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INDEX

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1
TOPIC NAME
Classical Dances of India

Page no.
4-24

Bharatnatyam

Kuchipudi

Odissi

Kathakali

Kathak

11

Manipuri

13

Mohiniattam

14

Satriya
Folk Dances of India

15

Hindustani Music Gharanas

24

Carnatic Music

27

Musical Instruments and artists

30

Festivals

36

Fairs

44
Folk Art

51

Traditions

52

Temples

57

Forts and Monuments

70

Caves and Stupas

76

Important Sports Tournaments

78

Sports and facts

102

Other sports related facts

113

Awards in various fields

119

16

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Special note- To my mother, thank you for always loving me, blessing me and guiding
me. Even
though you are no longer here with me I can still feel your blessing. You are
always in my heart
mother. This book is dedicated to my mother and it will definitely help the
students in their
success journey.

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3
Dance
The dance is separated into two parts.
1. Classical Dance
2. Folk Dance.

Classical Dances of India

Introduction: - The dance that describes the character of God, Goddess, and
religious scripture is called the classical
dance.
The first formal mention of classical dance is found in Bharata Muni’s famous work,
Natya Shastra.
According to the Ministry of Art and Culture there are 8 classical dances found in
India while Chhau is considered as a
semi-classical dance category.
Total number of classical dances in India – Eight
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Bharatnatyam (Old Name: Sadir) – Tamil Nadu (Dedicated to Temples)

Mohiniattam- Kerala (Especially by Women)
Kathak -Uttar Pradesh
Odissi- Odisha
Manipuri – Manipur
Kuchipudi - Andhra Pradesh
Satriya- Assam
Kathakali (Mahabharata, Ramayana) Kerala (Especially by men)
The number of Folk Dance in India 2500 (Approx.)
The Description of Classical Dances is found in Natya shastra, written by
Bharatamuni, called Panchamveda.
Oldest Classical Dance Bharatanatyam
The Newest classical dance is Sattriya. Its founder is Shrimantashankar Dev. It was
included as classical dance in
the year 2000

Bharatnatyam

➢
Founder- Bharatnatyam is an Indian classical dance form that is believed to have
been revealed by Lord
Brahma to the Bharata and is oldest and the most famous dance of the temples of
Tamil Nadu. It evolved from
‘Ekaharya Lasyanga’.
➢
God- Lord Brahma is the God associated with it.
➢
State- Tamil Nadu
➢
Style/Forms- There are five styles of Bharatanatyam
1. Thanjavur style
2. Pandanallur style
3. Vazhavur style
4. Kalakshetra style
5. Latur style.
➢
Important Points:• Bharatnatyam (Tamil Nadu) was earlier known as Sadir Attam.
• Krishna lyer was the first to give the word Bharatnatyam for.Sadir dance. It was
performed by Devadasis in the
temples of South India; hence it is also known as Dasiyattam.
•
It consists of six parts:
1. Alarippu (invocation)
2. Jathiswaram (dance part)
3. Shabdam (short compositions with words)
4. Varnam (a narrative, which includes both dance and dancer)
5. Padina (religious prayer, bhajan, kirtan)
6. (Originated in the songs of Hindustani music).
•
Acting in Bharatnatyam can be classified into four types –

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4
1. Satvik (acting by revealing the state of mind of the acting character)
2. Angika (acting using physical movements like movement of hands, legs and limbs)
3. Vachika (expression using speech mediums such as acting, songs, music and
dialogue)
4. Aharya (expression using decorations such as acting costumes,jewelery and make-
up).

Artists and Awards

Artist

State

Awards

Sonal Man Singh

Maharashtra

Padma Bhushan 1992

Padma Vibhushan 2003

Rukmini Devi Arundale

Tamil Nadu

Leela Samson

Tamil Nadu

Padma Bhushan1956
Sangeet Natak Academy Award 1957
Kalidash Samman1984
Prani Mitra Award1968
Padma Shree 1990
Sangeet Natak Academy Award 1999-2000
Padma Shree 1965
Padma Bhushan 1992
Padma Shree 1981

Mrinalini Sarabhai

Gujarat

Padma Subrahmanyam (the credit to invent

and create a new style of ’Bharatanatyam')

Tamil Nadu

Padma Bhushan 2003

Bissano Ram Gopal

Karnataka

Padmini Priyadarshni

Kerala

• Order of the British Empire Award1999

• Shantala Natya Shri Award 2013
Vyjayanti Mala

Tamil Nadu

T. Balasarsawati

Tamil Nadu

Padma Bhushan 1957

Padma Vibhushan 1977
Sangeet Natak Academy Award 1955

Malavika Sarukkai

Tamil Nadu

MK Saroja

Tamil Nadu

CV Chandrashekhar

Tamil Nadu

Sangeet Natak Academy Award 2002

Padma Shree 2003
Padma Shree 2011
Sangeet Natak Acaclemy Award 1995
Sangeet Natak Academy Award1993
Kalidash Sarnrnan 2008 Padma Bhushan 2011

Meenakshi Srinivasan

Tamil Nadu

Pratibha Prahlad

Karnataka

Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Purshkar front

Sangeet Natak Academy
She was founder-director of delhi international
Arts festival.

Important PYQs
1.

2.
3.
4.

5.
6.

Manjamma Jogati became India’s first transgender folk dancer to receive the Padma
Shri honor in 2021 for her
contribution to art. The first transgender Padma Shri awardee was Narthaki Nataraj,
a Bharatnatyam dancer, in
2019.
One of the 20th century's foremost exponents of Bharatanatyam is T Balasaraswati.
Indira PP Bora, an acclaimed exponent of Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, and Sattriya, is
from Assam.
Rukmini Devi Arundale founded the Kalakshetra Foundation in Chennai, which is an
important center for
the study and performance of fine arts, especially Bharatanatyam. She was conferred
the Prani Mitra Award in
1968 for her contributions to animal welfare.
Padma Subrahmanyam was selected for Kerala's prestigious choreography award
'Nishagandhi Puraskaram'
for her excellence in Bharatanatyam.
The Dhananjayans, a celebrated Bharatanatyam couple from Chennai, were conferred
with the Rashtriya
Kalidas Samman for 2019-2020.

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7.

Hema Malini, a famous Bollywood actress, is a trained Bharatanatyam dancer from

Tamil Nadu. She was
awarded the Padma Shri in 2000.
8. Urmila Satyanarayanan is an exponent of Bharatanatyam, an Indian classical dance
form. She was awarded the
Kalaimamani award in 1997 and the Nritya Choodamani in 2001.
9. Yamini Krishnamurthy: An Indian dancer specializing in Bharatanatyam and
Kuchipudi. She was awarded the
Padma Shri (1968), Padma Bhushan (2001), and Padma Vibhushan (2016).
10. Tanjore Balasaraswati: An acclaimed Bharatanatyam dancer awarded the Sangita
Kalanidhi (1973), Sangeet
Natak Akademi Award (1955), and Padma Vibhushan (1977).
11. Kamala Lakshmi Narayanan: A Bharatanatyam dancer who performed for Queen
Elizabeth II's coronation in
1953. She received the Padma Bhushan (1970), Lifetime Achievement Award (2004),
Natya Padmam (2007),
and Platinum Jubilee Award (2002).
12. Vasundhara Doraswamy: A Bharatanatyam dancer awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi
Award (2019), Padma
Bhushan (2004), and performed at UNESCO's 'World Peace' conference.
13. Saroja Vaidyanathan: A Bharatanatyam dancer who received the Kalidas Samman
(2009-10), Padma Bhushan
(2013), and Padma Shri (2002).
14. Alarmel Valli: An exponent of the Pandanallur style of Bharatanatyam. She
performed at the Salzburg Festival
in 2015 and has been awarded the Padma Bhushan (2004), Chevalier of Arts and
Letters (2004), and Sangeet
Natak Akademi Award (2001).
15. Indrani Rahman: A former Miss India who popularized Indian classical dance in
the West. She competed in the
Miss Universe pageant (1952) and was proficient in multiple dance forms including
Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi,
Kathakali, and Odissi.
16. Mrinalini Sarabhai, a Bharatanatyam dancer, was the first recipient of the
Nishagandhi Puraskaram from the
Government of Kerala in 2013. She was the founder and director of Darpana Academy
of Performing Arts in
Ahmedabad. Her book, “In Free Fall: My Experiments With Living,” details her
experiences.
17. Priyadarshini Govind, a Bharatanatyam dancer, was awarded the Kalaimamani in
1998 and the prestigious
Nritya Kalanidhi title.
18. Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam is credited with creating a new style of Bharatanatyam.
She has received the
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1983, the Padma Bhushan in 2003, and the Padma Shri
in 1981.
19. Sudha Chandran is a well-known actress and accomplished Bharatanatyam dancer.
She received the National
Award in 1985 and the Nandi Special Jury Award for her performance in the film
“Mayuri” in 1985.
20. Meenakshi Pillai achieved fame for the Pandanallur school of Bharatanatyam.
Other prominent styles of
Bharatanatyam, a classical dance from Tamil Nadu, include the Vazhuvoor Dance Form,
associated with
Vazhuvoor B. Ramiah Pillai and his ancestors, and the Melattur Dance Form,
associated with Guru Mangudi
Dorairaj.
21. Radha Sridhar received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for the year 2018 for
her contribution to
Bharatanatyam. She established Venkatesha Natya Mandira in 1969 and choreographed
her first dance-drama
based on the Ramayana, followed by Hanumadvilasa.
22. Narthaki Nataraj is the first trans woman to win a Padma Shri award for
Bharatanatyam. She has also received
the Kalaimamani Award from the Tamil Nadu Government in 2007, the Nritya Choodamani
Award from
Krishna Gana Sabha in 2009, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2011, the Vetri
Award from the University
of Madras in 2013, an Honorary Doctorate from Periyar Maniammai University in 2016,
and was an ICCR
Empanelled Dance Artist in the Outstanding Category in 2017.
23. Meenakshi Srinivasan received the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar in 2011
for Bharatanatyam. In 2018,
the award was given to Durgesh Gangani (Kathak), Dr. Manju Elangbam (Manipuri), and
Madhulita
Mohapatra (Odissi).
24. R Muthu Kannammal, a seventh-generation veteran Sadir dancer from Tamil Nadu,
received the Padma Shri in
2022. Sadir, an ancient dance form, is the precursor to Bharatanatyam. Kannammal is
notably the only surviving
member among the 32 Devadasis, making her a crucial figure in preserving this
traditional art form.
25. Kalamandalam Kshemavathy Pavithran was awarded the Padma Shri for her
contributions to Mohiniyattam.
Her accolades include the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1998), Kerala Sangeetha
Nataka Akademi Award
(1975, for Bharatanatyam), and Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Fellowship (2015).

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26. C V Chandra Shekhar was honored with the Padma Bhushan for his contributions to
Bharatanatyam in 2011.
His awards also include the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1993) and the Kalidas
Samman (2008).
27. Rama Vaidyanathan was awarded the Devadasi National Award in 2013 for her
contributions to
Bharatanatyam. Her other awards include the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2017),
National Excellence
Award by the All India National Unity Conference (1999), and the dance title of
“Bharatha Rathna” in Sri Lanka
(1998).
28. Guru MK Saroja was awarded the Padma Shri for her contributions to
Bharatanatyam in 2011. She also received
the Sangeet Natak Akademi Tagore Ratna (2011) and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
(1995).
29. Ramali Bin Ibrahim, a Malaysian choreographer of Bharatanatyam and Odissi dance
forms, was awarded the
Padma Shri in 2018.
30. The four Nattuvanars Ponaiyah, Vadivelu, Sivanandam, and Chinnaiya, renowned as
the Tanjaore Bandhu,
shaped up the modern-day Bharatanatyam.
31. Sonal Mansingh is an Indian classical dancer who masters both Bharatanatyam and
Odissi dancing styles. She
received the Padma Bhushan in 1992 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2003.

Kuchipudi

Founder- Siddhendra Yogi was an artist of the 17th century AD composed

Bhaamaakalaapam, a dance drama based
on Kuchipudi.
➢ God- Kuchipudi was developed as a form of worship to Hindu God, Krishna and lord
Vishnu
➢ State- It is related to Andhra Pradesh.
➢ Style/Forms- Non-Narrative and Abstract Dancing form is best describes the
meaning of Nritta in the Kuchipudi
dance form.
➢ Important Points
•
Kuchipudi classical dance is accompanied with Carnatic Music.
•
Kuchipudi (short form of 'Kuchelapuram' or 'Kuchilapuri') is a classical dance of
India which originated in the
village of Kuchelapuri in Andhra Pradesh.
•
It has its origins in the ancient Hindu Sanskrit text Natyashastra.
•
The Advaita Vedanta saint Tirtha Narayana Yati and his disciple an orphan named
Siddhedra Yogi) founded
the modern version of Kuchipudi in the 17th century.
•
It originated as a form of worship of the Hindu god Krishna.
•
It incorporates all three classical dance elements. These are
1.
Nritta (non-descriptive and imaginary dance),
2.
Nritya
3.
Natya.

Artists and Awards

Artist
Yamini Krishnamurti

State
Tamil Nadu

Aparna Satishan

Kerala

Radha Reddy
Raja Reddy
Shobha Naidu

Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Tamil Nadu

Deepika Reddy
Vempati Chinna Satyam
Padmaja Reddy

Telangana
Tamil Nadu
Andhra Pradesh

Swapna Sundari

Tamil Nadu

Awards
Title of 'Asthana Nartaki (resident dancer) of the
Tirumala Tirupati devasthanam for her contribution.
National Dance Shiromani Award 2022.
Padma Shree 1984, Padma Bhushan 2000
Padma Shri (2001), Hamsa Award (Government of
Andhra Pradesh)
Sangeet Natak Akademy Award in 2017
Padma Bhushan 1998
Telangana's First, Sangeet Akademy Award winner 2015
Padma Shree 2022
Padma Bhushan 2003

Important PYQs
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1.

Guru Vempati Chinna Satyam is renowned for training students in Kuchipudi. He

started the Kuchipudi Art
Academy in Madras in 1963.
2. Kaushalya Reddy is a professional Kuchipudi Dancer.
3. V. Satyanarayana Sarma: Recognized for his contributions to Kuchipudi dance. He
received the Padma Shri
(1970), Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship (1967), Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
(1961), and Kalidas
Samman (1988).
4. Ghanakanta Bora Barbayan: Associated with Sattriya dance, not Kuchipudi. He was
awarded the Padma Shri
(2013) and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2001).
5. Deepika Reddy: A prominent Kuchipudi dancer.
6. Prateeksha Kashi is a Kuchipudi dancer, not a Mohiniyattam exponent. She has
received several awards
recognizing her talent.
7. Padmaja Reddy is the first Sangeet Natak Akademi Award winner from Telangana.
She is known for
developing the Kakatiyam style of Kuchipudi dance.
8. Siddhendra Yogi, an extraordinary scholar and artist of the 17th century AD,
composed “Bhama Kalapam”, a
dance drama based on Kuchipudi. This drama tells the story of Satyabhama, the wife
of the god Krishna.
Kathakali, another popular classical dance-drama, was composed by sage Bharata.
9. Haleem Khan is associated with the classical dance form of Kuchipudi. His
performances and dedication to this
dance style have earned him recognition and respect in the classical dance
community.
10. Natya Tarangini was founded in 1976 by the world-renowned Kuchipudi dance duo
Radha and Raja Reddy.
They have received several awards, including the Padma Shri (1984), Padma Bhushan
(2000), and the Sangeet
Natak Akademi Award (1991).

Odissi

➢
Founder- Kelucharan Mohapatra was a legendary Indian classical dancer, guru, and
exponent of Odissi
dance.
➢
God- Odissi performances have also expressed ideas of other traditions such as
those related to Hindu
deities Shiva and Surya, as well as Hindu goddesses (Shaktism).
➢
State- It is associated with the state of Odisha.
➢
Style/Forms- Traditional Odissi exists in two major styles,
1. The first perfected by women and focussed on solemn, spiritual temple dance
(maharis).
2. The second perfected by boys dressed as girls (gotipuas) which diversified to
include athletic and acrobatic
moves.
➢
Important Points• The roots of this dance can be traced to Natya Shastra. Its
south-eastern style is known as Odhara Magadha.
• It is performed by women and expresses religious stories and spiritual ideas
(especially Vaishnavism in the form
of Lord Jagannatha Vishnu).
• It is the oldest surviving classical dance in India, dating back to around the
2nd century BCE, based on
archaeological evidence found in the Udayagiri Caves.
• This is celebrated in Konark temple in Odisha.
• The only Indian dance present in Michael Jackson's 1991 music video for the hit
single Black or White."

Artists and Awards

Artist

State

Kelucharan
Mohapatra
Ileana Citarsti
KumKum Mohanty
Sujata Mohapattra
Madhvi Mudgal

Odisha
Foreign Italy
Orissa
Odisha
Orissa

Sanjugata Panigrahi

Orissa

Awards
Padma Shri 1974, Padma Shri 1988
Padma Vibhushan 2000
Padma Shri 2006
Padma Shri 2005
Uday Shankar Award 1998
Sangeet Natak academy award 2001
Padma Shri (1975), Sangeet Natak Academy Award 1976

Important PYQs
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•
•
•
•

•
•
•
•
•
•
•

•
•

•
•

•
•

The Jagannath Temple in Puri depicts the Indian classical dance form of Odissi.
Lord Jagannath is worshipped
as Vishnu or Narayana, and deity Balabhadra is worshipped as Shesha.
Deba Prasad Das, Pankaj Charan Das, and Gangadhar Pradhan are associated with
Odissi, a classical dance
form from Odisha. Its dance theoretical base traces back to 'Natya Shastra' of
Bharatamuni.
Sutapa Talukdar is associated with Odissi, an Indian classical dance form. She was
awarded the Sangeet Natak
Akademi Award in 2019.
Kabichandra Kalicharan Patnaik coined the term 'Odissi' for Odisha's classical
dance. He contributed to Odissi
music, Odissi dance, and Odia theatre. Some of his major published works include
Kalanka Bhanjana, Milana
Madhuri, and Daridrya Bhanjana.
Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra: A prominent Odissi dancer awarded the Padma Vibhushan
(2000), Padma
Bhushan (1988), Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1966), and Kalidas Samman (1987).
Ratikant Mohapatra: Awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2016) for his
contributions to Odissi
dance.
Surupa Sen: A prominent Odissi dancer awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
(2018) and Raza
Foundation Award (2006).
Kumkum Mohanty, an Odissi dancer, was awarded the Padma Shri in 2005. Her
contributions to Odissi dance
have been recognized with several other honors.
Sharmila Biswas is an Odissi dancer and choreographer. She has received the Uday
Shankar Award for Best
Choreography and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for her contributions to the art
form.
Laxmipriya Mohapatra was an Odissi dancer and is said to be the first woman to
perform Gotipua, a folk dance
of Odisha, on stage. She was also the first dancer to perform Odissi on stage.
Ileana Citaristi, an Indian Odissi and Chhau dancer, is the first classical dancer
of foreign origin to be conferred
the Padma Shri Award in 2006 for her contributions to Odissi. She has received
several other awards, including
the 43rd National Film Awards in 1996, the Leonide Massine for the Art of Dance in
Italy in 1992, the
Sanskriti Siromani in 2006, the Lalithakala Award in 2007, the Pandit Jasraj Award
in 2009, and the
Prananath Patnaik Award in 2005.
Madhavi Mudgal is associated with Odissi, a classical dance of India. She has
received numerous awards,
including the Sanskriti Award in 1984, the Padma Shri in 1990, the Orissa State
Sangeet Natak Akademi
Award in 1996, the Grande Medaille de la Ville by the Government of France in 1997,
the Central Sangeet
Natak Akademi Award in 2000, the Delhi State Parishad Samman in 2002, and the title
of Nritya
Choodamani in 2004.
Minati Mishra was associated with Odissi, a classical dance of India.
Kelucharan Mohapatra, along with his wife and son, built Srjan in 1993. He was an
exponent of Odissi dance
and choreographed numerous dance-dramas in the Odissi style, including
“Panchapuspa,” “Krushna Gatha,”
“Geeta Govinda,” “Urbashi,” “Krushna Leela,” “Sakhigopal,” “Konark,” and “Sri
Kshetra.”
Guru Gangadhar Pradhan is an accomplished dancer of Odissi. He received the Sangeet
Natak Akademi
Award in 1998 and the Padma Shri in 2008.
Padma Shri Guru Mayadhar Raut was pivotal in reviving the Odissi dance form in the
1950s and redefined its
grammar and Abhinaya vocabulary. He received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Tagore Ratna
(2011) and the
Sahitya Kala Parishad Award (1984).
Sujata Mohapatra received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2017 for her
contributions to Odissi dance.
She has also been honored with the Bhimeswar Pratikha Samman (2004) and the Raaza
Puruskar (2008).
Guru Debaprasad Das Awardee Durga Charan Ranbir is a teacher and performer of
Odissi dance. He has
received several awards, including the Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra Award (2019), the
Central Sangeet Natak
Akademi Award (2005), the Orissa Sangeet Natak Academy Award, and the Veda Vyas
Award.

