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Questions & Answers
Test your understanding of this current affair.
11
What is the name of the wooden royal palace located in Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, built by the kings of Travancore using traditional Kerala architecture?
Answer:
Padmanabhapuram Palace
12
Who is the legendary Malayalam poet known as the author of the romantic masterpiece 'Ramanan', which sold record numbers of copies?
Answer:
Changampuzha Krishna Pillai
13
Which folk art form of Kerala involves performers drawing colorful floor designs of deities using natural powders before wiping them away in a ritual?
Answer:
Kalamezhuthu
14
What is the primary theme of the traditional Malayalam folk songs known as 'Vaddakkan Pattukal' (Ballads of North Malabar)?
Answer:
Heroic ballads celebrating martial prowess, honor, and legends of Chekavar warriors like Thacholi Othenan
15
Which renowned composer and Maharaja of Travancore is credited with composing hundreds of Carnatic classical music krithis in multiple languages?
Answer:
Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma
16
Which famous temple in Kerala hosts the traditional 'Aranmula Uthrattathi' snake boat regatta on the Pampa river?
Answer:
Aranmula Parthasarathy Temple
17
Who wrote the classic Malayalam novel 'Naalukettu', exploring the disintegration of the traditional matrilineal joint family system (Taravad)?
Answer:
M. T. Vasudevan Nair
18
What is the name of the traditional ritualistic percussion art form of Kerala where a single drummer performs solo on a high pedestal surrounded by lighting?
Answer:
Thayambaka
19
Which famous Malayalam poem written by Vailoppilli Sreedhara Menon explores human greed, industrialization, and environmental destruction through the metaphor of a harvested field?
Answer:
Kudiyozhikkal (The Eviction)
20
What is the primary musical instrument accompanying the traditional devotional songs known as 'Sopana Sangeetham' in Kerala temples?
Answer:
Edakka
21
Who authored the biographical novel 'Aarachar' (Executioner), depicting the lineage of executioners from ancient Bengal?
Answer:
K. R. Meera
22
Which historic fort in Kerala, built by the Dutch and later captured by the British, is located near Kochi and houses old European cemeteries?
Answer:
Pallipuram Fort / Fort Kochi ramparts
23
What is the name of the traditional devotional dance form performed by women in Kerala holding oil lamps (Nilavilakku) during festive nights?
Answer:
Deepalakshmi / Thiruvathirakali
24
Who composed the touching Malayalam elegy 'Mambazha' (The Mango Fruit), lamenting the loss of a mischievous child?
Answer:
Vailoppilli Sreedhara Menon
25
Which classical instrument is Pandit Ravi Shankar world-famous for playing?
Answer:
Sitar
26
What is the name of the traditional folk art of Kerala where performers dress up with painted tiger bodies and dance during Onam processions?
Answer:
Puli Kali (Tiger Dance)
27
Who wrote the famous Malayalam play 'Ningalenne Communistakkyi' (You Made Me a Communist), which played a monumental role in the Kerala peasant movement?
Answer:
P. Kesavadev
28
Which ancient temple in Kerala is known for its exquisite wood carvings and mural paintings depicting the Ramayana on the temple ceilings?
Answer:
Mattancherry Palace (Dutch Palace) murals / Ramayana frescoes
29
What is the name of the traditional ritualistic dance-drama performed in the temples of central Kerala during the Malayalam month of Medam, depicting the story of Daksha yaga?
Answer:
Kootiyattam / Krishnanattam / Pavakathakali
30
Who authored the socio-political satirical novel 'Oru Sankeerthanam Pole' (Like a Psalm), set against the backdrop of war-torn Yugoslavia?
Answer:
Perumbadavam Sreedharan