was also the birthplace of that principal’s son,
who went to become a world-famous personality, and in
whose honour the house is named. Fans from all over the
world make it a point to visit this house.
Which personality?

12. Buddhists believe that a ‘Buddha’ is someone who has become
‘enlightened’, through their own efforts and insights, without a
teacher to point out the Dharma. Thus, there have been 28
Buddhas, and Siddhartha Gautama was not the only one.
The Pure Land branch of Buddhism, practiced widely in China,
Japan, Korea and Vietnam, worships a Buddha who was originally
from India. He was a king who renounced his kingdom to become a
monk, and after aeons of meditation, he became a Buddha. His
worshippers believe that reciting his name with true faith would
grant one entry to the blessed land of ‘Sukhavati’ or the ‘Pure
Land’.
By what name, known very well to all Indians, do we know this
Buddha?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s
KFXnA6nahA

1. This song, titled ‘Sylvia’, from the movie, Bombay Velvet, is
inspired by one of the most famous murder cases of India.
Sylvia, wife of a naval officer, had an affair with her
husband’s friend. On the same day that Sylvia confessed about
her affair to her husband, her lover was found dead. This
resulted in a highly publicized trial and nationwide discussions
and debates.
Ultimately, the husband was sentenced to life imprisonment, but
was pardoned three years later, due to public and media
sympathy.
Name the case, which has been studied by every Indian law
student?

KM Nanavati vs State of Maharashtra Case,
for the murder of Prem Ahuja

https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=OeacfwcOvGQ

3. Identify this unique sub-genre of fusion
music, having a special connection with India

3. The following series of pop art paintings were recently
drawn by Greg Fernandes, as a tribute to actresses all
over the world. Each of the paintings were influenced by
the style and work, and one specific painting of which
famous painter?

Raja Ravi Verma
The specific painting was ‘A Galaxy of Musicians’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
VmSeVvA61xU

5. The Panopticon (image on next slide) is a type of architecture designed by the
English philosopher, Jeremy Bentham, in the late 18th century. The concept of
the design is to allow a single person to observe all residents of the building
without them being able to tell whether or not they are being watched.
Although it is physically impossible for someone to observe everyone at once,
the fact that they cannot know when they are being watched, means that all of
them must act as though they are watched at all times, effectively controlling
their own behaviour constantly. The name is a reference to Panoptes, a giant
with a hundred eyes from Greek mythology.
Where in India can this type of architecture be seen?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9
UlpbHdIyg

6. Identify this living legend.
(This concert, held in Kashmir, created a bit of
a controversy a few years back)

7. These unique posters recently appeared on
Twitter to promote something. What?

XXX, India’s ‘first youth erotica’ movie
Directed by Ken Ghosh and produced by
Ekta Kapoor

8. The Kewhi flower (in picture) grows widely on the mountains around
this beautiful hill station. As a result, the local name for this place
translates roughly to – ‘The land where the Kewhi grows’. However, the
British, unable to pronounce the traditional name, officially changed it
to the present name of this place, which, although had hardly any
difference with the original, was easier on their tongues.
Which hill station?

Kohima
(The original name was Kewhima)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
QqGdBaSxINM

9. The main villains in this cult Indiana Jones movie, who are
shown a couple of times in this trailer, were inspired by an
organization of professional assassin cum robbers. Grouping
themselves into numerous small gangs, they terrorized northern
India in the 1800s, garroting unsuspecting travelers before
robbing them. Their reign ended after governor-general William
Bentinck and one of his civil servants, William Sleeman,
supervised a brilliant operation to destroy them.
The name of this organization has inspired a famous English loan
word from Hindi, which refers to a violent criminal.
What word?

10. Nagesh Surve, a talented musician
from Mumbai, is an expert at _____. As a
result, from the 1970s onwards, he has
been the chief _____ for Bollywood.
Thanks to his skills, he has worked with
almost all the famous music directors of
his time, from Shankar-Jaikishan to
Pritam. His _____ has immortalized songs
like ‘Hai hai re yeh ladka’ and ‘Subhanallah’
and he has managed to impress even
legends like Ustad Bismillah Khan.
What unique talent does Mr. Surve have?