Kathakali

➢
Founder- Kottarakkara Thampuran, the Raja of Kottarakkara created a new form of
temple art based on
'Krishnanattam' and called it 'Ramanattam'. It is widely considered that
'Ramanattam' was the genesis of 'Kathakali'.
➢
God- It is associated with Hindu god Krishna
➢
State- This is classical dance of Kerala.
➢
Style/Forms- It is a harmonious combination of five forms of fine art, as follows:
1. Literature (Sahithyam)
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9
2.
3.
4.
5.

Music (Sangeetham)
Painting (Chithram)
Acting (Natyam)
Dance (Nritham)
➢
Important Points
• It describes the narrating story episodes of Ramayana and Mahabharata.
• In this dance are twenty-four hand gestures, and uses various colours on face to
symbolise the characters.
• The word Kathakali is derived from Sanskrit word Katha which means "story or
conversation or traditional
tale" and Kali (from kala) meaning "performance and art".
• The dance-drama arts called Krishnanattam and Ramanattam, based on the
Mahabharata and Ramayana, are
the predecessors of Kathakali.
• It is a harmonious combination of five forms of fine arts:
1. Literature
2. Music
3. Painting
4. Acting
5. Dance.
•
The characters of this dance are broadly divided into Satvik (noble characters like
Krishna and Ram), Rajasika
(evil characters) and Tamasika (bearded characters). It follows the traditional
Sopana music of Kerala.
•
The dance style combines the four aspects of
1. Abhinaya (Angika, Ahara, Vachika, Satvik)
2. Nritta
3. Nritya
4. Natya.

Artists and Awards

Artist

State

Vallol Narayana Menon

Kerala

Krishannkutty
Uday Shankar
Chemaccharry Kunhiraman Nair
Mrinalli Sarabhai

Kerala
Rajasthan
Kerala
Gujarat

Luoise Lightfoot (Australian mother of

Kathakali)
Astad Debu

Australia

Kalamandalam Ramankutty

Kerala

Gujarat

Awards
Sangeet Natak Academy Award 1971
Sangeet Natak Academy 1960
Padma Shri 2007
Padma Shree 1965
Padma Bhushan 1992

Padma Shri 2007

Sangeet Natak Academy Award 1996
Sangeet Natak Academy Fellowship
2004

Important PYQs
1.
2.

3.
4.
5.

Haripriya Namboodiri is an exponent of Kathakali.

Kottakkal Nandakumaran Nair, a Sangeet Natak Akademi 2019 Awardee, contributed to
Kathakali, a classical
Indian dance of Kerala. He is famous for his 'Kathi' Veshas and has skill in
enacting 'Pacha' and 'Minukku'
veshas.
Milena Salvini: An Italian Kathakali dancer who received the Padma Shri (2019). She
trained at Kerala
Kalamandalam starting in 1962.
Louise Lightfoot was called the ‘Australian Mother of Kathakali’ by Vallathol
Narayana Menon, the founder of
Kerala Kalamandalam. Kathakali is performed on the Sopana sangeet.
Vallathol Narayana Menon contributed significantly to the Kathakali dance form,
providing it with a new
impetus and innovation. He was a poet in Malayalam known for his poem “Ente
Gurunathan” (“My Great

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10
6.

7.
8.
9.

Teacher”) and was part of the modern Malayalam literary triumvirate along with
Kumaran Asan and Ulloor S.
Parameswara Iyer.
Guru Keezhpadam Kumaran Nair, a Kathakali dancer, was awarded the Padma Shri in
2004. His other awards
include the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1988), Kerala Sangeetha Nataka
Akademi Fellowship,
and the Kalamandalam Award.
Kalamandalam Rajan received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2009 for Kathakali.
Kottakkal Sivaraman is associated with Kathakali.
Guru Gopinath is a famous performer of the Kathakali classical dance. His awards
include the Sangeet Natak
Akademi Award (1965), Kala Tilakam by the Guruvayur Devaswom (1968), and Kala Ratna
title by the
Travancore Devaswom Board (1973).

Kathak

➢
Founder- Pandit Birju Maharaj (born Brijmohan Nath Mishra; 4 February 1938 – 17
January 2022) was an
Indian dancer, composer, singer, and exponent of the Lucknow "Kalka-Bindadin"
Gharana of Kathak dance in India.
➢
God- It is associated with the lord Krisna.
➢
State- Kathak is a famous classical dance of Uttar Pradesh.
➢
Style/Forms- Kathak dance has three main parts Mangalacharan and 'Nritta' and dance
described in 'Natya
Shastra'.
➢
Important Points
• Through this dance the stories of Lord Krishna are told, and in present form is
influenced by Mughal tradition.
• The nineteenth century saw the golden age of Kathak under the patronage of Wajid
Al Shah, the last Nawab of
Oudh.
• The word Kathak comes from the Sanskrit Vedic word Katha which means "story" and
Kathakar means one
who tells stories or related to stories.
• The story of Radha and Krishna is the major theme of Kathak.
• It became popular during the reign of the Mughals. The golden age of this dance
came under the patronage of
Wajid Ali Shah (the last Nawab of Awadh).
• Kathak dance has three main parts Mangalacharan and 'Nritta' and dance described
in 'Natya Shastra'.
• It is more of an introvertly style and the dancer performing Kathak never makes
the eye-contact with the
audience watching the dance.
Artists and Awards
Artist

State

Awards

Birju Maharaj

Uttar Pradesh

Lacchu Maharaj

Uttar Pradesh

Sangeet natak Academy 1964

Padma Vibhushan 1986
Kalidas Samman 1987
National Film Award 2012
Sangeet Natak Academy 1957

Sitara Devi

West Bengal

Shovana Narayan
Rajashree Shirke

West Bengal
Madhya Pradesh

Sangeet Natak Academy 1969

Padma Shri 1973
Guru Deba Prasad Award 2013
Sangeet Natak Academy Award 2013

Rani Karnaa Nayak

Kamalini Asthana
Nalini Asthana

Telangana
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh

Padma Shri 2014

Padma Shri 2022
Padma Shri 2022

Important PYQs
1.
2.

Roshan Kumari, Shovana Narayan, Maya Rao, and Kumudini Lakhia are eminent Kathak
artists.
Kumkum Dhar is known for Kathak, not Kuchipudi. She is the recipient of the Yash
Bharti Award, the highest
civilian award given by the Uttar Pradesh state government.

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11
3.
4.
5.
6.

Pandit Birju Maharaj was the director of Kathak Kendra and opened his own dance
school named 'Kalashram'.
Shambhu Maharaj was a renowned guru of the Lucknow Gharana of Kathak.
Pandit Janki Prasad was associated with the Banaras Gharana of Kathak.
Sitara Devi, known as the 'Queen of Kathak', was described as 'Nritya Samragini'
(the empress of dance) by
Rabindranath Tagore. She studied under the three great masters of the Lucknow
gharana: Achchan Maharaj,
Lachhu Maharaj, and Shambhu Maharaj.
7. Shovana Narayan is a renowned Kathak dancer who studied under Pandit Birju
Maharaj and also served as an
officer with Indian Audit and Accounts Services. She was awarded the Padma Shri in
1992 and the Sangeet
Natak Akademi Award in 1999.
8. Bhanu Ji Maharaj is associated with the Jaipur Gharana of Kathak. Other
exponents of this gharana include
Chunnilal Prasad, Kundan Lal Gangani, Sunder Prasad, and Mangala Bhat.
9. Padma Bhushan Kumari Kamala (also known as Kamala Lakshman) is associated with
Kathak dance. She
performed for Queen Elizabeth II during her coronation festivities in 1953. She was
awarded the Kalaimamani in
1967 and the Padma Bhushan in 1970.
10. Kumudini Lakhia: A Kathak dancer who founded the KADAMB Centre for Dance in
1964. She was awarded the
Padma Shri (1987), Padma Bhushan (2010), Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1982), and
Kalidas Samman
(2002-03).
11. Janaki Prasad: Founder of the Benaras Gharana of Kathak, with notable dancers
including Sitara Devi,
Kamalini Asthana, and Nalini Asthana.
12. Kamalini and Nalini Asthana: Kathak dancers from Agra, Uttar Pradesh, awarded
the Padma Shri (2022) for
their contributions to the Benaras Gharana style.
13. Vidha Lal: Known for Kathak, received the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar
(2017). She is a disciple of
Geetanjali Lal of Jaipur Gharana.
14. Sitara Devi: A prominent Kathak dancer, awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
(1969), Padma Shri
(1973), and Kalidas Samman (1995). Her biopic was announced on her 101st birth
anniversary.
15. Saswati Sen: A senior Kathak dancer and disciple of Pandit Birju Maharaj,
awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi
Award (2004-2005).
16. Birju Maharaj: A renowned Kathak dancer awarded the Padma Vibhushan (1986),
with notable choreography
including songs from Devdas and Bajirao Mastani. He also received the Sangeet Natak
Akademi Award (1964).
17. Nahid Siddiqui: Noted for her expertise in Kathak. She was awarded the
Milapfest's Lifetime Achievement
Award in October 2017 and is a disciple of Maharaj Kathak and Birju Maharaj.
18. Aditi Mangaldas: A leading Kathak dancer and choreographer who received the
National Sangeet Natak
Akademi Award (2013).
19. Birju Maharaj: Renowned Kathak dancer and choreographer, awarded the National
Film Award for Best
Choreography for Unnai Kaanaathu (2012).
20. Rajashree Shirke: Awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2013) for her
excellence in Kathak.
21. Rani Karnaa Nayak, awarded the Padma Shri in 2014, was a Kathak dancer. She
founded the Samskritiki
Shreyaskar Kolkata dance academy in 1995.
22. Prerna Shrimali is a prominent Kathak dancer, specializing in the Jaipur
Gharana style. She has been honored
with the Rashtriya Ekta Award.
23. Prerana Deshpande, a Kathak dancer, was awarded the National Devdasi Award in
2016 and has also received
the Gaurav Puruskar.
24. Rohini Bhate, a renowned Kathak dancer, established the Nritya Bharati Kathak
Dance Academy in Pune and
has received multiple awards for her contributions to dance.
25. Pandit Rajendra Gangani is associated with Kathak dance. He is one of the
leading exponents of the Jaipur
Gharana style of Kathak and received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2003.
26. The 19th century saw the golden age of Kathak under the patronage of Wajid Ali
Shah, the last Nawab of Oudh,
who supported the Lucknow Gharana of Kathak.
27. Vidyagauri Adkar, a classical dancer associated with the Jaipur Gharana of
Indian classical dance, is a Kathak
exponent from Mumbai.
28. Pandit Sunder Prasad, awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1959, was a
Kathak dancer.

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12
29. Maharaj Kalka Prasad, a 19th-century exponent of Kathak dance, belonged to the
Lucknow Gharana and
promoted Kathak-style dance and Thumri singing. He was awarded the Sangeet Natak
Akademi Award in 1954.
30. Rohini Bhate, Pandit Munnalal Shukla, Kumudini Lakhia, and Uma Sharma are
famous exponents of Kathak.

Manipuri

➢
Founder- Owing to the Meitei civilization, the classical dance form, first formally
developed by Meitei Hindu
king Ching Thang Khomba (Meitei for 'Rajarshi Bhagyachandra') of the Kingdom of
Manipur, is considered to be the
highest spiritual expression of the worship of Hindu deity Krishna.
➢
God- It is associated with Radha-Krishna.
➢
State- It is associated with the state of Manipur.
➢
Style/Forms•
Manipuri dance forms are
1. Raas
2. Sankirtan
3. Dhola Cholam
4. Kartal Cholam
5. Pung Cholam (dancers play Pung/drum while dancing)
6. Thang Ta (martial art form).
•
This is Lasya style based on Natyashastra. It includes Nritta (Dance) and Nritya
(Dancer) described in
'Natyashastra'. This includes facial expressions and hand gestures.
➢
Important Points• Manipuri is known for its Hindu Vaishnava themes and Rasleela,
the love-inspired dance drama of RadhaKrishna.
• The two categories of Manipuri dance are Jagoi (reflecting the Lasya element
described in Bharata's Natya
Shastra) and Cholom (the classical Tandava dance form).
• The dance form of majority of the Meitei community of Manipur is called Jagoi. It
is performed by followers of
Shaiva and Shakti sects. It also gave rise to other ritual dances dedicated to Lord
Shiva, Nongpink Ningthi, Parvati
and Panthoibi.

Artists and Awards

Artist

State

Awards

Guru Nileshawar Mukherjee

Manipur

Guru Rajkumar Singhajit Singh

Guru Amli Singh

Manipur
Manipur

Akham Lakshmi Devi

Manipur

Sangeet Natak Academy 1966

Padma Shri 1972
Padma Shri 1983
Sangeet Natak Academy 1956
Padma Shri 1970
Sangeet Natak Akademy Award 2018

Nayna Jhaveri

Manipur

Sangeet Natak Akademy Award 1977

Suvarna Jhaveri

Manipur

Sangeet Natak Akademy Award 1977

Bimbarati Devi
Sonarik Singh

Manipur
Manipur

Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in

1994

Important PYQs
1.
2.
3.

Guru Bipin Singh founded the Govindji Nartanalaya dance school for women in Imphal
for Manipuri dance.
Aluna Kabuini is associated with Manipuri dance.
Thokchom Ibemubi Devi won the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award 2021 for her contribution
to Manipuri
Dance.

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13
4.

Guru Bipin Singh, a Nrityacharya awardee, Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee, and
Kalidas Samman awardee,
was renowned for promoting the Manipuri classical dance form. He received the
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
in 1966 and the Kalidas Samman in 1989.
5. Darshana Jhaveri: A Manipuri dancer awarded the Padma Shri (2002) and Sangeet
Natak Akademi Award
(1996). She co-founded the Manipuri Narthanalaya in 1972.
6. Akham Lakshmi Devi: Known for Manipuri dance, awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi
Award (2018) and
Manipur State Kala Akademi Award (2010).
7. Guru Bipin Singh: Awarded the title of "Nrityacharya" by the Maharaja of
Manipur. He was a key figure in the
development and propagation of Manipuri dance.
8. Elam Endira Devi: Recognized for her contributions to Manipuri classical dance
and performed in the film
'Matamgi Manipur', which won the National Film Award in 1972. She received the
Padma Shri.
9. Bimbavati Devi: An exponent of Manipuri dance, daughter of Guru Bipin Singh and
Guru Kalavati Devi.
10. Guru Nileshwar Mukherjee is a master of Manipuri dance, a classical dance form
from Manipur, India.
11. Guru Amubi Singh, a distinguished Manipuri dance artist, was awarded the Padma
Shri in 1970 for his
significant contributions to this classical dance form. He also received the
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1956,
highlighting his impact on India’s cultural heritage.
12. Bipin Singh, a Manipuri classical dancer, opened the 'Govindji Narthanalaya'
dance school for women in
Imphal.
13. Lourembam Bino Devi, a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, received
the award for her
contribution to Manipuri dance. She was also awarded the Padma Shri in 2022, the
Thouranisabi Gold Medal in
1989, and the Manipur State Kala Academy Award in 1999.
14. Rajkumar Singhajit Singh, a leading exponent and guru of Indian classical
Manipuri dance, was awarded the
Padma Shri in 1986. His other awards include the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
(1984), Sangeet Natak
Akademi Fellowship (2011), Tagore Award (2014), and the Delhi Sahitya Kala Parishad
Award (1975).

Mohiniattam

➢
Founder-Mohiniyattam is a classical Indian dance, which by definition traces its
repertoire to the foundational
text Natya Shastra. The Natya Shastra text is attributed to the ancient scholar
Bharata Muni.
➢
God- It is associated with lord Vishnu.
➢
State- It is performed in the state of Kerala.
➢
Style/Forms-`Mohiniyattam is a lasya subgenre of dance, performed in the Kaisiki
vritti (graceful style), as
discussed in ancient Indian performance arts texts such as the Natya Shastra. More
specifically, it is a dance that excels in
Ekaharya Abhinaya form, that is a solo expressive dance performance aided by
singing and music.
➢
Important Points• This dance is performed by women in honor of Mohini Kalyanikutty
Amma, an incarnation of the Hindu god
Vishnu, who is known as the Mother of Mohiniyattam.
• Its earliest reference is available in 'Vyavaharamala' (written in 1709 AD)
written by Mazhamangala Narayanan
Namboodiri on Indian jurisprudence.
• The postures are based on the book Hastalaksh Deepika. There are total 24
currencies. Some of these are:
Pataka, Katakam, Mushti, Karthari etc.
• Idakka is main percussion Instrument used in the performance of Mohiniyattam
dance.

Artists and Awards

Artist

State

Awards

Sumanda Nair
Kalamandalam
Kshemathavya

Maharashtra
Kerala
Kerala

Sangeet Natak Academy award 1967, Padma Shri 1977

-

Madhuri Amma
Jayaprabha Menon
Gopika Verma

Kerala
Kerala
Kerala

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14
Radha Dutta

Smitha Rajan

United States
(Washington
DC)
Kerala

DR. Kanak Rele

Gujarat

• Kalasagar award.
• Nritya kala ratna puraskar.
• Kalasree puraskar.
• Kalaratna vallathol puraskar.
• Ambassador for global peace through art and culture.
Sangeet Natak Award 1994
Padma Shri 2013

Important PYQs
1.
2.

