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Showing posts from October, 2025

Kalidas' Meghadoot And Amarkantak

Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh / Image Credit In his poem, Cloud-messenger ( Meghaduta ), Kalidasa ,  the greatest of India’s dramatists and poets,  describes the lands, sights, rivers and cities over which the messenger has to pass. Amarkantak (in the Anuppur district of Madhya Prades) finds mentions as a part of his description of the topography.  Meghdoot which is one of the most popular of Sanskrit poems and whose theme has been imitated in one form or another by several later poets in both Sanskrit and the vernaculars, describes a yaksha (earth -spirit, a sort of  gnome or fairy) who lives in the divine city of Alaka , near Mount Kailasa in the Himalayas. He had been banished for a year to the hill of Ramagiri (in Madhya Pradesh) for offending his master, Kubera ( Dikpala ( guardian) of the northern quarter, lord of the precious metals, minerals jewels and wealth). Separation from his beautiful wife, whom he has left behind in the beautiful jewelled city of Alaka, ...

Weekly History Quiz: October 19, 2025

Dashavatara Temple / Image Credit Q. During which dynasty's rule did the golden age of Indian history occur? (A) Mauryan Period  (B) Gupta Period  (C) Mughal Period  (D) Maratha Period The Gupta age (form early 4th to the late 6th century ) in ancient India has been called the 'Golden Age of India' because of the many achievements in the field of arts, architecture, science, philosophy and literature.

Today In Indian History (19th October)

Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar 1910 -  Nobel laureate physicist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar was born  on 19 October 1910 in Lahore , then in Undivided India (Now in Pakistan). He had made a groundbreaking discovery: Starts having a mass more than 1.44 times that of the Sun cannot survive, they collapse. This is famously called the Chandrasekhar Limit . He was honoured with the Nobel Prize in the year 1983 . Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar was the nephew of Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman , popularly Known as C V Raman , who won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1930. 

Today In Indian History (15th October)

1542- Mughal emperor Akbar was born on 15th October, 1942,  at Umarkot (now in SIndh Province of Pakistan).    Born to Humayun, son of Babur the Mughal,  Akbar was born while his father was in exile due to his defeat at the hands of Afghan ruler Sher Shah. .   1961 - Death of Hindi poet and writer Suryakant Tripathi Nirala.  

Vakpati's Gaudavaho: A Famous Work in Prakrit

Gaudavaho ((Slaying of the king of Gauda) is a famous work written in Prakrit, a language popular in ancient times. Last year Prakrit alongwith Marathi, Bengali and Assamese  was accorded the status of Classical Languages by the Goverment.  Gaudavaho, ascribed to 8th century poet Vakpati,  details the exploits of Yashovarman who had established an empire at Kanyakubj (Kannuaj) which for a while controlled much of the North India. Vakpati was the court poet of Yasovarman.  In this work the poet has described the slaying of the king of Bengal by Yashovarman.

Direct Action Day Quiz

Q.1. Who called for Direct Action Day on August 16, 1946? [A]  Hasrat Mohani [B]  Maulana Abul Kalam Azad  [C]  Muhammad Ali Jinnah [D]  Shaukat Ali Q.2. What was the main purpose of Direct Action Day? [A]  To demand complete independence from Britain [B]  To protest against the Quit India Movement  [C]  To show support for the British government [D]  To strengthen the demand for the creation of a seperate Muslim homeland Q.3. Which city witnessed large-scale riots on Direct Action Day? [A]  Delhi [B]  Calcutta [C]  Bombay [D]  Lahore Q.4. On which date was Direct Action Day observed? [A] 14 August 1946 [B] 15 August 1947 [C] 16 August 1946 [D] 23 March 1940 Q.5. Who was the Chief Minister of Bengal during Direct Action Day? [A] Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy [B] Khawaja Nazimuddin [C] Liaquat Ali Khan [D] Fazlul Haq Q.6. What was another name for the riots that broke out on Direct Action Day? [A] Bihar Riots  [B] Lah...

Quiz of the Week: Cricket Match Abandoned Midway

Q.1. India was playing ODI Cricket match against which country on the day (31st October, 1984) when the then Indian Prime Minister was assassinated? (A) England (B) Pakistan (C) West Indies  (D) Australia Answer- B   Notes: India was playing an ODI Cricket match against Pakistan on October 31, 1984 , in Pakistan's Sialkot . The match was called off midway following the assassination of then Indian PM Indira Gandhi on that day. India had played its innings with 210 runs on board.  The rest of the Indian cricket tour was also called off.   