11. The following images depict the construction of a
memorial commissioned by the Ministry of Culture, Govt.
of India. A national design team, comprising of artists
and professionals from leading Indian design schools are
currently working on it now, at IIT Bombay.
What will the memorial pay tribute to?

12. This type of embroidery (image on next slide) probably
originated outside India, but has now become an integral part of
our culture, having embellished the attire of Indian royalty. It
reached its summit during the reign of Akbar, but fell into
decline soon after, due to industrialization and removal of royal
patronage.
After centuries of degradation, it was resurrected by fashion
designer Ritu Kumar who introduced a new line of clothes
inspired by it. Today, it enjoys the coveted Geographical
Indication registered status.
How do we know it as?

6 questions
NO PASSING
+10/0 on direct and +20/-5 on pounce

National and International personalities
who have become members of the governing
body of Nalanda International University

Names of different
types of
Asanas

• _____ - Prime Minister; Minister of War and Foreign Affairs
• Dr. Lakshmi Swaminathan – Minister in charge of women’s
organisation
• SA Iyer – Minister of Broadcasting and Publicity
• Lt. Col. AC Chatterji – Minister of Finance
• Lt. Col. Aziz Ahmed, Lt. Col. N. S. Bhagat, Lt. Col. Guizara Singh, Lt.
Col. A. D. Loganathan, Lt. Col. Shahnawaz Khan – Armed Forces
Ministers
• AN Sahay – Secretary to the PM
• AN Sarkar – Chief Legal Advisor

Members/ministers of Azad Hind, the
Provisional Government of Free India,
created by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose
in 1943

• Gandaki - On the banks of the River Gandaki, at the location of the
Muktinath temple (Nepal)
• Hinglaj- In a cave near the Kheerthar Hills, inside the Hingol
National Park (Pakistan)
• Bhabanipur- Near the Karatoya River (Bangladesh)
• Jessoreshwari- In a village called Ishwarpur (Bangladesh)
• Manas – At the foot of Mt. Kailash (China)
• Nainathivu – On a small island off the coast of the Jaffna Peninsula
(Sri Lanka)
•

Shakti Peethas located outside India

NAARI SHAKTI
BHARATAMEER
BHARAT
ADBHUT
BHARAT
ASHLEEL
BHARAT
PROWDYOGIKI
BHARAT DHOKHEBAAZ
BHARAT

12 questions
NO PASSING
+10/0 on direct and +20/-5 on pounce

1. The term, Kirtu, originated from the Kamasutra,
although many claim it to be an anglicized version of a
Sanskrit word which remains untranslated. It refers
to a forbidden sex position, similar to the mythical
Venus Butterfly position in the west.
However, ‘most’ Indians know the term due to its
association with something else.
What?

Savita Bhabhi comics
(Kirtu is the name of the website which publishes
them)

2. Cineblitz is a renowned bilingual Indian film magazine,
started way back in the 1970s. To give the new magazine “a flying
start” when it was first released, Rita Mehta, chief editor of the
magazine, came up with a crazy strategy. She approached Protima
Bedi, noted Odissi dancer, who was then a struggling model, to do
something, which, in India, had never been done before and has
rarely been done ever since. The action scandalized the whole
nation, and even famously offended her husband, but gave the
magazine the publicity it required.
What did Protima Bedi do?

She streaked (ran naked) near two important
Mumbai landmarks, Juhu Beach and Hutatma
Chowk

1. Two former Maharajahs of Mysore were famous for
their love for cars. But, they were particularly
obsessed with the cars from Rolls Royce. In fact, they
had a particular way of buying Rolls Royce cars, which
inspired executives from the company to coin the term
‘Doing a Mysore’.
‘Doing a Mysore’ has now entered business lingo – a
reminder of the extravagant ways of the Indian royals.
What does ‘Doing a Mysore’ mean?