3.
4.
5.

6.

Gopika Varma won the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2019 for Mohiniyattam.
Bharati Shivaji and Kanak Rele are exponents of Mohiniyattam, a classical dance
form from Kerala. Bharati
Shivaji was awarded the Padma Shri in 2004, while Kanak Rele received the Padma
Shri in 1990 and the Padma
Bhushan in 2013.
Dr. Kanak Rele: A prominent Mohiniyattam dancer and dance educationist, founder of
the Nalanda Dance
Research Centre. She received the Padma Shri (1990) and Padma Bhushan (2013).
Jayaprabha Menon, a dancer of the Mohiniyattam form of Indian classical dance, was
given the Devadasi
National Award in 2013.
Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma wrote two books on the history and dance structure
of Mohiniyattam. She
received numerous accolades including the Kavayithri title by Vallathol (1940),
Sangeet Natak Akademi
Fellowship (1974), Kerala Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship (1974), Keerthi Shanku
title by Kerala
Kalamandalam (1980), Nrittapraveena title by Kerala Fine Arts Society (1984), and
Kerala Sahitya Academy
Award (1985).
Malayalam poet Vallathol Narayana Menon and dancer and guru Kalyanikutty Amma
revived and gave new
life to the dance form Mohiniyattam.

❖
Satriya

➢
➢
➢
➢
1.
2.
➢
•
•
•

Founder- This dance form was introduced in 15th century AD by Mahapurusha

Sankaradeva
God- It is associated with the Lord Krishna
State- It is associated with the state of Assam.
Style/Forms- Satriya dance can be classified into two styles, namely
Paurashik bhangi i.e. Tandava or masculine style
Stree Bhangi i.e. Lehshya or feminine style.
Important Points
It is developed from the Vaishnavite monasteries of Assam.
It is influenced by Bihu folk dance.
Borgeet, a musical composition is used in Satriya Dance.

Artists and Awards

Artist

State

Awards

Shreemat Shankar Dev

Assam

Prabhat Sharma

Assam

Sharodi Saikia

Assam

Important PYQs
1.

Ramkrishna Talukdar: Awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2018) for his
contributions to the Sattriya
dance form from Assam.

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15
2.

Srimanta Sankardev: Introduced significant cultural forms in Assam, including

Borgeet (a genre of devotional
music), Ankia Naat and Bhaona (theatrical performances), Sattriya (a classical
dance form), and Brajavali (a
literary language).
Shri Jatin Goswami: Known for his contributions to Sattriya dance, awarded the
Padma Shri (2008) and Sangeet
Natak Akademi Award (2004).
Sharodi Saikia is an exponent of Sattriya, a classical dance form from Assam,
India. She has been honored with
the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.
Tankeswar Hazarika Borbayan received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for the year
2018 for his
contribution to Sattriya dance, a classical dance form from Assam.

3.
4.
5.

6. Srimanta Sankardev is credited with inventing and perfecting India’s classical

dance form Sattras. He is renowned
for his contributions to music (Borgeet), theatrical performance (Ankia Naat,
Bhaona), dance (Sattriya), and
literary language (Brajavali).

Folk Dances of India

Introduction: - It is a traditional dance of a particular group of people or place

is folk dance.
Famous folk dances of state are as follows: -

State/Union Territory
1.

Assam

2.

Arunachal Pradesh

Folk Dance
•
Bagurumbha: It is a folk dance of Bodo Community
Bagurumbha is a traditiona1 dance that has been passed down from one
generation to the next generation. The Bagurumbha dance is often
regarded as the most important, traditional dance of the bodo people.
•
Bihu: Bihu dance is performed by both young men and women
characterised by brisk stepping, flipping of hand and swaying of his
represents youthful passion. This is performed Assamese New Year.
•
Bicchua
•
Natpuja: The Natpuja dance is a folk dance and an important part
of the culture. Only male dancers can participate in this dance. They use
sticks while dancing to a folk song of their tribal community.
•
Ojapali: Ojapali is a traditional shamanistic type of indigenous
folk dance from Assam in the north-eastern region of India
•
Kathis
•
Jhumur: Performed by Kulis.
Jhumur dance is a traditional dance of tea tribe communities of Assam.
•
Maharas
•
Khel Gopal
•
Ankiya Nat: Ankiya Nat is the wonderful assembled creations,
consistimg of the influential contender of Sanskrit drama and dramatic
entertain, such as Rasleela, Ramleela, Jatra, and Kathak.
•
Kaligopal
•
Naga Nritya: The Naga dances are martial arts based celebratory
dance that depict their Valour, bravery and strength.
•
Konai
•
Mask Dance (mukhota): Mukhota is a dance form in which the
participant wears traditional dresses and masks representing their duties
and evil demons.
•
War Dance
•
Rikhampada Dance: Rikhampada is a dance of Nishi tribe of
lower Subansiri District of Arunachal Pradesh. It is believed that this
dance and the Nyokum festival were introduced by one of their

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16
3.

Andhra Pradesh

forefathers named Apatani, when he along with his tribe migrated to the
present place of settlement.
•
Popir: Popir dance is a tribute to the goddess mopin Ape. She is
the goddess of prosperity and fertility. She is one of the most revered
goddesses of galo tribe.
•
Ponung Dance
•
Pasi Kongki Dance: Pasi kongki dance is performed tribes of
Arunachal Pradesh. The dance depicts the social work of pasi.
•
Bordo Chham
•
Buiya: Buiya folk dance belongs to digaru tribe. Buiya dance is
usually performed along with the beats of the drum and gong.
•
Chhallo: The Chalo dance is a significant part of the Chalo Loku
festival, celebrated by the Nocte tribe in Arunachal Pradesh every year in
October and November, to bid farewell to the past season and welcome
the upcoming paddy cultivation season
•
Wancho: The of the Wancho tribe performs the wancho dance
Arunachal Pradesh. It is performed for recreational purpose. It is
performed by male and female member of the tribe.
•
Lion and peacock: The monapa tribe of Arunachal Pradesh
perform the folk dance popularly known as lion and peacock dance.
•
Pong
•
Tappu Dance
•
Ghantamardala
•
Kumni: Kummi dance is also popular in Tamil Nadu. It is
performed by group of women in a circle.
•
Dhimsa: Dhimsa dance is performed by 15-20 women forming a
chain. The basic feature of the Dhimsa dance is the attempt to establish
friendship between the neighbouring villages. Official folk dance of
Andhra Pradesh.
•
Kolattam: In Kolattam dance, the dancers use sticks to keep the
rhythm of the dance.
•
Gobbi: Main dance during the ankranti festival.
•
Bathukama: Mainly performed by women.
•
Dandaria: Dandaria dance is mainly performed by the Gonds - a
prominent tribe concentrated in central India. This is mainly a male
dance .
•
Lambadi: Lambadi dance is one of the most popular tribal dance
forms of the state which is performed by the Banjaras. The costume of the
Lambadi tribe is very colourful and attractive.
•
Bonalu: Bonalu is a significant form of ritual dance of Andhra
Pradesh. In the Telangana region the Bonalu Dance is performed to offer
food to the Mother Goddess. It is generally held in the month of Asada.
•
Tappeta Gullu: Tappeta Gullu is a major folk-dance form
prevailing in the northern coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh, such as
Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, and Visakhapatnam. This dance form was
initially performed as a devotional dance by shepherds to appease
Gangamma, the god of rain.
•
Bhampalkam: It originated in the state of Andhra Pradesh in
India. The performance usually tells the story of the love between Lord
Krishna and his beloved Radha, and is characterized by intricate
footwork, graceful movements, and vivid facial expressions.

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17
4.

Jharkhand

5.

Rajasthan

6.

Madhya Pradesh

7.

Uttar Pradesh

•
Dappu: Dappu Nrityam is one of the important and popular
dance forms in Andhra Pradesh. This dance form earned its name from
the sound produced by a simple percussion instrument, a tambourinelike drum which
is called 'Dappu'.
•
Paika: Paika dance involves a high degree of martial arts
involvement. The dancers carry a sword in one hand and a shield in the
other.
•
Chhau: Chhau dance is performed by the tribals. This dance is
mainly performed in open fields especially at night.
•
Fagua: Fagua dance is performed during Holi.
•
Sarhul: The Sarhul dance is performed in praise of the God who
protects the tribes
•
Ghora: Ghora dance is performed by men during marriage.
•
Lahsuya: Lahsuya dance is generally performed by men and
women.
•
Mundari: Mundari dance is performed by the Munda tribe.
•
Karma: Performed by tribals during annual festival called karma.
•
Kadsa: It is a dance style performed by carrying a kalasha.
•
Tertali: Tertali dance is performed by women
•
Chari; Women express the joy of everyday's life through Chari
dance. Chari dance is performed by Gujjar Tribes
•
Kalbelia: The Kalbelia are the snake charmer community of
Rajasthan who perform the Kalbelia dance
•
Ghoomar: State dance of rajas an. Performed by Bhil tribe to
impress goddess Saraswati.
•
Panihari: A graceful dance for women; and the kacchi ghori, in
which male dancers ride dummy horses.
•
Gangaur: Performed during Gangaur (a colourful festival which
is one of the most important celebrations of the people of Rajasthan.)
•
Matki: Matki dance is a community dance of 'Malwa'.
•
Tertali: Tertali dance is a folk dance of 'Kamar' tribe in Madhya
Pradesh.
•
Phul pati: Phul pati dance is performed on the time of festival of
Holi
•
Bardi: Bardi dance is performed at the beginning of 'Diwali'.
•
Albiri: The Ahiri dance (community) consider themselves to be
descendants of Sri Krishna.
•
Jawawa: Jawara dance is performed by people of different regions
to celebrate paddy.
•
Rasleela: Rasleela is an art form. It is a form of dance that depicts
Lord Krishna's love towards the milkmaids of his village as well as his
consort Radha
•
Nautanki: Nautanki is a dance form of Uttar Pradesh which is a
combination of mythological plays and folklore. It is an operatic form of
theatre performance.
•
Kajri: Kajri dance is performed with the accompaniment of the
charming 'jhula' lyrics or swing song. The term kajri possibly has been
derived from the hindi word kajra.
•
Charkula: Charkula dance is a dramatic dance performance that
is visually attractive. The dance uses its birth to Lord Krishna era. In the
performance of charkala.

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18
8.

Chhattisgarh

9.

Uttarakhand

10.

Himachal Pradesh

11.

Gujarat

12.

Odisha

•
Karma: Karma dance is performed by the Tribal groups like
Gonds, Baigas and Oraons in Chhattisgarh.
•
Panthi: Panthi dance is a famous ceremony of the Satnami
community.
•
Gendi: In gendi dance, the dancer dances on two long bamboos
or just on any fixed pole.
•
Sua Nacha: Sua nacha dance is also known as parrot dance. It is
performed in case of marriage of Gaura.
•
Saila: The purpose of Saila dance is to represent great enthusiasm
and emotion for the harvest.
•
Chandaini: Chandaini folk dance is an important folk dance in
the rural areas of Chhattisgarh.
•
Pandawini: Pandawini dance depicts the story of Mahabharata.
•
Garhwali: Garhwali is a folk-dance native to Uttaranchal and is
performed predominantly in Tehri Garhwal District. Both men and
women are involved in this dance, which forms an important event in any
celebration. The male and female dancers in the Garhwali dance form
rows by holding the back of the adjacent persons.
•
Kumayni: It is a traditional folk-dance form originated in the
Kumaon division of the Indian state of Uttarakhand.
•
Kajri jhoda: Jhodaa or Kajri jhoda is a community dance that is
highly popular in Uttarakhand. The dance originated in the region of
Kumaon. This folk dance is generally performed during the spring season.
The dance is performed by the local people moving around in circles.
•
Rasleela: Rasleela is an art form. It is a form of dance that depicts
Lord Krishna's love towards the milkmaids of his village as well as his
consort Radha
•
Champal
•
Sarp
•
Dangi
•
Thoda Khel: Thoda Khel is a form of martial art originated from
the state of Himachal Pradesh. Bow and Arrow is the main weapon to
perform the dance.
•
Kayang Mala : The Kayang Mala Dance is performed with a
garland made by weaving one’s arms in a cross pattern.
•
Rakshasa Dance (Demon): The Rakshasa dance (demon) is also
known as Chhambha dance. The dancers wear mask to depict demons
attacking the crops and being chased down by the forces of the gods.
•
Garba: Garba is a popular folk dance from Gujarat and performed
in all parts of India during Navratri.
•
Dandiya: Dandiya dance is popularly known as stick dance. The
stick which is used in this dance is believed to be the sword of Goddess
Durga.
•
Bhavai: Bhavai dance is considered to be the dance of emotions
•
Tippani: Tippani dance is performed on festivals and marriages.
•
Ghumura: Ghumura dance was celebrated as a court dance in
Kalahandi state.
•
Pala: Pala dance is associated with the Satyapir Panth. The people
of Odisha strongly believe in Pala.
•
Daskathiya: Daskathiya dance revolves around the dramatic act of
the singer.
•
Dalkai: Orchestra is used in Dalkhai dance.

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19
13.

Goa

14.

Kerala

15.

West Bengal

16.

Meghalaya

17.

Manipur

•
Bagha Nach: Bagha Naach is performed by men in the month of
Chaitra (Hindu Calendar), who paint their bare bodies with yellow and
black stripes to look like tigers and add tails.
•
Dhalo: The Dhalo folk dance is performed by women. when the
crop is harvested and stored
•
Dekhni: Dekhni dance is completely dedicated to children.
•
Dhangar: Dhangar dance form is a community of shepherds
worshiping.
•
Fugdi: Fugdi dance is the most popular dance, which is
performed only by women.
•
Dappu: The 'Instrument' Dappu is used in Dappu dance. It is a
group dance of the Moplas of Malabar.
•
Kavadiyottam: The Kavadiyottam dance is dedicated to Lord
Subrahmayam as an offering in the temple.
•
Velakali: Velakali is a martial dance of the Nair community.
•
Thiyattu: Thiyattu dance is a devotional performance in the
Bhadrakali temple.
•
Kolam thuallal: Kolam Thullal is performed to get rid of the
troubles and pain caused by evil spirits.
•
Kadua: Kadua dance is also known as Pulikali dance.
•
Kumati: They wear painted wooden masks while dancing in
Kumati dance.
•
Kadhi
•
Gambira: Gambhira dance is a kind of folk-dance form
performed in a temple during the festival of chaitra sankranti – which
usually falls in month of march or april. The devotional dance is
performed in reverence of the shakti – the mother goddess.
•
Dhali: In Dhali dance, two groups of dancers (warriors) holding
bamboo sticks as swords and cane as shields fight each other. It is an
energy-packed folk dance of Bengali culture showcasing the fighter spirit
of the community.
•
Behdeinkhalam: Behdienkhalam is the main dance festival held
every July in Jowai Jaintia hills. This festival mainly involves the blessings
of the creator for a healthy harvest
•
Shad Suk: Shad suk is an annual spring dance that celebrates the
harvest and planting season.
•
Nongkrem: Nongkrem dance is known as 'Ka pamblang
nongkrem'.
•
Wangla: Wangla dance is a major festival of Garos held in the fall,
after the harvest season.
•
Dorsegatta: Dorsegata dance festival is also a dance in which the
women try to take the turbans off their male partners during the dance.
•
Pung cholom: Pung Cholom is an art form with the combination
of sound and movement. In this dance, the dancers themselves play the
mridanga (pung).
•
Maibe: Maibe dance is a form of Lai Haroba festival in which the
main performers are Maibio.
•
Khamaba: The Khamba Thabi dance is a couple performance
depicting the story of a poor and brave boy from the Khuman dynasty of
Khamba.
•
Nupa: Nupa dance is also known as variation of pungcholom
dance.

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20
•
Rasleela: Rasleela dance depicts the love of Lord Krishna and
Radha.

18.

Maharashtra

19.

Karnataka

20.

Punjab

21.

Haryana

•
Kala: The Kala dance describes the mood of Lord Krishna. It is
considered a symbol of fertility
•
Koli: Koli dance is also known as Kolis.
•
Lavani: Lavani dance is performed by women wearing 9 yards
saree.
•
Powadas: Powadas dance depicts the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji.
•
Lajim: Lajim dance is celebrated during the Ganesh festival. It is
also called Lejium.
•
Yakshagana: Yakshagana is a folk theater form from Karnataka,
which is an imitation of an ancient art related to several traditions of
Sanskrit theater or drama.
•
Dolu kunitha: Dolu Kunitha is a ritual dance, mainly popular
with the Kuruvas of the 'Bereshwar Sampradaya'. Kuniya dhol is
accompanied by songs and beats of drums.
•
Nagamandala: Nagamandala is a ritual dance performed to pacify
the spirits of serpents.
•
Krishna Parijat: Krishna Parijat is a religious dance.
•
Veeragese: Veeragase dance is performed on Dussehra festival. It
is extremely popular during the months of Shravan and Kartik.
•
Bhangra: Bhangra dance is performed during Baisakhı.
•
Giddha: Giddha dance is derived from the ancient style of ring
dance.
•
Jhumar: The Jhumar dance is performed by the men. This is Slow
and rhythmic dance.
•
Julli: Julli is a religious dance, which is associated with Pir and
singing.
•
Kikli: Kikli dance is performed in pairs.
•
Dhankara: Dhankara dance is also known as Gataka dance.
•
Jhumar: This traditional dance is specially performed by the
young girls who are married. The dance is performed to the beats of the
musical instruments such as dholak and thali. The performers dress up in
colourful costumes and adorn themselves with sparkling jewelleries.
•
Phag: The Phag dance in performed by the farmers in the month
of Falgun. During Performance Women wear colourful traditional clothes
whereas men wear colourful turbans.
•
Saag: The Saag dance mainly reflects the religious stories and tales
that are performed in open public places and last about 5 hours.
•
Chhathi: Chhathi dance is performed only on the birth of a male
child.
•
Khoria: The Khoria dance is a collective form of the variety of
Jhumar dance style steps.
•
Dhamal: Dhamal dance is performed only by men. It is said that
the people perform this dance whenever their crop is ready for harvest.
•
Daph: Daph Dance is mainly a seasonal dance Performed by
farmers to commemorate a beautiful harvest on the advent of spring
season.
•
Gugga: The dance was named Gugga by the devotees of saint
Gugga. It is performed in the procession taken out int he memory of saint
Gugga.

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•

22.

Mizoram

23.

Jammu and Kashmir

Loor: Loor dance is specially performed during Holi festival.

