Handicrafts & Folk Traditions MCQs for UPSC Prelims

50 practice questions on Handicrafts & Folk Traditions from the Art & Culture section of the UPSC Prelims syllabus. 50 come with a written explanation and 5 are actual previous year questions. Try the sample set below - the answer stays hidden until you ask for it.

14 Easy 28 Medium 8 Hard 5 from past papers

Sample questions

Q1
Previous year question hard

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?

  1. A 1 only
  2. B 1 and 2
  3. C 3 only
  4. D 2 and 3
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: A - 1 only

Only pair 1 is correct. Puthukkuli shawls are the embroidered shawls made by the Toda tribe of the Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu, so pair 1 is right. Pair 2 is wrong because Sujni embroidery is a craft of Bihar, particularly the Bhusura region, not Maharashtra. Pair 3 is wrong because Uppada Jamdani saris belong to Andhra Pradesh, woven in Uppada near Kakinada, not Karnataka. Hence only 1 is correctly matched.

Q2
Previous year question medium

A community of people called Manganiyars is well-known for their

  1. A martial arts in North-East India
  2. B musical tradition in North- West India
  3. C classical vocal music in South India
  4. D pietra dura tradition in Central India
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: B - musical tradition in North- West India

The Manganiyars are a hereditary community of professional folk musicians of the Thar desert region of Rajasthan and Sindh in north-west India, renowned for their soulful musical tradition, so option (b) is correct. They are not associated with north-east martial arts, South Indian classical vocal music, or the pietra dura inlay craft of central India, so the other options are wrong.

Q3
Previous year question easy

With reference to India’s culture and tradition, what is ‘Kalaripayattu’?

  1. A It is an ancient Bhakti cult of Shaivism still prevalent in some parts of South India
  2. B It is an ancient style bronze and brasswork still found in southem part of Coromandel area
  3. C It is ancient form of dance- drama and a living tradition in the northern part of Malabar
  4. D It is an ancient martial art and a living tradition in some parts of South India
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: D - It is an ancient martial art and a living tradition in some parts of South India

Kalaripayattu is an ancient martial art that survives as a living tradition in parts of South India, especially Kerala, so option (d) is correct. It is not a Bhakti cult of Shaivism, nor a tradition of bronze and brasswork, nor a dance-drama form, so options (a), (b) and (c) are wrong.

Q4
Previous year question medium

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?

  1. A 1 and 2 only
  2. B 2 and 3 only
  3. C 1, 2 and 3
  4. D 1, 3 and 4
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: B - 2 and 3 only

Correct answer: 2 and 3 only. Chanderi (Madhya Pradesh) is famous for Chanderi silk-cotton sarees and Kancheepuram (Tamil Nadu) for Kanjeevaram silk sarees. Bhadrachalam (Telangana) is known for the Sree Seetha Ramachandra Swamy temple, not sarees, and Karnal (Haryana) is not a traditional saree-weaving centre. Hence only 2 and 3 are correct.

Q5
Previous year question medium

With reference to ‘Changpa’ community of india, consider the following statements: 1. They live mainly in the State of Uttarakhand. 2. They rear the Pashmina goats that yield a fine wool. 3. They are kept in the category of Scheduled Tribes. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. A 1 only
  2. B 2 and 3 only
  3. C 3 only
  4. D 1, 2 and 3
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: B - 2 and 3 only

Statements 2 and 3 are correct. The Changpa are nomadic pastoralists of the Changthang plateau in Ladakh who rear Pashmina (Changthangi) goats yielding fine wool, and they are classified as a Scheduled Tribe. Statement 1 is wrong because they live in the Ladakh region, not Uttarakhand. Hence 2 and 3 only.

Q6
medium

The handicraft 'Bidriware', characterised by silver inlay on a blackened zinc-copper alloy, is a Geographical Indication associated principally with:

  1. A Bidar, Karnataka
  2. B Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh
  3. C Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu
  4. D Jaipur, Rajasthan
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: A - Bidar, Karnataka

Bidriware takes its name from Bidar in Karnataka, where the craft developed under the Bahmani Sultanate. The base alloy is mainly zinc with some copper, blackened using a special soil paste, against which inlaid silver (and sometimes gold) wire/sheet stands out. Moradabad is known for brassware and Thanjavur for art plates.

Q7
medium

The textile technique of "Bandha" or double ikat, in which both warp and weft threads are resist-dyed before weaving so the pattern emerges on the loom, is the hallmark of which weaving cluster?

  1. A The Patola of Patan in Gujarat
  2. B The Jamdani of Bengal
  3. C The Kani shawls of Kashmir
  4. D The Chanderi of Madhya Pradesh
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: A - The Patola of Patan in Gujarat

Patan Patola of Gujarat is a celebrated double-ikat silk textile in which both warp and weft are precisely resist-dyed (tie-dyed) before weaving, demanding extraordinary precision so the motif forms exactly when the threads interlace. Jamdani is a supplementary-weft figured muslin, Kani uses tapestry-twill technique, and Chanderi is a fine cotton-silk weave; none of these are double ikat.

Q8
hard

Match the Geographical Indication (GI)-tagged handicraft/textile with its source region: A. Pochampally Ikat 1. Telangana B. Channapatna toys 2. Karnataka C. Kani shawl 3. Jammu & Kashmir D. Pipli applique 4. Odisha Select the correct answer:

  1. A A-1, B-2, C-3, D-4
  2. B A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3
  3. C A-1, B-3, C-2, D-4
  4. D A-3, B-2, C-1, D-4
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: A - A-1, B-2, C-3, D-4

Pochampally Ikat is the resist-dyed tie weave of Telangana. Channapatna lacquered wooden toys come from Karnataka. The Kani shawl, woven on the kani (wooden bobbin) technique, is from Kashmir. Pipli applique work is from Odisha.

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