Buying an item in multiples of seven

2. The Kunigal Stud Farm is a farm used for breeding mainly
race-horses. It has a rich historical heritage - Tipu Sultan
created it to breed horses for his cavalry to fight against the
British. After his defeat, the British took over and used it to
keep Arabian horses for their own cavalry.
It came back to the spotlight two years back, after its current
owner imported a horse, aptly called ‘Air Support’, for around 4
crores.
Who is the current owner?

1. Probably the greatest Indian con-man ever, Mithilesh Kumar
Shrivastava has even been compared to legends like Frank Abagnale
of ‘Catch Me if You Can’ fame. He repeatedly ‘sold’ national
landmarks like the Taj Mahal and Rashtrapati Bhavan, for crores of
rupees, and allegedly even managed to cheat prominent industrialists
like the Tatas.
A master of disguises and an escape genius, he was jailed 9 times,
and managed to escape each time. After his last escape attempt, he
disappeared and hasn’t been found since.
This legend was known to the nation by a special nickname, and has
inspired characters with the same name, played by Amitabh Bachhan
and more recently, Emraan Hashmi.
What special nickname?

2. X is a kind of savings scheme practiced in India, and there is a specific
Govt. Of India act on it. It defines the scheme as:
“.... means a transaction under which a person enters into an agreement with a
specified number of persons that every one of them shall subscribe a certain
of money by way of periodical installments over a definite period and that
such subscriber shall, in his turn, as determined by lot or by auction or in such
other manner as may be specified in the agreement, be entitled to the prize
amount“.
Inspired supposedly by a common practice in Kitty parties, this system led to
a lot of scams in India.
How do we know this scheme as?

1. This technology was first designed in the year 1914 for the Alfa Romeo
Grand Prix Car. Over the years, the technology has been upgraded, and in
was incorporated on all Alfa Romeo road cars.This would greatly enhance the
overall performance, and also conform to the emission levels compliance
guidelines.
Joe Abraham and Rahul Bajaj, two budding engineers introduced it in the
of the Bajaj company to revolutionize the two wheeler market. They patented
and the technology was later used by leading auto brands like Enfield and
What technology?

Digital Twin Spark Ignition Engine
(The twin spark technology)

2. The Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL), along
with the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), created two
research centres, named ‘Bharti’ and ‘Maitri’ for a contract
Rs.50 crore. The research mandate focuses on oceanographic
studies and the phenomenon of continental breakup.
also facilitates research to refine the current understanding of
Indian subcontinent's geological history.
What is so special about these research centres?

They are located in
Antarctica

1. VK Krishnan Menon, eminent diplomat and statesman once
performed a superhuman feat at the UNO, in response to a
made by the Pakistani Foreign Minister at the same venue. He
collapsed from exhaustion partway and had to be hospitalized.
he continued after returning, with a doctor monitoring him.
The feat played a key role in defending India’s position and
the the Kashmir issue at the UN. It convinced the Soviets
veto the UN resolution. If not, the UN would have given away
Kashmir to Pakistan.
What feat did he achieve?

He gave a speech for 8
hours – a world record!

2. The Bishnoi are famous for following the 29 principles
laid down by their leader and spiritual head, the late
Guru Jambeshwar. One of this principles mandate them
to protect the environment, including plants and
animals, at any cost.
However, there is a specific reason why they pay
special attention to the Black Buck. What?

They believe that Guru Jambeshwar Baba
reincarnated as the Black Buck

1. Ruchi Sanghvi, has brought pride to India and Indian women
specifically, by becoming Facebook’s first female engineer. She served
as Facebook's principal product manager, where she
oversaw Facebook Platform and News Feed. She also appeared in the
iconic ‘Why our kids must learn to code’ video along with legends like
Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg.
She recently joined a famous Indian startup. Which startup?

2. Mahasweta Devi wrote a legendary book on this equally legendary woman
from Indian history.
Translated by Sagaree and Mandira Sengupta, the book is a reconstruction of
her life from extensive research of both historical documents (collected by
the grandson of that legendary woman) and folk tales, poetry and oral
tradition. The original in Bengali was published in 1956, and has since won
critical acclaim, both in the original as well as in the translated form, and is
one of the main source of information about this lady.
Who is the book about?

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