•
Cheraw: Cheraw dance is also known as 'Bamboo dance' because
of the bamboo used during its performance.
•
Khuallam: Khuallam dance is also performed as a dance of the
guests. This is performed during a ceremony called Khichadi.
•
Cheraw Lam: The Bamboo tubes and drum beats are used in
Cheraw Lam dance.
•
Par Lam: The female dancer wears multi-coloured clothes and a
flower in her hair in the Par Lam dance.
•
Sawalnkia: Sawalakia dance is celebrated as a symbol of winning
the war.
•
Chailam: Chailam dance is celebrated during the festival of
Chapchar Kut.
•
Hikat: Hikat is a folk dance from Kashmir valley. It is performed
only by boys when the spring season majestically approaches the valley
with all its grandeur

24.

Tamil Nadu

Manjal

Kummi: Kummi dance originated during a period when there

were no musical instruments. The term Kummi is said to be derived from

the word 'Kommai' which means to 'dance with clapping of hands' to
time. Kummi is usually performed by a group of Tamil women in a circle.
This folk dance however assumes different forms.
•

Sliambattam: Silambattam is a martial folk dance from

Tamilnadu, India. The dancers do mock combat with various weapons,

such as sticks, clubs, sword, horns.

25.
Bihar

26.

Lakshadweep

27.

Nagaland

•
Bidesiya: Bidesiya is actually a type of drama which deals with a
contradictory theme of tradition and modernity, urban and rural and
wealthy and poor. The basic theme of this dance is the love story of Jat and
Jatin. But now the play reflects on may socially issues like droughts, floods
and poverty.
•
Jhumri: Jhumri dance is similar to Garba dance of Gujarat.
•
Jhijiya: Jhijiya dance is performed in the rainy season to please
Lord Indra. People do worship of Ma Laxmi, Saraswati and Parvati.
•
Kajri: The theme of Kajri dance is to express joy and happiness.
•
Paika: The purpose of Paika dance is to develop the physical
excitement and movements in the dancing warriors.
•
Lava: Lava dance is mainly performed by the men of
Lakshadweep. This word refers to the expressions according to music and
rhythm.
•
Kolkali
•
Parichkali
•
Kolkali and Parichkali are two popular folk-art form of
Lakshadweep. Kolkali-Parichakali is a popular folk dance in southern
Kerala and Lakshwadeep. Kol refers to stick, and Paricha means shield.
•
Zeliang: The Zeliang dance is performed by the Zeliang Naga
tribe
•
Chang Lo: Chang Lo is performed by the Chang tribe.
•
Monyo Asho: Monyo Asho is performed by Foam Tribe
•
Kulki: The Kuki dance is performed by the Chakseng Nagas.

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28.

Ladakh

29.

Puducherry

30.

Sikkim

31.

Tripura

32.

Daman and Diu

•
Shondol: Shondol dance is a traditional dance form of the Brokpa
tribe, which is one of the indigenous communities living in the Zanskar
region of Ladakh.
•
Shon
•
Garadi: Garadi Dance - It is One of the popular folk dances of
Puducherry. Garadi is believed to have a mythological origin and it is
performed during all festivals.
•
Chu fat
•
Sikmari: Sikmari Dance is performed by the Lepchas to admire
the beauty of nature.
•
Hojagri: Hojagiri is a Tripuri Reang tribe folk dance performed in
the state of Tripura, India. Reang or Riang are one of Tripura's scheduled
tribes.
•
Goria: The Goria or Garia dance is performed at the time of the
sowing of the crops.
•
Mando: Mando is a musical-dance form that developed among
Goan Catholics of Goa during the 19th and 20th centuries.
•
Verdigao: Verdigao dance is the traditional dance form of Daman
and Diu, India. Daman and Diu are renowned for their Portuguese folk
dances.
•
Birha

Important PYQs
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Rabindra Sangeet is associated with Rabindranath Tagore. It is a genre of folk

songs performed during festivals
and rituals in West Bengal. Notable folk songs in West Bengal include Bhatiali and
Baul.
The most distinctive type of folk songs of Assam are Bihu songs, which celebrate
the life-sustaining character of the
Brahmaputra. Bhuta song of Kerala, on the other hand, is based on superstitions to
drive away evil spirits.
Lalita is a form of folk music from Maharashtra. Other famous folk music genres of
Maharashtra include Bhajan,
Bharud, Gondhal, Kirtan, Abhangas, and Tumbadi singing.
The folk song genre Bhawaiya is popular in parts of West Bengal, Assam, and
Bangladesh. Other regional folk
songs include Chalo from Haryana, Baul from Bengal, and Lavani from Maharashtra.
Owi is a typical folk song from Maharashtra, describing women's maternal and
marital homes, sung by village
women while performing routine chores.
The documentary "Songs of the Blue Hills" by filmmaker Utpal Borpujari focuses on
the folk songs and culture
of the Naga tribes. Folk songs of Nagaland include Hekaileu (songs about oneself),
Heliamleu (dancing songs),
and Hereileu (war songs).
Pandavani is the most celebrated folklore of Chhattisgarh. Other folktales from
Chhattisgarh include Mohna de
Gori Kayina, Dhola Maru, Fox and Mahadev, and Sada Brij Saaranga.
Bhalari is a popular folk song sung by farmers while working in their fields in
Maharashtra.
Mando is a form of folk song from the state of Goa. It is a love song of the Goan
people, with other popular ritual
folk dance forms including Dhalo, Dekhi, Foogdi, and Kunbi.
The peasants of Rajasthan sing "Pankhida" while working in fields. Other regional
folk music includes Pandavani
from Chhattisgarh, Chhakri from Jammu and Kashmir, and Barahmasa from Uttar
Pradesh.
Maand is a traditional folk singing style from Rajasthan, celebrated in the Maand
festival during the month of
October.
The Mand or Maand style of singing is associated with Rajasthan, used in folk songs
and similar to thumri and
ghazal.
Lavani is a folk music genre from Maharashtra, combining traditional song and dance
performed to the beats of
the Dholki.
Bhatiali is the folk music of West Bengal, often sung by boatmen while navigating
the river.
The festival of Marabats and Badgyas in Nagpur confronts social evils through a
procession with effigies and
traditional folk songs.
Dhol is a double-headed drum used in various South Asian folk music traditions,
including Punjabi and Bengali.

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•
•
•
•

•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Rani Machaiah is an Ummathat folk dancer who was awarded Padma Shri in 2023.
Malini Awasthi is an award-winning Bhojpuri folk singer. She sings in Bhojpuri,
Awadhi/Audhi, and Hindi
languages and was awarded the Padma Shri in 2016.
Surekha Punekar is a Lavani dancer from Maharashtra, India. Lavani is a traditional
folk dance form popular in
the region.
The Sabri brothers, Aziz Warsi, and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan are associated with the
Qawwali singing style.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan received the President of Pakistan Award for Pride of
Performance. Indian folk music
includes Bhavageethe from Karnataka and Maharashtra, Bhangra and Giddha from
Punjab, Lavani from
Maharashtra, Alha from Madhya Pradesh, and Panihari, Pankhida, and Maand from
Rajasthan.
Sartaj Khan, Sarwar Khan, Swaroop Khan, and Mame Khan are renowned for Rajasthani
folk music. Allah
Jilai Bai from the Bikaner Gharana is a prominent Rajasthani Maand singer. Other
notable Rajasthani folk singers
include Ila Arun, Rapperiya Baalam, and Rajnigandha Shekhawat.
Allah Jilai Bai, a Rajasthani singer, is famous for her folk songs, including the
notable piece “Kesaria Balam”. She
received the Padma Shri in 1982 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1988.
Dr. Radhe Shyam Barle, a Panthi folk dancer from Chhattisgarh, was conferred the
Padma Shri in 2021 for his
contribution to the folk dance form Panthi.
The Hornbill Festival is celebrated in the northeastern state of Nagaland from
December 1 to 10. The festival is
named after the Indian Hornbill bird, which is significant in local folklore.
Onam is a cultural festival of South India associated with the folklore of King
Mahabali. It is celebrated in Kerala
and marks the beginning of the harvest season.
Yaoshang, Manipur’s version of Holi, is celebrated for five days. It occurs during
the full moon of the Lamta
month (February-March) and includes the 'Thabal Chongba' folk dance.
Ravindra Sangeet, also known as Tagore Songs, is a collection of folk songs sung
during festivals and rituals in
West Bengal. These songs were written and composed by Rabindranath Tagore.
Thadya is one of the most important music forms of Uttarakhand, originally
performed in royal courts. It is a
form of folk music sung by groups of both men and women.

Some other points:

 Tholu Bommalata is a shadow puppet show in Andhra pradesh.
 Waziri Dance: The waziri Dance is performed by Pashtun tribes in Pakistan.
 Kandyam Dance: It is folk dance from Sri Lanka.
 Tappa: It originated from the folk songs of Punjab and often shows the soreness
of a lover.
 Mrichchhaktika (The little Clay cart) is a social drama with touches of grim
reality, written by Sudraka.
 Ratvai: - It is a dance form associated with mewati tribes of India.
 Uday Shankar is Indian Classical, Folk and Tribal dancer also known as for
creating the Fusion style of dance
also Creative dance (Hi dance). He was a pioneer of Modern dance in India. He was
given Padma Vibhushan
Award in 1971.
 Matha B Manjamma Jogati was conferred with the Padma Shri Award 2021, for
populating folk dance in
rural Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
 The famous Kalbelia dancer Gulabo Sapera was awarded Padma Shri in 2016.

Musical Instruments and Gharanas

India: Music/Songs

The historical roots of both music types belong to Bharata’s Natyasastra, they were
divided in the 14 th century.

Hindustani Classical Music/ North Indian Music

•
•
•

It is adopted in the Sudha Swara Sapataka Scale, also known as the octave of nature
notes.
In ancient times, was passed from one person to another through Guru-Shishya
Paramapra.
The musical Instruments used in the Hindustani Music are the Tabla, Sarangi, Sitar,
Santoor, Flute and violin.

Major Vocalist known for Genres of Hindustani Classical Music

•
•

Shri Mani Prasad

Kumar Gandharva

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•

Mugubhai Kurdikar

Hindustani Music Gharanas

• A gharana is a system of social organization linking musicians or dancers by
lineage or apprenticeship and by
adherence to a particular music style.

It us a function in Guru-Shishya Paramapra, i.e. disciples learning under a

particular Guru, transmitting his/her

musical knowledge and style.

Gharana

Founder

Other Singer/Member

Agra
Bhendi Bazaar Gharana (There is a stress on
breath control and singing of long passages
in one breath is highly regarded in this
Gharana)
Rangleela (Agra)
Kirana (Awadh)

Hajisujan Khan
Ustad Chajju Khan

Ustad Aman Ali Khan, Anjanibai

Pt. Bhimshen Joshi

Gangubhai Hangal
Kishori Amonkar (vocalist)
-

Delhi

Faiyazz Khan
Abdul Karim Khan and
Abdul Walid Khan
Nathan Khan
Ustad Alladiya Khan
Maaharaja Chakradhar
Singh
Sidhar Khan Dhadi

Patiala

Mian Kallu

Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan

Punjab Gharana
Mewati Gharana (Region of Delhi, Jaipur
and Indore)
Senia (Tansen School of Music are known
as Senia Gharana), Rampur State (Uttar
Pradesh)
Maihar, Madhya Pradesh

Alia Rakha
Pandit Jasraj

Bilas Khan and Naubat

Khan

Hari Prasad Chaurasia

Ustad Allaudin Khan

Gwalior
Jaipur
Raigarh

Ustad Iqbal Khan Ahmed

Important PYQs
•

•
•
•
•
•
•

Bade Ghulam Ali Khan was a prominent singer of the Patiala Gharana, known for his
contributions to
Hindustani classical music. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1962 and the
Sangeet Natak Akademi
Award in 1962.
Abdul Karim Khan was the founder of the Kirana Gharana of classical music. The
Gharana is named after a small
town called Kerana in North India. He and Abdul Wahid Khan are known for
popularizing Hindustani Khayal
singing.
Chakradhar Samaroh is organized by the Ustad Allaudin Khan Sangeet Academy and the
Chakradhar Lalit
Kala Kendra in Raigarh to commemorate Maharaja Chakradhar Singh, the founder of the
Raigarh Gharana in
music.
Ustad Alladiya Khan belonged to the Jaipur Gharana of Hindustani music and founded
the Jaipur-Atrauli
Gharana.
Pandit Bhimsen Joshi was an exponent of Khayal in the Kirana Gharana.
Pandit Jasraj was associated with the Mewati Gharana.
Gangubai Hangal primarily belonged to the Kirana Gharana and was a leading vocalist
in Hindustani classical
music. She was awarded the Padma Bhushan (1971) and Padma Vibhushan (2002).
Manna Dey was a famous playback singer from the Bhendi Bazaar Gharana, trained
under Ustad Aman Ali
Khan. He received the Padma Bhushan (2005), Padma Shri (1971), and the Dadasaheb
Phalke Award (2007).
Alla Rakha was a prominent tabla player from the Punjab Gharana, awarded the Padma
Shri (1977) and Sangeet
Natak Akademi Award (1982). He collaborated with Buddy Rich in 1968.

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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

•
•
•
•
•
•
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•
•
•

•
•
•

Pandit Kishan Maharaj was a renowned tabla player from the Benaras Gharana, awarded
the Padma Shri (1973)
and Padma Vibhushan (2002).
Ustad Hassu Khan was a founder of the Gwalior Gharana, noted for being the oldest
Khayal Gharana.
Ilyas Khan was known for playing the sitar and was related to the Shahjahanpur and
Lucknow Gharanas of
sarod players.
Ustad Shafaat Ahmed Khan was known for tabla and belonged to the Delhi Gharana,
awarded the Padma Shri
(2003).
Zarin Sharma was a celebrated sarod player from the Khayal (Agra Gharana), awarded
the Sangeet Natak
Akademi Award (1988).
Indore Gharana was founded by Ustad Amir Khan, known for its contributions to
Hindustani classical vocal
music.
Shri Mani Prasad was a Hindustani vocalist from the Kirana Gharana, awarded the
Sangeet Natak Akademi
Award (2019).
Allauddin Khan was a revered sarod player and teacher, founder of the Maihar
Gharana. He was awarded the
Padma Bhushan (1958) and Padma Vibhushan (1971).
Maihar Court is where Allauddin Khan founded the Maihar Gharana in Madhya Pradesh.
Kishori Amonkar was a renowned classical vocalist from the Jaipur-Atrauli Gharana.
She received the Padma
Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan.
Abdul Karim Khan and Abdul Wahid Khan founded the Kirana Gharana, known for its
mastery of slow-tempo
ragas and Sargam. Notable exponents include Pandit Bhimsen Joshi and Gangubai
Hangal.
The Gwalior Gharana was founded by Nathu Khan and Vishnu Palushkar, while the Agra
Gharana, also
known as the Rangeela Gharana, is a mix of Khayal and Dhrupad styles, with
exponents like Mohsin Khan Niazi
and Vijay Kichlu.
Bade Fateh Ali Khan and Ali Baksh Jarnail Khan propounded the Patiala Gharana.
Notable figures include
Malika Pukhraj, Gauhar Jan, and Ghulam Ali.
The Gwalior Gharana is associated with Ghulam Hassan Shaggan, Vasundhara Komkali,
Narayanrao Bodas,
and Sunanda Patnaik.
The Agra Gharana includes Yaqoob Hussain Khan, Yusuf Hussain Khan, Khurshid Hussain
Khan, Shamim
Ahmed Khan, and Ghulam Rasool Khan.
The Bhendi Bazaar Gharana is known for Pandit Shivkumar Shukla, Ramesh Nadkarni,
and T.D. Janorikar.
Hari Prasad Chaurasia, an Indian flutist, is associated with the Senia Gharana,
founded by Bilas Khan and
Naubat Khan. His biography, “Breath of Gold” (2019), was written by Sathya Saran.
Other famous flutists include Ronu Majumdar, Pravin Godkhindi, and Raghunath Seth.
The Agra Gharana is associated with Hajisujan Khan, the Lucknow Gharana with
Bindadin Maharaj, the
Banaras Gharana with Pandit Ram Sahai, and the Jaipur Gharana with Ustad Alladiya
Khan.
Nikhil Banerjee, a famous sitar player from the Maihar Gharana, received the Padma
Shri in 1968 and the
Padma Bhushan in 1987.
Zakil Hussain is a renowned tabla player. According to the Sangeet Sudarshana, the
sitar was invented during the
18th century by a fakir named Amir Khusru.
Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan was associated with the Patiala Gharana and hailed as
the ‘Tansen of the 20th
century’. He received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1962, became a Sangeet
Natak Akademi Fellow in
1967, and was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1962.
Other notable musicians include Ustad Abdul Karim Khan (founder of the Kairana
Gharana), Ustad Faiyaz
Khan (an exponent of the Agra Gharana), and Ustad Amir Khan (founder of the Indore
Gharana).
Annapurna Devi was trained in classical music under her father Ustad ‘Baba’
Allauddin Khan and established the
Maihar-Senia Gharana. She was a surbahar (bass sitar) player of Hindustani
classical music.
Kesarbai Kerkar, an Indian classical vocalist of the Jaipur-Atrauli Gharana, was
awarded the Padma Bhushan by
the Government of India and the title of ‘Rajya Gayika’ by the Government of
Maharashtra in 1969. She also
received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1953.
Nagarathnamma was a Carnatic singer from Bangalore.

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26
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The Gwalior Gharana is the oldest among all the Khayal Gayaki styles. It was
founded by Nathan Pir Bakhsh
and Ustad Naththan Khan. Notable artists include Dr. Meeta Pandit, Ustad Bade
Inayat Hussain Khan,
Krishnarao Shankar Pandit, and Narayanrao Bodas.
Founders of other Gharanas include Hajisujan Khan for the Agra Gharana, Abdul Wahid
Khan for the Kirana
Gharana, and Alladiya Khan for the Atrauli Gharana.
Faiyyaz Khan, Latafat Hussein Khan, and Dinkar Kakini are important singers of the
Agra Gharana, a tradition
of Hindustani classical vocal music descended from the Nauhar Bani during the reign
of Emperor Alauddin
Khilji of Delhi.
Malka Jaan of the Agra Gharana was a court musician at the durbar of Wajid Ali Shah
and was a contemporary of
Gauhar Jaan.
Shuja-ud-Daulah was the Subedar and Nawab of Oudh, while Asaf-ud-Daula was the
Nawab Wazir of Oudh
ratified by Shah Alam II.
Lakshmi Shankar was a Hindustani classical vocalist of the Patiala Gharana, founded
by Mian Kallu, a sarangi
player from the Jaipur durbar. She was known for her performances of khyal, thumri,
and bhajan.
Mallikarjun Mansur was an Indian classical singer from Karnataka, an eminent
vocalist in the Khayal style, and
belonged to the Jaipur-Atrauli Gharana. He received the Padma Shri (1970), Padma
Bhushan (1976), Padma
Vibhushan (1992), and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship (1982). His
autobiography is titled “My Journey
in Music.”
Pandit Gopal Mishra, a sarangi player, was the founder of the Banaras Gharana style
of khayal singing. Chief
exponents include Rajan Mishra, Sajan Mishra, and Girija Devi.
Ustad Mamman Khan is associated with the Delhi Gharana, Ustad Chajju Khan with the
Bhendi Bazaar
Gharana, and Ustad Inayat Hussain Khan with the Rampur-Sahaswan Gharana.
Ustad Fateh Ali Khan is associated with the Patiala Gharana, not the Rampur
Sahaswan Gharana.
Ustad Inayat Hussain Khan is the founder of the Rampur Sahaswan Gharana.
Ustad Hassu Khan, Ustad Haddu Khan, and Ustad Nathu Khan were exponents of the
Gwalior Gharana, one
of the oldest Khayal Gharanas in Indian classical music.
1.