Mughal Empire Quiz 2

Agra Fort  Q.1. Who was the Mughal emperor when the Battle of Buxar happen in 1764?  (A) Alamgir II (B) Shah Alam II (C) Ahmad Shah Bahadur (D) Muhammad Shah Q.2. Where was English diplomat Thomas Roe was given an audience with  Mughal Emperor Jehangir at—.  (A) Agra (B) Ajmer (C) Delhi  (D) Fatehpur Sikri Q.3. In the Third battle of Panipat in 1761, the Marathas were defeated by_______. (A) Rajputs (B) Mughals (c) Afghans (d) Sikhs Q.4. Which of the following Mughal emperors wrote a will and instructed his sons, that they continue Asad Khan as the vazir ? (A) Akbar (B) Jahangir (C) Shahjahan (D) Aurangzeb Q.5. Where was the world famous Peacock Throne (Takht-i-Taoos) kept at? (A) Diwan- I- Khas (B) Agra Fort (C) Rang Mahal (D) Buland Darwaza Q.6. Who among the following was the last Mughal emperor to sit on the peacock throne?  (A) Muhammad Shah  (B) Alamgir-II  (C) Shah Alam  (D) Bahadur Shah II Q.7. In whose reign was the ‘Treaty of Chitto...

Satavahana Empire Quiz

Satavahana architecture in Pandavleni Caves Nashik, Cave No. 3  Q.1. Which Satavahana ruler had authored  Gathasaptashati ? [A]  Gautamiputra Satkarni  [B] Simuka  [C] Pulumayi  [D] Hala Q.2. The famous book ‘ Brihatkatha ’ written in  Paishachi  language was composed by __? [A] Subandhu [B] Guṇāḍhya  [C] Somadeva  [D] Kshemendra  Q.3. With whom is  Nashik  Inscription associated? [A] Samudragupta [B] Rudradaman  [C] Gautamiputra Satakarni [D] Ashoka Q.4. Who was the founder of the Satavahana Dynasty? [A] Simuka [B] Vasishthiputra Pulumavi [C] Hala [D] Gautamiputra Satakarni  Q.5 Which Satavahana ruler assumed the title of Kavi Vatsal? [A] Yajna Sri Satkarni [B] Vasishthiputra Pulumavi [C] Hala [D] Gautamiputra Satakarni  Q.6. Which of the following Puranas provides the list of 30 Satavahana kings detailing their reigns and chronological order spanning a total of 460 years?  [A] Vishnu Purana [B] Vayu P...

Books and Authors Quiz

Vasantsena by artist Raja Ravi Varm / Image Credit Q.1. Whose drama Mṛcchakatika  did film personality Shashi Kapoor adapt for the Hindi film Utsav? (A) Sudraka (B) Bhavabhuti (C) Vishakhadatta  (D) Mahendravarman I Q.2. The writer of the Brihatkatha was (A) Dattamitra (B) Gudadhya (C) Bhadrabahu (D) Sarvavarman Q.3. Which Prakrit work by Vakpati centres on exploits of Kannauj ruler Yashovarman? (A) Gaudavaho (B) Setubandha or Ravanavaho (C) Harivijaya  (D) Gathasaptashati Q.4. Who wrote Kalpasutra?  (A) Simuka (B) Panini (C) Bhadrabahu (D) Patanjali Q.5. Which of these books was not written by Bhavabhuti? (A) Mahaviracharita (Deeds of a Great Hero) (B) Malatimadhava (C) Kiratarjuniya (Arjuna and the Kirata ) (D) Uttararamacarita (The Later Deeds of Rama) Q. 6. From which Upanishad are the words 'Satyameva Jayate', adopted by Indian Republic as its National Emblem, taken? (A) Aitareya Upanishad (B) Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (C) Chandogya Upanishad (D) Mandukya Up...

Gandhi Quiz

Photo Credit: Canva Today is the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Here is a quiz to t est your knowledge of Gandhi.  Q.1. At which place was Gandhiji born? (A) Ahmedabad (B) Delhi (C) Porbandar (D) Bombay Q.2. What was the name of Gandhi's father? (A) Karsandas Gandhi (B) Uttamchand Gandhi  (C) Karamchand Gandhi (D) Laxmidas Gandhi Q.3. What was Gandhi's wife's name? (A) Putlibai (B) Kasturbai (C) Indira (D) None of these  Q.4. At what age was Gandhi married? (A) Ten (B) Thirteen (C) Fifteen (D) Eighteen Q.5. After his father's death Mahatma Gandhi went to England to pursue a career in ______? (A) Medicine (B) Engineering (C) Law (D) Philosophy Q. 6. How old was Gandhi when he went to England? (A) 19 (B) 25 (C) 17 (D) 21 Q. 7. Which institution did Gandhi attend for his legal studies in London? (A) Inner Temple (B) King's College (C) Lincoln's Inn (D) Gray's Inn Q. 8. What did Gandhi do after completing his studies in England? (A) He returned home to Ind...