In Hindustani Music there are 10 main singing styles (vocal forms).

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2.

Dhrupad
Dhamr
Hori
Khayal
Tappa
Chaturrang
Ragasagar
Tarana
Sargam
Thumri

Carnatic Classical Music/ South Indian Music

•

It is oldest form of classic music.

• Carnatic music has developed in the south Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala,
Andhra Pradesh, and
Karnataka.
• These states are known for their strong presentation of Dravidian culture.
• Carnatic music is completely melodic, with improvised variation.
• Purandara Dasa was credited with having founded today's Carnatic music.

Musical Forms of Carnatic Music:

➢
1.
2.
3.
4.

Gitam: It is the simplest type of composition with an easy and melodious flow of
raga.
Suladi: The Suladi is a talamalika, with sections in different talas.
Svarajati: It consists of three sections, called Pallavi, Anupallavi, and Charanam.
Jatisavaram: It is noted for the use of rhythmical excellence and the Jati pattern.

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5. Varnam: It is the only form that does not find a counterpart in Hindustani
music. This form is called a Varnam
Decause many of the Svara group patterns called 'Varnas' in ancient music are
interwoven in its texture.
6. Kirtanam: It is valued for the devotional content, or Bhakti Bhava, of the
Sahitya.
7. Kriti: It developed from the Kirtanam. It is a highly evolved musical form.
8. Pallavi: This is the most important branch of creative music. It allows
improvisation.
Carnatic music is confined to Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. It
is accompanied by
instruments such as the flute, veena, nadaswaram, mridangam, and ghatam.
Purandaradasa is considered the
father of Carnatic music.
The large plucked string instrument used in Carnatic classical music known as the
Bobbili Veena/Saraswathi
Veena is made from jackfruit wood.
Purandar Das is considered the 'Father of Carnatic Music' in India.
M Balamuralikrishna, an Indian Carnatic vocalist, is credited with composing Talas
such as Trimukhi,
Panchamukhi, Saptamukhi, and Navamukhi. His awards include the Sangeet Natak
Akademi Award (1975),
Padma Vibhushan (1991), Padma Shri (1971), and Mahatma Gandhi Silver Medal from
UNESCO (1995).
MS Subbulakshmi is known as the 'Queen of Carnatic Music'. She was the first
musician to be awarded the
Bharat Ratna in 1998. Her other awards include Padma Vibhushan (1975), Padma
Bhushan (1954), Sangeet
Natak Akademi Award (1956), Ramon Magsaysay Award (1974), Kalidas Samman (1988),
and Indira Gandhi
Award for National Integration (1990).
Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande: Associated with Hindustani classical music, not Carnatic
music.
U Srinivas (Uppalapu Srinivas): Renowned for his playing of the mandolin in
Carnatic classical music. He
received the Padma Shri (1998) and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2009).
Papanasam Sivan: A key figure in Carnatic music, awarded the Padma Bhushan (1972),
Sangeet Natak Akademi
Fellow (1962), and President Award (1962).
Bombay Jayashri Ramnath: A renowned Carnatic singer awarded the Padma Shri (2021).
Jayanthi Kumaresh: A master of the Saraswati veena, a prominent instrument in
Carnatic music. She has received
the Sangeet Shikhar Samman (2019) and the Music Academy Award (2015).
TH Vinayakram: Renowned for his mastery of the ghatam in Carnatic music. He has
received the Padma Shri
(2002) and Padma Bhushan (2014).
M.S. Gopalakrishnan: A versatile violinist who excelled in both Carnatic and
Hindustani music. He received the
Padma Bhushan (2012) and Padma Shri (1975).
Violin virtuoso L. Subramaniam is globally famous for Carnatic music. He has
received numerous awards,
including the Padma Shri in 1988, the Padma Bhushan in 2001, and the Manaviyam
(Millennium) Award from
Kerala in 2001. Other notable violinists include Abhijith P. S. Nair, Ambi
Subramaniam, Arrol Carelli,
Avaneeswaram S. R. Vinu, B. Sasikumar, and Ragini Shankar.
Ashish Sankrityayan is an exponent of Dhrupad music. In Hindustani music, there are
ten main singing styles:
Dhrupad, Tappa, Chaturang, Ragasagar, Dhamar, Hori, Khayal, Tarana, Sargam, and
Thumri. Every
composition in the Carnatic style includes several parts: Pallavi, Anu Pallavi,
Varnam, and Ragamalika.
Dr. Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna, a Carnatic vocalist from Andhra Pradesh,
received the Padma
Vibhushan in 1991 and established the Academy of Performing Arts and Research in
Switzerland. He also
played the kanjira, mridangam, viola, and violin. His awards include the Padma Shri
(1971), Padma Bhushan,
Padma Vibhushan (1991), Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (2005),
National Film Awards (1976,
1987), and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1975).
GN Balasubramaniam is known for his contributions as a vocalist in Carnatic music.
Other notable Carnatic
singers include Aruna Sairam, M. Balamuralikrishna, M. S. Subbulakshmi, Nithyasree
Mahadevan, and
Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer.
Kumar Sanu holds a Guinness World Record for recording 28 songs in a single day (as
of December 2022). His
awards include Maharashtra Ratna (2014) and Padma Shri (2009). Udit Narayan,
another prominent playback
singer, received the Padma Shri (2009) and Padma Bhushan (2016). Sonu Nigam was
awarded the Padma Shri
in 2022, and Arijit Singh is noted for his singing and music composing.
MM Keeravani composed the song "Natu-Natu" from the Telugu movie RRR, which won a
Golden Globe. The
film was directed by S. S. Rajamouli. The Academy Awards (Oscars) were first
presented in 1929.

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28
Pandit Birju Maharaj won the ‘Best Choreography’ National Award in 2012 for the
film 'Vishwaroopam,'
specifically for the song 'Unnai Kaanaatha.' He also received a Filmfare Award for
Best Choreography for
'Mohe Rang Do Laal' from 'Bajirao Mastani' (2016).
Arijit Singh performed the famous Bollywood song 'Channa Mereya,' which is featured
in the 2016 film "Ae Dil
Hai Mushkil," directed by Karan Johar.
The singer of the famous song "Mere Desh Ki Dharti Sona Ugle" from the film Upkar
(1967) was Mahendra
Kapoor. Mahendra Kapoor, an Indian playback singer, received the Padma Shri in
1972. He is known for several
famous patriotic songs including "Hai preet jahan ki reet sada" and "Des rangila".
Other notable patriotic songs
include "Maa tujhe salam" by AR Rahman, "Kar chale hum fida jaan-o-tan saathiyon"
by Mohammed Rafi,
and "Aye mere pyare watan" by Manna Dey.
The Indian singer who performed the song "Ae mere watan ke logon jara akhon mein
bharlo paani" before the
first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, was Lata Mangeshkar. Other
prominent patriotic songs
include "Vande Mataram" by Lata Mangeshkar, "Kar Chale Hum Fidal" by Mohammad Rafi,
"Watan Ki Mitti
Haath Mein Lekar" by Mukesh, and "De Di Hame Azadi" by Asha Bhosle.
The famous Indian musician Rahul Dev Burman composed the song "Yeh Dosti Hum Nahi
Todenge" from the
film Sholay (1975). The lyricist for this song was Anand Bakshi, and it was sung by
Manna Dey and Kishore
Kumar. Other well-known patriotic songs include "Aye Mere Watan Ke Logo" by Lata
Mangeshkar, "Saare
Jahan Se Accha" by Muhammad Iqbal, and "Mere desh ki dharti" by Mahendra Kapoor.
The famous song "Aye Mere Watan Ke Logo" was originally sung by Lata Mangeshkar.
Other patriotic songs
include "Mere Desh ki Dharti" by Mahendra Kapoor, "Teri Mitti" by B Praak, and
"Chhodo Kal Ki Baatein"
by Mukesh.
Tappa is a vocal form of music from Punjab, while the ghazal is a form of amatory
poem or ode originating in
Arabic poetry. Bhajan refers to devotional songs with religious themes in various
Indian languages.
The folk song genre Bhawaiya is popular in parts of West Bengal, Assam, and
Bangladesh. Other regional folk
songs include Chalo from Haryana, Baul from Bengal, and Lavani from Maharashtra.
The documentary "Songs of the Blue Hills" by filmmaker Utpal Borpujari focuses on
the folk songs and culture
of the Naga tribes. Folk songs of Nagaland include Hekaileu (songs about oneself),
Heliamleu (dancing songs),
and Hereileu (war songs).
Mando is a form of folk song from the state of Goa. It is a love song of the Goan
people, with other popular ritual
folk dance forms including Dhalo, Dekhi, Foogdi, and Kunbi.
Padavali Kirtan refers to songs composed in medieval West Bengal (15th to 17th
century) in praise of Vishnu.
The term padavali means "gathering of songs."
Yashomati Maiya Se is a famous song from the Bollywood film Satyam Shivam Sundaram
(1978), and Lata
Mangeshkar performed it.
C Ramchandra was the music director of the famous song "Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon"
sung by Lata
Mangeshkar.
Kumar Sanu holds the Guinness World Record for singing the highest number of songs
in one day, recording 28
songs in 1993. He has received numerous honors, including the Maharashtra Ratna
Award (2014), Mahanayak
Samman Lifetime Achievement as a Bengali Playback Singer (2014), Dr. Babasaheb
Ambedkar Nobel Award
(2017), and Bishesh Sangeet Mahasanman (2019).
At the Oscars (2009), Indian musician A.R. Rahman received the ‘Best Original Song’
award for his composition
"Jai Ho" in the film "Slumdog Millionaire." This recognition further solidified
Rahman’s status as a global music
icon.

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The festival known as Galdan Namchot marks the birthday of the great Buddhist saint
Je Tsongkhapa and is
celebrated in Tibet, Mongolia, and Ladakh. It also signifies the beginning of the
New Year in Ladakh.

Difference Between Carnatic and Hindustani Music

Carnatic

Hindustani

Originated in South India

Oldest and traditional Music
Influence Mostly Indigenous
Sub styles; one prescribed only

Originated in North India

Come into existence during 13 century CE
Influence; Persian, Afghan, Arabs
Sub styles; Several, led to Gharanas
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29
Instrument Use; Mridangam, Mandolin, Ghatam,
violin and Flute
Swapna Sundari

Instrument Use; Veena, Tabla, Sarangi, Sitar, Santoor,

violin and flute
Tamil Nadu

Major Musical Instruments and Instrumentalist

Instrument
1. Flute (under
Sushira vadya
category)

Instrumentalist
Hari Prasad Chaurasia
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Sangeet Natak Akedemi (1984)

Konark Samman (1992)
Padma Bhushan (1992)
Yash Bharti Samman (1994)
Padma Vibhushan (2000)
Dinanath Mangeshkar Award (2000)
Books: Official Biography "Breath of Gold" by
Sathya Saran.
Along with Shivkumar Sharma, he cmposed
music for many films.
Chandni, Daar, Lamhe, Silsila, Vijay

Pannalal Ghosh (24 July 1911-1980)

•
Pannalal Ghosh jointely scored the background for 'Aandhiyan' in 1952
alongwith Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and Pandit Ravi Shankar. He was the first to
introduce the seven-hole flute.
•
He was a disciple Allauddin Khan.
Rajendra Prasanna
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2004.
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He belongs to Banaras Gharana.

Grammy Award certificate for his participation in 'Concert for George' in
Lifetime Achievement Award by Sahara India.
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2017)
Rajendra Kulkarni
•

2. Drum (Tabla)

Parvati Punyabhushan Puraskar, Pune, 2010

Alla Rakha Khan

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Alla Rakha was awarded the Padma Shri in 1977.
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Sangeet Natak Akedemi Award (1982).
•
He was also featured in a Google doodle on 29th April 2014, on the occasion
of his 95th birthday.
Ustad Zakir Hussain (9 March 1951-Present)
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Padma Shri (1988) (The youngest recipient of Padma Shree)
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Padma Bhushan (2002).
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Padma Vibhushan (2023)
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Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1990)
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Book : Zakir Hussain : A Life in Music (Compliation of 15 interview session
from 2016 to 2017)
Pandit Kishan Maharad (3 Septermber - 2008)
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He belongs to Banaras Gharana of Hindustani classical music.
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Padma Shri (1973)
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Padma Vibhushan (2002)

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30
Gudai Maharaj (Samta Prasad) (20 July 1921- 1994)
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Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1979)
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Padma Shree (1979)
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Padma Bhushan (1991)
Ananda Gopal Bandopadhyay (28 April 1942- 2021)
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He belongs to Banaras Gharana. Sangeet Ratna Award (2012)

Sukhwinder Singh Namdhari

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3. Sitar

Sukhvinder Singh is one of the India's most dynamic percussi onists.

Pandit Ravi Shankar

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Kalidas Samman (1987-88, MP Government)
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Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1962)
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Padma Bhushan (1967)
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Padma Vibhushan (1981)
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Bharat Ratna (1999)
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Other Government and academic honours T
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Ramon Magsaysay Award (1992)
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Fiver Gramy Award: 1967, 1973, 2002, 2013 & Life Time Achievement
Award received at 55th Annual Grammy Award.
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Nominated for an Academy Award for Best original score alongwith George
Fenton for Gandhi.
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On 7 April 2016 (96th birthday), Google published a Google Doodle to
honor his work.
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His daughter Anoushka Shankar was nominated for a Grammy Award for
best world music album in 2003. Book: Raga Mala : The Autobiography of Ravi
Shankar, My Music: My life
Latif Ahmad Khan (1942-1989)
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He belongs to Delhi Gharana of Tabla.
Ustad Faiyaz Khan
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Taal Samrat Award was given by the Ustad Ashique Ali Khan Memorial
Society in 2010.
Anokhelal Mishra (1914-1958)
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He was called the jadugar of Na Dhin Na. Musical Instrument and
Instrumentalist
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In the late 1950, his programmes were broadcaste by voice of America as
well.
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Anokhelal trained many musicians of India. Ramji Mishra, Mahapurush
Mishra, Sanjay Mishra (Grandson).
Pandit Jasraj (28 January 1930-2020)
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Pandit Jasraj belongs to Mewati Gharana.
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Padma Shri (1975)
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Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1987)
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Padma Bhushan (1980)
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Padma Vibhushan (2000)
Pandit Nikhil Jyoti Ghosh (28 December 1918-1995)
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Padma Bhushan (1990)
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Ustad Hafiz Ali Khan Award (1995)
Tanmoy Bose

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•

Sangeet Samman (Government of West Bengal)

BickramGhosh
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GIMA Award (2012)
Uma Shankar Mishra
Sangeet Natak Akedemi Award (1991-92)
Budhaditya Mukherjee
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Padma Bhushan (2019)
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Sangeet Natak Akademi (2011)
Vilayat Khan
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Padama Shri (1964)
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Padma Bhushan (1968)
Nikhil Banerjee
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Padma Shri (1968)
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Padma Bhushan (1986)
Shahid Parvez Khan
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Padma Shri (2012)
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Sangeet Natak Akademi (2006)
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Kaljyoti Lifetime Achievement Award (2020)

4. Sarod

Rajeev Janardan
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He belongs to Imdadkhani Gharana.
Allauddin Khan (8 October 1862-1972)
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He is called sarod samrat.
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Padma Bhushan (1958)
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Padma Vibhushan (1971)
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For a generation many of his students across different instruments like sitar
and violin.
Zarin Sharma (Darovoala)
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She belongs to Khayal (Agra) Gharana.
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She won the all India Radio music competition at New Delhi in the year
1960 when she was only 13 years old.
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Sangeet Natak Akademi (1988)
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Maharashtra Gaurav Puruskar (Maharashtra Government) (1990)
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Dadasaheb Phalke Academy Award (2007)
Pandit Mukesh Sharma
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His father late Pandit Rasik Behari Lal was an eminent Sarod artist.
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Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Natak Academy Competition (1976-77) Hafiz Ali
Khan
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He belongs to Banarash Gharana.
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Padma Bhushan (1960)
Ali Akbar Khan
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Ali Akbar Khan was an Indian Hindustani Classical musician of the Maihav
Gharana known for his virtuosity in playing the sarod.
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Padma Bhushan (1967)
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Padma Vibhushan (1989)
Amzad Ali Khan
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Amzad Ali Khan is an Indian classical sarod player, best known for his clear
and fast ekharra taars.
•
In 2014, along with his two sons, Ayaan Ali Khan and Amaan Ali Khan
performed 'Raga for Peace' in Nobel Prize concert.
•
Padma Shri (1975)

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5. Clarinet
(Shehnai)

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Padma Bhushan (1991)
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Padma Vibhushan (2011)
Buddhadev Das Gupta
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Buddhadev Das Gupta was an Indian classical musician who played the
sarod.
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He was one of the rarists featured in nimbus record 'The Raga Guide'.
•
Padma Shri (2011)
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Padma Bhushan (2012)
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Sangeet Natak Akedemi (1993)
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Auto Biography : Bamaner Chandra Sparshavilash
Bismillah Khan
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He was invited by the Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawharlal Nehru to
play shehnai on the First Independence Day (15 August 1947) in Delhi's Red Fort.
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Award:
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Tansan Award by Government of Madhya Pradesh.
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Sangeet Natak Akedemi Award (1956)
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Padma Shri (1961)
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Padma Bhushan (1968)
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Padma Vibhushan (1980)
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Tahar Mausique from Republic of Iran (1992)
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Bharat Ratna (2001)
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India Post issued commemorative postage stamps on ` 500 denomination
on 21 August 2008.
•
On his 102nd birthday, Google honored Bismillah Khan with a Google
Doodle.
•
There is an auditorium on the name of Bismillah Khan.
Ali Ahmed Hussain Khan
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Sangeet Natak Akedemi Award (2009)
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Banga Bibhushan Award in 2012

7. Violin

Bageshwari Qamar
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She is the India's only women shehnai player.
•
She was crowned Shehnai Queen in 1983 at Chandigarh.
Saraswati S. Balchandran
Krishna Bhagavatar
V. Doro Swamy T Baddruddin Dagar
Jayanthi Kumaresh
Sundaram Balachandra
pandit Biswajit Roy Chowdhary
Rajeev Taranath
•
Rajeev Taranath is an Indian classical musician who plays the sarod.
Taranath is a disciple of Ali Akbar Khan. Awards T Padma Shri (2019)
TN Krishnan, L. Subrahmanyam, Vishnu Govind Jog, Dr.N. Rajan, Sangeeta

8. Santoor

Shivkumar Sharma, Bhajansopori, Varsha Agarwal, Trun Bhattacharya.

9. Pakhawaj

Kunal Patil, Kelucharan Mohapatra, (Mridang Tabla, Odissi dancer), Ustad

6. Harp (veena)

Rajan, Kunakudi, Vaidyanath, Mohan Chandra Shekhar, Lalgudi

Rehman Khan, Tota Ram, Pandit Bhawani Shankar, Thakur Laxman Singh,
Gopaldas, Chhatrapati Singh

10. Mridang

T. Gopal Krishnan (Kerala)

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Padma Bhushan 2012.
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Kerala Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1983)

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Palghat R. Raghu
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He was a carnatic musician and percussionist.
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Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1983)
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Padma Shri (1985)
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Sangeeta Kalanidhi

11. Rudraveena

Rajna Swaminathan
• Rajna Swaminathan is an occlaimed mrudangam artist, composer and scholar.
Ustad Sadiq Ali Khan, Asad Ali Khan

12. Symphony

Zubin Mehta (Padma Bhushan 1996, Padma Vibhushan - 2001, Tagore Award -

13. Ghatam

T.H. Vinayakram (Grammy Award winner (1996), Padma Bhushan (2014)), E.M.

14. Sarangi

Shakur Khan, Pandit Ram Narayan, Ramesh Mishra, Sultan Khan, Ustad Bindu

15. Mandolin

U. Srinivas, Khegan Dey, Snehanshish Mozumder

16. Piano

Vistap Ardeshir Balsara

17. Harmonium

Appa Jalgaonkar, Mahmood Dhalpuri, Bhurelal Khan

18. Surbahar

Imrat Khan:Annapurna Devi: she was honored with Padma Bhushan Award

19. Algoza

It is a mouth played musical instrument; its main artist is Dhondhe Khan

20. Veena

S. Balachandran, Kalyan Krishna Bhagwatar, Badruddin Dagar, V. Dore Swami

2013
Subramaniam
Khan, Iliyas Khan, Abdul Karim Khan, Gopal Mishra, Ahmad Khan

1977.

Iyengar
Important PYQs
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•
•
•
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•

Yamini Krishnamurthy: Opened the Yamini School of Dance in Delhi (1990). She
received the Padma Shri
(1968), Padma Bhushan (2001), and Padma Vibhushan (2016).
M.S. Gopalakrishnan: A versatile violinist who excelled in both Carnatic and
Hindustani music. He received the
Padma Bhushan (2012) and Padma Shri (1975).
Budhaditya Mukherjee: Associated with the sitar. He was the first musician to
perform at the House of
Commons, London.
Kabir Das: A mystic poet and saint of the Bhakti Movement, born in Kashi (Uttar
Pradesh) in the 15th century.
Lalita and Nandini are well-known violinists. Their contributions to Indian
classical music have earned them
prestigious titles like Kalaimamani.
Hariprasad Chaurasia, a renowned flautist, served as the artistic director of the
World Music Department at the
Rotterdam Music Conservatory in the Netherlands.
Bade Fateh Ali Khan and Ali Baksh Jarnail Khan propounded the Patiala Gharana.
Notable figures include
Malika Pukhraj, Gauhar Jan, and Ghulam Ali. The Gwalior Gharana is associated with
Ghulam Hassan
Shaggan, Vasundhara Komkali, Narayanrao Bodas, and Sunanda Patnaik. The Agra
Gharana includes Yaqoob
Hussain Khan, Yusuf Hussain Khan, Khurshid Hussain Khan, Shamim Ahmed Khan, and
Ghulam Rasool
Khan. The Bhendi Bazaar Gharana is known for Pandit Shivkumar Shukla, Ramesh
Nadkarni, and T.D.
Janorikar.
Dr. N. Rajam is known for playing the violin. Some popular violinists in India
include Abhijith P. S. Nair, B.
Sasikumar, Harikumar Sivan, Embar Kannan, Kala Ramnath, Sunita Bhuyan, Akkarai
Subbalakshmi, Vittal
Ramamurthy, Ragini Shankar, Manoj George, Gagan Chandra Chatterjee, and Sangeeta
Shanka.
Yog Sunder Desai, a pioneer in Indian dance during the pre-independence era, was
born on July 16, 1921, in
Gujarat. He directed the ‘Ram Lila’ for Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra in 1966 and
founded his dance
ensemble, the Indian Revival Group, in 1948 in Calcutta.
The Nooran Sisters, Jyoti Nooran and Sultana Nooran, are renowned for their Sufi
music. They are a Sufi
singing duo from Jalandhar, India.
Download GvKaksha App

34
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Janki Bai, a Hindustani vocalist from Allahabad, along with her famed contemporary
Gauhar Jaan, had the
privilege of performing for Emperor George V at the Delhi Durbar in 1911. She was
popularly known as
“Chhappan Chhuri” or the 'woman with 56 stab wounds.'
RD Burman, an Indian music director, composer, and singer, is popularly known as
'Panchamda'.
S. Janaki is a famous singer from Andhra Pradesh. Other notable singers from the
state include Puvvula Suri
Babu, M. Balamuralikrishna, R. Balasaraswathi Devi, S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, G.
Anand, and Mohana
Bhogaraju.
Udit Narayan Jha, an Indian playback singer, received the Padma Shri in 2009 and
Padma Bhushan in 2016.
Tansen is credited with creating the popular Raga Miya Ki Malhar. He is also known
for compositions like
Darbari Kanhra (night raga), Mian Ki Todi (morning raga), and Mian ki Sarang (mid-
day raga).
A Shadava Raga has only six notes in its scale. There are around 83 ragas in Indian
classical music.
Thullal is a solo satiric dance form from Kerala, introduced by poet Kunchan
Nambiar. There are three versions
of this art form: Seethankan Thullal, Parayan Thullal, and Ottan Thullal.
Chakradhar Samaroh is organized by the Ustad Allaudin Khan Sangeet Academy and the
Chakradhar Lalit
Kala Kendra in Raigarh to commemorate Maharaja Chakradhar Singh, the founder of the
Raigarh Gharana in
music.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was a famous Qawwali singer, known for his performances in
Sufi Islamic devotional
music.
'The Unforgettables' was the collection of semi-classical music by Jagjit Singh.
Dr. Teejan Bai is globally recognized for her contribution to Pandavani.
The Wadali Brothers are renowned Sufi singers.
Talat Aziz is primarily a Ghazal singer.
Shanti Bardhan is associated with synthesizing classical and modern Indian dance
through a theatre group called
Ranga Sri Little Ballet Troupe. He was a junior colleague of Uday Shankar and
produced some of the most
imaginative dance-dramas of the 20th century, including Ramayana, in which the
actors moved and danced like
puppets.
Faiyyaz Khan, Latafat Hussein Khan, and Dinkar Kakini are important singers of the
Agra Gharana, a tradition
of Hindustani classical vocal music descended from the Nauhar Bani during the reign
of Emperor Alauddin Khilji
of Delhi. Other prominent exponents include Faiyaz Khan “Prempiya”, Vilayat Hussain
Khan “Pran Piya”,
Khadim Hussain Khan “Sajan Piya”, Sharafat Hussain Khan “Prem Rang”, Shrikrishna
Narayan
Ratanjankar “Sujan”, Babanrao Haldankar “Raspiya”, and Zohrabai. Hazrat Amir
Khusrau established the
tradition of singing ghazals in India. Known as the father of qawwali, he is also
referred to as the Parrot of India.
His notable works include Tughlaqnama, Nuh-sipihr, and Khazain-ul-Futuh. He was the
court poet of Alauddin
Khalji.
Daskathia is a form of ballad singing prevalent in Odisha, performed with a pair of
wooden instruments and
usually involving two performers.
Khuang is a traditional musical instrument of Mizoram, made from a hollow tree
wrapped with animal skin.
Nadhaswaram is a wind instrument used in South Indian classical music and is
traditionally played during temple
ceremonies.
Ustad Asad Ali Khan is famous for the Khandarbani school of Dhrupad as an
instrumentalist.
Brij Bhushan Kabra: Associated with the guitar, particularly known for playing
ragas on this instrument. He is
connected to the Jodhpur royal family and was a pioneering artist in this field.
Ustad Sultan Khan was a master of the Sarangi, a bowed string instrument. He was a
founding member of the
Tabla Beat Science group and received numerous awards for his musical brilliance.
Appa Jalgaonkar, a famous musician, is associated with the harmonium, also known as
the reed organ, a free-reed
keyboard instrument. He received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2000. Other
renowned harmonium
players include Mehmood Dhaulpuri, R. K. Bijapure, Sudhir Nayak, and Tulsidas
Borkar.
Ali Akbar Khan was associated with the sarod, a stringed musical instrument of the
lute family. Other famous
sarod players in India include Allaudin Khan, Amjad Ali Khan, Buddhadev Dasgupta,
Bahadur Khan, Sharan
Rani, and Zarin S. Sharma.

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35
•

Kadri Gopalnath was associated with the saxophone, a type of single-reed woodwind
instrument with a conical
shape, usually made of brass. Other famous saxophone players in India include
Manohari Singh, Allah Rakha
Rahman, Braz Gonsalves, Adnan Sami Khan, and George Brooks.
Guru Makar Dhwaja Darogha was conferred the Padma Shri in 2011 for his
contributions to Chhau, a
traditional Indian dance form. His work has been instrumental in promoting and
preserving this unique dance
style.
Ustad Bismillah Khan was instrumental in introducing the shehnai to the concert
stage and performed at Delhi’s
Red Fort on India’s Independence Day, August 15, 1947. He also received the Sangeet
Natak Akademi Award
(1983).

Some other points:

 The patriotic song 'Sare Jahan Se Achha' was composed by Allama Muhammad Iqbal.
 Silk Route, a popular Indian band of the 1990s, released their first album,
'Boondein," with Mohit Chauhan as
the lead singer.
 The chorus singing 'Sabad' is associated with Guru Parv.
 Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) city was declared the "City of Music" by UNESCO in 2015.
 Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was a famous Qawwali singer from Pakistan. We know that
Qawwali was brought to
India by the Persians.
 Sabri brothers, Aziz Warsi and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan are associated with. Qawwali
Singing style.
 Amir Khusrow is known as Father of Qawwali in India.
 Daskathia is a form of ballad singing prevalent in Odisha
 The Shadava Raga has its scale only six notes in it.
 Filmmaker Utpal Borpujari's documentary Song of a Blue Hills is based on the folk
songs and culture of Naga
tribes.
 Pandavani is the most celebrated folklore of Chhattisgarh, and Teejan Bai is an
exponent of the Pandavini style
of folk singing based on the epic Mahabharata.
 Abhang is a form of devotional poetry sung in praise of God Vithoba.
 The song "Ekla Chalo Re" was written by Rabindranath Tagore.
 Girija Devi was Indian classical Singer in Banaras Gharana. She was considering
the Queen of thumri.
 Tansen have devised many Raagas or melodies in Hindustani music.
 Veena is made up of a single piece of jackfruit wood. In ancient texts, Nerada is
credited with inventing the
Veena.
 Chyap-Brung: It is a traditional musical Instrument of the Limboo community of
Sikkim.
 Ponu Yoksi: It is a sword-like instrument used during ceremonial dances performed
by the priests; it belongs to
Arunachal Pradesh.
 Ektara is a single-string musical instrument from Maharashtra.
 The kamalcha is a musical instrument played by Mangarians in west Rajasthan.
 Chikara is a stringed musical instrument popular in the state of Madhya Pradesh.
 Pena is a traditional musical instrument of Manipur.
 Kartal (khar taal) is a musical instrument that falls under the category of
idiophones in Rajasthan.
 Dhenka is an Odisha musical instrument.
 Mahuri is an Odisha traditional musical instrument.
 Ghumot is a musical instrument from Goa.
 Turi, Bungal, and Pava are folk musical instruments of Gujarat.
 Khaung is a traditional musical instrument of Mizoram.
 Padavali Kirtan refers to a song composed in the mediaeval period of West Bengal
in praise of Lord Vishnu.
 Ghana Vadya musical instruments are the solidest and earliest instruments
invented by man.
 Chenda is a South Indian instrument similar to the Nagada of North India.

Festivals, Folk Art, Fairs and Tradition

Festivals of various states and UTs of India.

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36
State/Union Territory

Festival

1.

Andhra Pradesh

2.

Arunachal Pradesh

3.

Assam

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4.

Bihar

5.

Chhattisgarh

Flamingo (Imp.) 3 days annual festival held in Pulikat Lake.

Kalyanotsavam
SriVari Brahmostsav Festival
Yellamma Jatara
Durgamma
Ugadi festival” celebrated in Chaitra Month of hindu Calendar
Solung Utsav (Imp.)
Dree Utsav (Imp.)
Losar (By Monapa Tribes)
Mopin (Imp.) Celebrated in galo tribe in the Month of April.
Sangken / Sangken
Pangsau
Boor Boot
Loku
Nyo kum
Sanken
Ziro Festival of Music
Pakke Paga Hornbill
Bihu
Bohag or Rangoli Bihu (Mid April)
 Magh Bihu (Harvesting)
 Kati Bihu (Mid October)
Me dam-me-phi (Ahom Tribe) celebrated on 31st January.
Baishagu (Bodo Tribe)
Dehing Patkai (January)
Baikho
Ambubachi (Epic of the East; Kamakhya Devi
Temple) (June)
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Ambubachi (Mahakumbh of Poorv)
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Ali-e-Lingang: Spring festival associated with the agriculture.
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Jonbeel Mela (January) only fair where barter system is used.
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Rongker (April)
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Deodhani
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Tea Festival
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Majuli festival (celebrated in the month of November).
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Sama Chakeva (Imp.)
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Bihula
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Jitiya
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Sohrai
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Sarhul
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Karma
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Chhath Puja (Worship of Sun, it is last long for four days)
Dedicated to Sun and his wife Usha.
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Sonepur Cattle Fair
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Rajgir Mahostav
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Bihula
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Jat Jatin
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Patrapaksha Fair (In Bodh Gaya)
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Bidesia
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Hareli
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Bastar Dusshera

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37
6.

Goa

7.

Gujarat

8.

Haryana

9.

Himachal Pradesh

10.

Jharkhand

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Madai: It is celebrated in Bastar region, dedicated for local
goddess Kesharpal-Kesharpalin Devi
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Pola
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Bhojli
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Chher-Chhera
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Meghanath Parv
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Saint Francis Xavier Festival
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Bonderam
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Angoor Mahotsav
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São João Festival
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Sunburn Festival
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Shigmo Mahotsav
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Thank Giving (Sakut)
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Fugdi
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Kunbi
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Shigmo Mahotsav
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Modhera Festival
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Madhavpur Fair (Krishna + Rukmani)
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Paragliding Festival
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Kite Mahotsav
•
Rann Utsav: It is a festival of music, dance and natural beauty
of white rann.
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Khel Mahotsav
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Uttarayan
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Shamlaji Mela
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Vautha Mela
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Tarnetar Fair: It is celebrated annually in Surendra Nagar
district of Gujarat.
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Beach Festival (October)
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Chitra Vichitra Mela
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Pinjore Heritage
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Gugga Navmi
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Gangaurc (Jhumar dance is performed by woman)
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Suraj Kund
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Basoda Festival
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Gugga Naumi Festival
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Guggapir Festival
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Halda
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Sazo
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Nalwari
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Shri Renukaji Fair: dedicated to lord Parshuram.
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Chaitra Navratra Fair
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Gothee
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International Lavi Festival (400 years old, Held in Shimla.)
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Doongri Festival
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Pori Festival
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Minjar Fair
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Pulaich Festival
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Koyal Music Festival
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Maha Sazi (Baishakhi)
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Sarhul (Celebrated by Munda, Orav and Ho tribes and
celebrated in spring season)

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38
11.

Karnataka

12.

Kerala

13.

Madhya Pradesh

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Bhagta Parab: tribal festival celebrated in spring seasonal nd
summer season.
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Fagua
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Bandana Festival by Kudmi Tribes
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Karam festival
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Jawa festival: This festival is celebrated by unmarried girls of
Jharkhand for prosperity and fertilely.
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Chandi Parva
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Sohrai
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Tusu
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Hal Punhya (For Farmers)
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Munda Mela
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Dhan Buni
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Jitiya (The Epitome of a Mothers Unconditional love)
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Kadleta
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Jani Shikar
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Rohini (Seed Sowing Festival)
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Hampi Festival (Vijay Mahotsav)
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Pattadakal
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Kambala (Buffalo Race)
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Karaga
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Kalipodh: It is also known as festivals of weapons and harvest.
Celebrated by kodava community of Coorg.
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Puttari Harvest festival Celebrated by kodava community of
Coorg.
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Ugadi (New Year)
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Gowri Festival
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Vairamudi Festival
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Mahamastakabhisheka Festival: Famous Jain festival held after
every 12 years. Last time happened in February 2018.
Next time in 2030.
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Vishu
• Onam (Harvest) (Birthday of Lord Vamana to welcome King
Bali) (10 days)
Day 1 - Athem
Day 10 - Thiruvonam
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Thrissur Pooram
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Vallam Kali Boat Race (Punnamada Lake)
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Theyyam
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Arattu
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Attukal Pongal
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Thiruvathira
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Chirstmas
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Makaravilakku Festival
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Ambalapuzha
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Aranmula Uthrattathi (Boat Race, Pamp River)
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Ghadlya
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Gangaur
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Mandu
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Ros Nawa
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Kaksar
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Hariri

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39
14.

Maharashtra

15.

Manipur

16.

Meghalaya

17.

Mizoram

18.

Nagaland

19.

Odisha

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Pir Bhudhan
Khajuraho Festival
Bhagoria Hadt Festival
Ujjan Kumbh Mela
Lokrang Utsav
Vithoba
Ayudha Puja
Kala Ghoda Art Mahotsav
Narali Purnima
Gudi Padwa (The Harvest Festival)
Paula
Elephant Mahatsav
Ganesh Chaturthi (Tilak, 1894)
Kojagari Puja
Ellora Festival
Mangala Gauri
Banganga Festival
Nashik Kumbh Mela
Legim
Yao Sang (Dal Jatra) (Celebrated for Five days)
Lai-Haroba
Kang Rath Yatra
Cherry Blossom
Chumpha
Gang Ngai
Lui-Ngai-Ni
Cheiraoba (The Manipuri New Year)
Kang (The Rath Yatra of Manipur)
Kut (Festival of Kuki-chin-mizo)
Jagoi
Cholom
Wangala (Festival of 100 drums dedicated to Sun) (Garo Tribe)
nongkrem
Behidinkhalam
Strawberry Festival
Seng Kut Snem
Norgkrem Dance Festival
Chapcher kut
Mimkut
Pawl Kut
Lyuva Kheetla
Khuado Kut
Hlukla Kut
Hornbill (1 December to 10 December)
Moasu (by the Ayo tribe)
Sekrenyi
Ableang
Yamshe
Tsukheneye
Chhav Festival
Dhanujatra (World's largest open-air theatre)
Rajaparva (Mid June)

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20.

Punjab

21.

Rajasthan

22.

Sikkim

23.

Tamil Nadu

24.

Telangana

25.

Tripura

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Balyatra
Konark Festival
Clay Art Mahotsav
Nuakhai
Kalinga Mahotsav
Konark Dance Festival
Rath Yatra
Puri Beach Festival
Naokhai (After Harvesting)
Chatar Jatra
Rang Batti
Hola Mohalla
Khalsa-panth (14 April) (13 April 1699, Khalsa Panth)
Guru Parv
Lohri (During harvest) (13 Jan)
Gangaur festival
Momasar
Pushkar mela
Bundi festival
Chandrabhaga Utsav
Fish Mahotsav
Kolayat Utsav
Maru Mahotsav/Jaisalmer Desert Festival
Losung
Sonam Lhochhar
Losar (Tibbati Calandar)
Saga dawa
Sakewa
Pang Lhabsal
Tihwar
Theya
Pongal (Harvesting)
(Four days of Pongal)
1. Bhongi Pongal
2. Surya Pongal / Thai Pongal
3. Mathu Pongal
4. Kanya Pongal
Jallikattu
Chithirai
Thaipusam
Panguni Uthiram
Puthandu (Tamil Nadu New Year)
Bonalu
Bathukamma (Nine days festival)
Medharam Jatara
Alai Balai
Telangana Dussehra
Peerla Pandunga
Medaram Jatara
Chittaramma Jatarer
Sadar Festival
Kharchi Puja Festival

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41
26.

Uttar Pradesh

27.

Uttarakhand

28.

West Bengal

29.

Andaman and Nicobar

30.

Chandigarh

31.

Dadar and Nagar Haveli

and Daman and Diu

32.

New Delhi

33.

Ladakh

34.

Jammu and Kashmir

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Santara Utsav
Biju
Hojgiri
Ker Utsav
Khumpui
Garia Pooja
Neel Mahal Festival
Unakoti Festival
Kumbh Festival (Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain,
Nashik) / Kumbh Festival
Kajali Mahotsav Festival
Ayurveda Festival
Shravani Mela
Kalinjar Festival
Nauchandi
Bateshwar Dhai Ghat
Shakumbhari Devi
Phool Dei
Harela
Ghee Festival
Kandali Hill Jatra
bagioal Fair
Nobo Borsho
Durga Puja
Jagadhatri Puja
Dal Utsav / Dol Jatra
Ganga Sagar Festival
Poila Baisakh
Teesta Tea Festival
Jamai Shashti
Mariamman
Beach Festival
Monsoon festival
Rose Festival
Cactus Festival
Guldaudi Festival
Divasol
Tarpa Festival

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Drone Festival
Spring festival
Happiness Festival
Losar Festival
Hemis Tsu
Hemis Gompa
Saka Dawa
Korzok
Hemis Festival
Tulip Festival
Shikara Festival
Kheer Bhavani Festival
Dasmoche Utsav

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42
35.

Pondicherry

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Pongal
French Food Festival

Festivals of Different religions in India

Religion

Festivals

Hindu Festivals

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Rakshabandhan
Mahashivratri
Holi
Makarsankranti
Ramna- vami
Ganesh Chaturthi
Krish- na-Janmashtami
Vijayadashami
Diwali
Govardhan Puja
Teej
Karva Chauth
Pongal
Chhath
Eid-ul-Zuha
Eid-ul-Fitr
Muhar- ram
Barafat
Shab-e-Barat.

Sikh Festivals
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Baisakhi
Martyr Day of Guru Tegh Bahadur

Jain Festivals

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Mahavir Jayanti
Rishi Panchami
Diwali.
Yom Kippur
Shukkot

Christian Festivals

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Christmas
Good Friday
Easter
All-Saints-Day

Parsi Festivals

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Nowruz
Khordadsal
Zarathruston
Gahambars
Buddha Jayanti
Losar Festival
Tseshu Utsav
Dosmoche Festival

Muslim Festivals

Jewish Festivals

Buddhist Festivals

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43
New year festival according to various states
State

New Year

1.
2.

Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana

Maharashtra

3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Punjab
Tamil Nadu
Assam
West Bengal
Gujarat
Kerala
Sikkim

10.
11.

Kashmir
Odisha

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Ugadi (March-April)
Gudi Padwa (First day of
Chaitra month)
Baisakhi (13 April) Khalsa Panth 1699
Puthandu (April 14)
Bohag Bihu (Mid April)
Pohela Baisakh (mid April)
Bestu Varas (The day After Diwali)
Vishu (April 14)
Sonam Losung (December month)
Bhutia Tribe
Navreh (First day of Chaitra)
Pana Sankranti (Worship of Hanuman Temples)

Hindu Dates of Various Indian festivals.

Festival

Hindu Date

Mahashivratri

On Chaturdashi date of Krishna Paksha of Phalgun month

Holi

On the full moon day of Phalgun month

Diwali

On the new moon day of the Krishna Paksha of the month of Kartik

Ramanavami

Last day of Chaitra Navratri

Ganesh Chaturthi

Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi

Important Indian Fairs

Fair

Location

1.

Pushkar Fair

2.

Kumbh Mela

3.

Kapil Muni’s Fair

4.

Mahavir’s Fair

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This fair is organized at a place called Pushkar near Ajmer in Rajasthan.
•
There is the only temple of Lord Brahma here.
•
This is different from traditional fairs as it is a religious conference. It is
held
at four places Haridwar, Prayag, Ujjain and Nashik.
•
It is organized every 12 years.
•
This fair is organized at a place called Kolayat in Bikaner district in
Rajasthan.
•
This fair is organized near Hindaun located in Rajasthan.

5.

Ganesh Chaturthi

It is organized in Sawai Madhopur district located in Rajasthan.

6.

Kansa Fair

It is organized in Mathura located in Uttar Pradesh.

7.

Magh Mela

Magh Mela is organized in Uttar Pradesh.

8.

Bateshwar Fair

It is organized in Agra district of Uttar Pradesh.

9.

Gau Charan Mela

It is organized in Mathura on Ashtami in the month of Kakhratak.

10.

Dauji’s Fair

It is located in Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh.

11.

Baaba Garib Nath

•
It is organized in Avantipur Barodia village of Shajapur district in Madhya
Pradesh.

Jageshwari Devi

•
•

It is organized at a place called Chanderi

in Guna district of Madhya Pradesh.

Kaluji Maharaj’s

It is organized in West Nimar district of Madhya Pradesh.

Fair

Fair
12.
Fair
13.
Fair

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44
14.

Magh Ghogra Fair

It is organized in Seoni district of Madhya Pradesh.

15.

Sonpur Cattle Fair

It is organised in Sonpur located in Bihar on Kartik Punima.

16.

Janaki Navami Fair

The fair of Janaki Navami is organized at a place called Sitamarhi in Bihar.

17.

Ganga Sagar Fair

It is organized at a place called Sagar, south of Kolkata in West Bengal.

18.

Surajkund

This is a 15-day handicraft fair held in Surajkund (Faridabad), Haryana.

Handicraft Fair

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Surajkund Mela is a renowned cultural festival held in Faridabad, Haryana. This

festival brings together
craftsmen such as potters, embroiderers, weavers, wood carvers, metal workers,
stone smiths, and painters
from all over India on a single platform. It takes place in February each year,
offering a glimpse into Haryana’s
cultural heritage and recent achievements.
Shri Jagannathji Mela is celebrated in Alwar, Rajasthan. This festival begins with
a procession of Lord Jagannath
passing through the city. Other notable fairs in Rajasthan include the Karni Mata
Mela in Bikaner, the
Beneshwar Mela in Dungarpur, and the Pushkar Fair in Ajmer.
The Ambubachi Mela is celebrated at the Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati, Assam. This
festival, also known as
the Tantric fertility festival, celebrates the yearly menstruation of Goddess
Kamakhya and is held during the
monsoon season.
The Mukteshwar Dance Festival is held from January 14th to 16th at the Mukteswar
Temple in Odisha.
Prominent temples in Odisha include the Jagannath Temple in Puri, Sun Temple in
Konark, Maa Tara Tarini
Temple in Purusottampur, Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneswar, and Brahmeswara Temple in
Bhubaneswar.
The Mahamastakabhisheka festival, celebrated every 12 years, is held at the
Shravanabelagola complex in
Karnataka. This site features the Gomateshwara statue, built under the Ganga
dynasty. Other Jain architectural
sites include the Karuppanna Swamy Temple in Keelakuilkudi, the Shantinatha Basadi
Temple in
Jinanathapura, and the Puliyarmala Jain Temple in Kalpetta, Wayanad, Kerala.
The Ustad Alauddin Khan Kala Evam Sangeet Academy organizes the Tansen Sangeet
Samaroh in Gwalior,
which is one of the oldest and most esteemed classical music festivals in India.
The festival of Marabats and Badgyas in Nagpur confronts social evils through a
procession with effigies and
traditional folk songs.
The Gugga Naumi festival, celebrated in Haryana and some parts of Punjab,
Rajasthan, UP, and Himachal
Pradesh, is known as the festival of snake-worshiping. It honors Gugga Pir and is
observed on the 9th day of
Krishna Paksha in the Bhadon month, which spans August and September.
Doul Utsav is majorly celebrated in the state of Assam. Also known as ‘Holi’ or
‘Rang’, it is one of the many
festivals in Assam, which include Bihu, Baishagu, and Ambubachi Mela. In Bihar,
festivals such as Chhath Puja
and Bihula are celebrated, while Chhattisgarh observes Pola and Maharashtra
celebrates Ganesh Utsav.
The Bhagoria festival is associated with Holi, a spring festival celebrated in
Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
Other tribal festivals include the Hornbill Festival in Nagaland and Tusu Parab in
Jharkhand.
The Tirupati Tirumala Brahmotsavam is organized for 9 days at the Venkateswara
Temple in Andhra Pradesh.
Other notable temple festivals include Thrissur Pooram in Kerala and Buddha Purnima
in Bihar.
Chethiyagiri Vihara Festival is celebrated in Madhya Pradesh. Other state-specific
festivals include Halda in
Himachal Pradesh and Bathukamma in Telangana.
The birth anniversary of Lord Mahavir Swami is celebrated in the month of Chaitra
as per the Hindu calendar.
This month also features festivals like Ugadi and Rama Navami.
In the Gudi Padwa festival, the Gudi symbolizes victory. Gudi Padwa, also known as
the Marathi New Year, is
celebrated by placing a decorated stick, known as the Gudi, in front of homes.
Bathukamma Festival is celebrated in the state of Telangana. This colorful floral
festival, which involves singing
and dancing around flower bunches, is observed for 9 days, typically in September
or October.
Moatsu Festival is celebrated by the Ao tribe in Nagaland during the first week of
May. The festival includes
symbolic celebrations like Sangpangtu, where a large fire is lit.
Ker and Garia Puja are traditional tribal festivals of Tripura. Other festivals in
Tripura include Kharchi Puja and
Bizu Festival.

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The Gangaur Festival, celebrated in Central and Western India, is associated with
Goddess Parvati. It is
primarily observed in Rajasthan.
The Bonalu Festival is celebrated in the state of Telangana in honor of Goddess
Mahakali. It typically takes place
in July/August and involves special poojas for Goddess Yellamma.
The Rongker Festival is celebrated by the Karbi tribe in Assam. This annual winter
festival involves traditional
merrymaking.
The Chapchar Kut festival is predominantly celebrated in Mizoram. It is held
annually in March after the
completion of the jhum operation.
Chad Shukra (Chad Sukra) is celebrated by the Jayanti tribe of Meghalaya. It is a
sowing festival marking the
agricultural season.
Nauroz is celebrated by the Parsi community in India. This festival, which marks
the Iranian New Year,
symbolizes the arrival of spring.
The Nuakhai festival is observed in Odisha on the fifth day of the lunar fortnight
of Bhadrava (AugustSeptember), the day after Ganesh Chaturthi. It involves the
reverent offering of the first crop to the mother
goddess.
Sohrai is celebrated in Jharkhand immediately after Diwali on the new moon day in
honor of cattle. It is a major
festival of the Santhal tribe.
The Sarhul festival, which honors the sal tree, is celebrated in Jharkhand by the
Oraon, Munda, and Ho tribes. It
marks the beginning of the New Year and is observed on the third day of the moon in
the Chaitra month.
Ambubachi is one of the most important festivals of the Kamakhya temple in
Guwahati. Held annually during
the monsoon season in mid-June, the temple is closed for three days for tantric
rites.
The Me-Dum-Me-Phi festival, an ancestor worship festival, is celebrated in Assam.
It involves offerings to the
dead and sacrifices to gods, observed on January 31 each year.
Dree Utsav is celebrated in the state of Arunachal Pradesh. This festival includes
various traditional events like
Boori Boot and Myoko.
The Losoong Festival, celebrated by the Bhutia and Lepcha tribes, occurs in Sikkim.
It marks the Sikkimese
New Year and is a time for celebrating the harvest.
Bastar Goncha, also known as the chariot festival, brings together the rich
cultures of Chhattisgarh and Odisha.
It is observed during the Rath Yatra season.
The Sakraat festival in Odisha involves the 'Budigali' or 'Kalasi' dance, where
women participate by carrying
decorative pots on their heads.
Atla Taddi is a festival celebrated by both married and unmarried women to seek the
blessings of Devi Gauri for a
long and happy married life and a suitable groom, respectively. This festival takes
place in Andhra Pradesh. It is
similar to Karwa Chauth, primarily observed in North India, and is celebrated on
the Ashwayuja Thadia (the
third day) after the full moon.
The Konark Dance Festival (KDF) has been held in Konark every year between 1st and
5th December since
1986. The festival takes place in an open-air auditorium against the backdrop of
the Sun Temple (Black Pagoda).
Other notable dance festivals in India include the Bamnia.
Chhau Dance Festival is celebrated in West Bengal.
Khajuraho Dance Festival takes place in Madhya Pradesh.
Mamallapuram Dance Festival and Natyanjali Festival are celebrated in Tamil Nadu.
Nishagandhi Dance Festival is held in Kerala.
Sirpur Music and Dance Festival takes place in Chhattisgarh.
Bastar Dussehra is celebrated in Chhattisgarh. This festival, which lasts for 75
days, began in the 13th century
during the reign of the 4th King of Bastar, King Purshottam Dev. The deity honored
during this festival is
Goddess Danteshwari Devi.
Lui Ngai Ni is a festival associated with the state of Manipur. Celebrated by the
Naga tribes of Manipur, it is a
seed-sowing festival that marks the beginning of the new year for the Nagas and is
observed on February 15 each
year.
The Indian festival Dussehra is famously celebrated at Mysore Palace in Karnataka.
Established in 1912 and
starting construction in 1897, Mysore Palace was the residence of the Wodeyars, who
ruled Mysore for seven
centuries.

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Bihu is both a festival and a dance form celebrated in Assam. It is one of the
major festivals of Assam and is
characterized by various traditional dances and festivities.
Pawl Kut is a Thanksgiving festival celebrated in Mizoram. It is also known as the
Straw Harvest Festival and is
part of the larger tradition of Thanksgiving festivals across different states in
India, including Lyuva Khutla (Mara
Tribes) in Mizoram, Uttarayan (Gujarat), Lohri (Punjab), Onam (Kerala), Bhogali
Bihu (Assam), Pongal (Tamil
Nadu), Gudi Padwa (Maharashtra), and Ugadi (Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and
Karnataka).
Jallikattu is a famous bull-taming festival celebrated in Tamil Nadu. It is part of
the Pongal celebrations and
occurs annually in January. Other notable festivals in Tamil Nadu include the
Natyanjali Dance Festival,
Karthigai Deepam, and Aadi Perukku.
The famous Rath Yatra, or Car Festival, is associated with Lord Jagannath. This
Hindu chariot festival is
celebrated annually during the bright half of the lunar month of Ashadh (June -
July). The Jagannath temple,
built by King Anantavarman of the Chodaganga dynasty in the 12th century, is
recognized by European sailors as
the White Pagoda in the 19th century.
The Kajari Festival is celebrated in Chhattisgarh by farmers at the beginning of
the sowing season for wheat and
barley.
Magh Bihu is the festival celebrated in Assam on Makar Sankranti day. Assam has
various types of Bihu festivals:
Rongali or Bohag Bihu (April), Kongali or Kati Bihu (October), and Bhogali or Magh
Bihu (January). Makar
Sankranti is known by different names in other states, including Magha Saaji
(Himachal Pradesh), Poush
Sankranti (West Bengal), Pongal (Tamil Nadu), Uttarayan (Gujarat), Makaravilakku
(Kerala), and Pedda
Panduga (Andhra Pradesh).
Since 2004, Goa has been the permanent venue for the International Film Festival of
India (IFFI). The festival
was first held in Bombay in 1952 and has been held in Goa since then.
The Tulip Festival is famous in Srinagar. Held annually at the Indira Gandhi
Memorial Tulip Garden, it
showcases a vast range of flowers and marks the onset of the spring season in the
Kashmir valley. Other flower
festivals in India include the Rose Festival (Chandigarh), Ooty Flower Show (Tamil
Nadu), International Flower
Festival (Gangtok, Sikkim), Lalbagh Flower Show (Bangalore), Dasara Flower Show
(Mysore), and Cherry
Blossom Festival (Shillong, Meghalaya).
Gaan-Ngai is a five-day festival celebrated primarily in Assam, Manipur, and
Nagaland by the Zeliangrong
people. It marks the end of the harvest season.
Deepavali is celebrated in the month of Kartika (October - November) in the Hindu
calendar. Kartika is the 8th
month and includes other festivals such as Govardhana Puja, Bhaiya Dooj, Narak
Chaturdashi, and Dhanteras.
The Hindu calendar’s first month is Chaitra (March - April), which includes Ranga
Panchami, Gudi Padwa,
Rama Navami, and Hanuman Jayanti. The 7th month is Ashwin (September - October),
featuring Saraswati
Puja, Durga Ashtami, Indira Ekadashi, and Shardiya Navratri.
Chaitrual and Phulaich are festivals celebrated in Himachal Pradesh. Chaitrual,
also known as the festival of
pictures, is celebrated in the month of Chaitra (March - April) in the Sirmaur
area. Phulaich, or the festival of
flowers, is celebrated on the 16th day of the Hindu month of Bhadrapada (August -
September).
Rajini Gabra and Harni Gabra are cultural festivals of Assam, celebrated annually
by the Dimasa tribe before the
start of new cultivation.
The term 'ties of protection' is associated with Raksha Bandhan, celebrated on the
full-moon day of the Hindu
month of Shravana (August). Other festivals celebrated on the full moon day include
Holi, Guru Nanak Jayanti,
and Karthik Purnima.
Nag Panchami is celebrated in the month of Shravan (July - August) in the Hindu
calendar. Festivals in the
Shravan month include Raksha Bandhan, Hariyali Teej, and Narali Purnima. The Kartik
month features
festivals such as Karwa Chauth, Rama Ekadashi, Dhanteras, Lakshmi Puja (Diwali),
Bhaiya Dooj, and Chhath
Puja. Ashad includes Jagannath Rathyatra, Guru Purnima, and Yogini Ekadashi, while
Sharad Purnima is
celebrated during the holy month of Ashwin.
Banganga Festival takes place annually in Mumbai, Maharashtra. This two-day music
festival, held in January at
Malabar Hills, is a tribute to Lord Rama.
Easter marks the resurrection of Christ and is a significant Christian festival.
Other notable days include
Christmas (the birth of Jesus Christ), Good Friday (commemorating Jesus's
crucifixion), Holy Thursday (Maundy
Thursday, commemorating the Last Supper), and Epiphany (celebrating the visit of
the Magi to the infant Jesus).
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Garba is performed during the festival of Navratri, a nine-day festival dedicated

to the worship of Maa Durga and
her nine avatars (Navdurga).
Chithirai Festival is celebrated in Tamil Nadu, particularly in Madurai. It
commemorates the celestial union of
Lord Sunderswarar (Lord Shiva) and Goddess Meenakshi, who is considered Lord
Vishnu’s sister.
Janmashtami involves making a human pyramid to break an earthen pot filled with
buttermilk. This festival
celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna and includes the Dahi Handi tradition in
Maharashtra. Other famous festivals
related to Lord Krishna include Govardhan Puja and Holi. Major Krishna temples in
India include Jagannath
Temple (Puri, Odisha), Dwarkadhish (Gujarat), Guruvayur (Kerala), and Udupi Sri
Krishna Matha (Karnataka).
The Tea Festival is celebrated every year in Jorhat, Assam, during the winter
season between November and
January. Assam also hosts other major festivals such as Bihu, Baishagu, Ali-Ai-
Ligang, Baikho, Rongker, Rajini
Gabra, Harni Gabra, Bohaggiyo Bishu, Ambubashi Mela, and Jonbill Mela.
Lokrang is a five-day festival organized in Madhya Pradesh, starting every year on
January 26th. It is hosted by the
Madhya Pradesh Adivasi Lok Kala Academy and features cultural performances. Other
notable festivals in Madhya
Pradesh include Khajuraho Dance Festival, Bhagoria Haat, Malwa Utsav, Karma
Festival, Larukaz, and
Gangaur.
Losar Festival celebrates the Tibetan New Year and is observed in Ladakh at the end
of the harvesting season.
Doongri Festival is celebrated in the Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh in May. It
marks the birthday of
Hadimba Devi, the wife of Bhima from the Mahabharata.
Tamladu is celebrated by the Buddhist community in Arunachal Pradesh, particularly
in the Lohit district by
the Digaru Mishmis tribe.
Guruvayur Ekadashi is observed in Kerala at the Sri Guruvayur Krishna Temple during
the Vrischikam month
of the traditional Malayalam calendar. It honors Lord Guruvayur, an incarnation of
Lord Vishnu.
Paro Tschechu is a renowned festival in Bhutan held annually in March or early
April. This five-day event
features a mask dance to commemorate the birth anniversary of Padmasambhava (Guru
Rimpoche).
In Telangana, Peerla Panduga is celebrated during Muharram, the first month of the
Islamic lunar calendar,
commemorating the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussein with processions.
Makaravilakku is celebrated annually in Kerala at the Sabarimala Temple.
Barawafat (also known as Milad-un-Nabi) is a Muslim festival commemorating the
birth of Prophet
Muhammad.
Huthri is a harvest festival celebrated in Karnataka during November-December,
particularly by communities in
Coorg (Kodagu). It is an annual rice harvest festival.
Tamu Lochar marks the New Year for the Gurung community and is celebrated in
Sikkim. It falls on the 15th
day of Pusa according to Vikram Sambat, which corresponds to December 30 in the
Gregorian calendar.
Mopin is an agricultural festival celebrated by the Galo tribe in Arunachal
Pradesh, held in April in the East
Siang and West Siang districts.
Nongkrem Festival is a famous harvest festival celebrated in Meghalaya, taking
place in November in Smit, the
Khasi Hills.
Rohini is a festival of sowing seeds celebrated in Jharkhand, involving rituals
related to crop sowing.
Ratha Yatra in Puri, Odisha features the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord
Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra, and
does not include Lord Shiva.
Raja Parba is an agricultural festival held in June in Odisha. It celebrates the
arrival of the monsoon season and
honors Mother Earth and womanhood.
Tusu is a harvest festival celebrated in Jharkhand during winter, on the last day
of the Poush month.
Ladainha is a thanksgiving festival celebrated mainly in Goa by Christians.
Kharchi Puja in Tripura involves rituals for cleaning the earth and worshiping
fourteen gods.
Pongal is a four-day harvest festival celebrated in South India. It is dedicated to
the sun god Surya and marks the
end of the winter solstice.
Khajuraho Dance Festival is celebrated in Madhya Pradesh from February 20 to 26. It
is organized by the Kala
Parishad of the Madhya Pradesh government and showcases various classical dance
forms against the backdrop of
the Khajuraho temples.
Kicheri is a harvest festival in Uttar Pradesh that involves ritual bathing. It is
celebrated as part of Makar
Sankranti, which is observed with different names across various states.
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Chhath Puja is dedicated to the Sun God and is observed in Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar
Pradesh, and Nepal. It
includes rituals like Nahai Khai, Kharna, Sandhya Arghya, and Usha Arghya.
Holika Dahan marks the victory of good over evil and is celebrated as part of the
Holi festival, which signifies the
end of winter and the beginning of spring.
Diwali marks the return of Lord Ram to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile, defeating
King Ravan. It symbolizes the
victory of good over evil.
Solung is an agricultural festival celebrated by the Adi tribe in Arunachal Pradesh
during the first week of
September.
Galdan Namchot marks the birthday of the great Buddhist saint Je Tsongkhapa and is
celebrated in Tibet,
Mongolia, and Ladakh. It also signifies the beginning of the New Year in Ladakh.
Chikal Kalo is the monsoon mud festival of Goa, celebrated on the 12th day of the
Ashadh month, roughly in
July. The festival takes place at the Devaki-Krishna temple grounds in Marcel
village.
Baisakhi is celebrated in Punjab to commemorate the formation of the Khalsa Panth
by Guru Gobind Singh in
1699. It is a spring harvest festival observed on April 13 or 14.
Vijaya Utsav (also known as the Hampi Festival) is celebrated in Karnataka and
reflects the grandeur of the
Vijayanagara Empire.
Sair-E-Gul Faroshan is held in Delhi and is a three-day festival usually celebrated
in September, after the rainy
season.
Wangala Festival, or the "100 Drums Festival," is celebrated by the Garo tribe. It
is a harvest festival honoring
Saljong, the Sun-god of fertility, and marks the onset of winter.
Deccan Festival is a five-day celebration reflecting the culture of the Deccan
region and is associated with Andhra
Pradesh.
Soorya Classical Dance Festival is held in Thiruvananthapuram for 10 days every
year and is organized by the
Soorya Stage and Film Society.
Elephanta Festival is celebrated in February every year on Elephanta Islands in
Mumbai, Maharashtra. The
festival showcases dance and music performances and celebrates the Elephanta Caves,
dedicated predominantly to
the Hindu God Shiva.
Ellora Ajanta Dance Festival is held in January and is organized by the Maharashtra
Tourism Development
Corporation (MTDC). The festival is a celebration of the culture and history of the
Ellora and Ajanta Caves,
which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Kali Puja is celebrated on the new moon day of the Hindu month Kartik.
Sangken is a Buddhist festival, and other notable Buddhist festivals include Buddha
Purnima, Hemis Festival,
Losar Festival, Lumbini Festival, Parinirvana Day, Rumtek Chaam Festival, and Mani
Rimdu Festival.
Famous Jain festivals include Paryushana, Janma Kalyanak, Ashtanhika Parv,
Nandishwar Ashtanika, Gyana
Panchami, and Pausha Dashmi.
Fatorpa Zatra is celebrated in Goa at the Shantadurga Kuncolienkarin temple in
Fatorpa, Quepem Taluka. This
festival is one of the many vibrant temple fairs in India, such as Puri Rath Yatra
in Odisha, Thrissur Pooram in
Kerala, Chithirai Thiruvizha Festival in Tamil Nadu, Vairamudi Garuda Utsavam
Festival in Karnataka,
Kotappakonda Temple Fair in Andhra Pradesh, and Nanda Devi Festival in Uttarakhand.
Rottela Panduga is a three-day festival held annually at the Bara Shaheed Dargah in
Nellore, Andhra Pradesh.
Other notable festivals in Assam include Ali Ai Ligang, Barpeta Sabha, Bhel Diya
Festival, Me-Dum-Me-Phi,
and Kamrup Bhatheli.
Durga Puja celebrates the triumph of Goddess Durga over Mahishasura. It is a major
Hindu festival observed for
10 days in the month of Ashvina (September–October).
Kailpodh is celebrated by the Kodava community of Coorg in September. It involves
worshipping weapons,
while Puttari is their harvest festival.
Paryushan Festival is a significant Jain festival celebrated for eight days by the
Shwetambar community and ten
days as Dasalakshan Parva by the Digambar community.
Cheiraoba is the New Year festival in Manipur, known as the Manipuri New Year.
Other festivals in Manipur
include Gang-Ngai, Lui-Ngai-Ni, Yaosang, Kang, Heikru Hitongba, and Ningol Chak-
Kouba.
Kaveri Sankramana is celebrated in Karnataka in October at Talakaveri in Kodagu
District.
Sundareswara Festival is observed in Kerala at the Sri Sundareswara Temple,
dedicated to Lord Shiva.

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Drukpa Tsechi in Sikkim celebrates Lord Buddha's first preaching of the Four Noble
Truths to his first five
disciples at Sarnath.
Valvil Ori Vizha is celebrated in Kolli Hills, Tamil Nadu, in August.
Madai Festival in Bastar involves worship of the local goddess Kesharpal
Kesharpalin Devi. Other Uttarakhand
festivals include Bhitauli, Harela, Phool Dei, Batsavitri, Ganga Dussehra, Dasar,
Dikar Puja, Olgia, Ghee
Sankranti, Khatarua, Ghuian Ekadashi, Chhipla Jaat, Kandali, Janopunya, and Kumaon
Holi.
Teeyan is a Punjabi festival celebrating the onset of the monsoon. It begins on the
third day of Saawan Maas and
ends on Saawan Purnima, spanning thirteen days.
Pola Festival is celebrated in Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh. It involves worshiping
bullocks and cattle used in
agriculture as a gesture of thanks.
Saga Dawa is celebrated between May and June and is significant for Mahayana
Buddhists. It commemorates Lord
Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and salvation.
Arthunkal Feast and Vettukad Festival are church festivals from Kerala. Other
church festivals in Kerala include
Bharananganam, Edappally Perunal, Edathua, Kadamattom, Kallooppara Perunal,
Koratty, Malayattur,
Manjinikkara, Maramon Convention, Niranam, Rakkuli Thirunal, St. Dominic Syrian,
Thumpoly, and
Vettukad.
Makaravilakku is celebrated annually on Makar Sankranti in Kerala, featuring the
Thiruvabharanam
procession and a congregation at the Sabarimala Temple.
The Eco Retreat Festival in Odisha aims to attract tourists and investors.
Sao Joao, a Catholic festival in Goa on June 24, involves young men leaping into
water bodies as a tribute to St.
John the Baptist.
The Float Festival in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, occurs on the full moon night of the
Tamil month Thai, celebrating
its historical origins.
Hemis Festival in Ladakh, dedicated to Lord Padmasambhava, is celebrated on the
10th day of the Tibetan
Lunar Month.
Thai Poosam, dedicated to Lord Muruga, is observed in Tamil Nadu during the full
moon in the Tamil month of
Thai.
The Vautha Mela in Gujarat, an animal trading festival, is one of the significant
celebrations alongside others like
Madhavpur Mela, Navratri, and the Rann Utsav.
Ali Ai Ligang in Assam marks the beginning of Ahu paddy cultivation.
Nuakhai, Odisha's major harvest festival, is celebrated a day after Ganesh
Chaturthi.
Sakewa, also known as Bhoomi Puja or Chandi Puja, is a religious festival in
Sikkim.
Shigmotsav in Goa is celebrated on the full moon day of Phalguna.
Jawa in Jharkhand celebrates fertility and good fortune.
Hornbill Festival is held from December 1 to 10 in Nagaland.
Ugadi is a famous New Year festival in Andhra Pradesh.
Mopin, a festival to drive away evil spirits, is celebrated in Arunachal Pradesh.
Puttari is the harvest festival of the Kodava community in Coorg.
Janmashtami, an Indian festival involving the suspension of a pot with butter and
curd, is widely celebrated across
India.
Dhanu Yatra is a popular festival in Odisha.
Anthurium is celebrated in Mizoram.
Lai Haraoba is celebrated in Manipur.
Gurpurab, the most important festival of the Sikh community, is celebrated in the
month of Kartik.
Saga Dawa is a prominent festival in Sikkim.
Rongali Bihu, a major festival of Assam, is celebrated in April.
Bhagta Parab, a tribal festival celebrated between spring and summer, originated in
Jharkhand.
The Losar Festival marks the beginning of the Tibetan New Year.
Me-Dam-Me-Phi, observed on January 31, is celebrated by the Ahom people of Assam to
honor their ancestors.
The Hornbill Festival, known as the "Festival of Festivals," is celebrated in
Nagaland.
Chapchar Kut, celebrated in March, is observed in Mizoram.

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•
•
•
•
•
•

Ambubachi Mela, known as the "Mahakumbh of the East," is celebrated at the Kamakhya
Devi Temple in
Guwahati, Assam.
Bathukamma and Bonalu are state festivals of Telangana.
Sakewa, also known as Bhoomi Puja or Chandi Puja, is celebrated by the Kirat Khambu
Rai community of
Sikkim.
Sekrenyi, celebrated in February by the Angami tribe, is observed in Nagaland.
Jamshedi Navroz is a festival of Zoroastrian origin, celebrated by Parsis in India,
marking the vernal equinox in
March.
Baliyatra, meaning 'voyage to Bali,' is celebrated in Cuttack.
Gaura-Gauri Puja, observed after Diwali, is a festival of Chhattisgarh.
Lai Haraoba, meaning 'merry making of the gods,' is a festival of Manipur.
Tsokum Samai is celebrated in Nagaland to invoke blessings for a rich harvest.
Navratri is dedicated to Goddess Durga and her nine avatars.
Holi, also known as Phagwa, marks the arrival of spring and the triumph of good
over evil.
Paryushan is a significant festival for the Jain community, focusing on self-
purification and spiritual upliftment.
Thimithi, celebrated in Tamil Nadu during Aippasi (October-November), honors
Draupadi.
Hunter's Moon, known in India as Kartik Purnima, is celebrated during the full moon
day in Kartik (NovemberDecember) and is also referred to as Tripuri Purnima or
Deva-Diwali.
Vallam Kali, held during the harvest festival Onam in Kerala, features traditional
boat races.
Bumchu is a unique cultural festival in Sikkim, translating to "sacred pot."
Bali Tritiya in Odisha is observed on the third day of the Shukla Paksha of the
Bhadra month, where married
women fast and worship Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.
Moatsu Festival, celebrated by the Ao tribe in Nagaland, follows the sowing of
seeds and includes festive activities.
Ugadi is an important festival in Karnataka, also observed in Andhra Pradesh, and
known as Gudi Padwa in
Maharashtra.
Tansen Samaroh is a musical festival held annually in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh.
Lohri, a harvest festival in Punjab, marks the sugarcane harvest with roasted corn
and sugarcane products.
Wangala Festival, celebrated in Meghalaya during the second week of November, is a
major festival of the Garo
tribes.
Baisakhi is celebrated in Punjab and marks the harvest festival, contrary to its
incorrect pairing with Uttar Pradesh.
Bathukamma Festival, a floral festival in Telangana, is observed for nine days
starting from Bhadrapada
Pournami until Durgashtami.
Ambubachi Festival, celebrated during the monsoon season at the Kamakhya Devi
Temple in Guwahati,
Assam, aligns with the Assamese month of Ahaar.
Hemis Tsechu Festival, meaning 'precious master,' is celebrated in Ladakh to
commemorate Guru
Padmasambhava.
Ali-Aye-Ligang, a spring festival in Assam, is celebrated by the Mising tribe to
mark the onset of Ahu paddy
cultivation.
Me-Dam-Me-Phi is celebrated by the Ahom people in Assam on January 31 to honor
their departed ancestors.
Madai Festival, celebrated in Chhattisgarh, reflects the vibrant traditions of the
tribal regions.
Sarhul Festival in Jharkhand marks the start of the year, with 'Sar' meaning year
and 'Hul' signifying beginning.
Kailpodh, observed in Karnataka, is a harvest festival celebrated by the Kodava
community.
Paryushan Parva, celebrated by the Jain community, focuses on self-purification and
adherence to ten universal
virtues.
Dahi Handi, celebrated during Krishna Janmashtami, is recognized as a sports event
in Maharashtra.
Lokrang, a five-day festival organized by the Madhya Pradesh Adivasi Lok Kala
Academy, begins every year on
January 26 in Madhya Pradesh.
Paro Tschechu, held annually in Bhutan in March or early April, features a mask
dance to commemorate the birth
anniversary of Padmasambhava (Guru Rimpoche).
Ratha Yatra in Puri, Odisha involves the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord
Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra. It
does not include Lord Shiva.

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51
Buddha Purnima, marked on a full moon day in the Hindu month of Vaisakh,
commemorates the birth,
enlightenment, and death of Gautama Buddha.
Sakraat, celebrated in Odisha, involves the 'Budigali' or 'Kalasi' dance, where
women carry decorative pots on their
heads.
Ker and Garia Puja are traditional tribal festivals of Tripura. Other festivals in
Tripura include Kharchi Puja and
Bizu Festival.

•
•
•

Cultural Organizations of India

Organization

Established Year

Headquarter

Founder/Other

Asiatic Society

1784

Kolkata

Sir William Jones

Archaeological Survey
of India

1861

New Delhi

Alexander Cunningham

Central Secretariat
Library

1891

Kolkata

C. George William Forrest

National Archives of
India

1891

New Delhi

Dr. B.S. Guha

Anthropological
Survey of India

1945

Kolkata

Jawaharlal Nehru

National Library

1948

Kolkata

Rajiv Gandhi

Sangeet Natak Akademi

1953

New Delhi

Pandit Birju Maharaj

Lalit Kala Akademi

1954

New Delhi

Unit of Sangeet Natak Akademi

Sahitya Akademi

1954

New Delhi

National School of
Drama

1959

New Delhi

Indira Gandhi National

Centre for the Arts

1985

New Delhi

Kalashram Kathak
School

1998

New Delhi

Jawaharlal Nehru
Manipur Dance
Academy

1954

Imphal

Tagore Center for Study

for Culture and
Civilization

2013

Shimla

Important PYQs
•
•
•
•
•
•

RK Narayan’s novel "The Guide" (1965) was adapted into a Hindi film by the same
name. Other films based on
Narayan’s novels include "Banker Margayya" (1983) and "Mr. Sampath" (1972).
R.D. Burman was the music director for the iconic film 'Sholay' (1975). The movie
was directed by Ramesh
Sippy, produced by G.P. Sippy, and written by Salim-Javed.
Raju Khan won the National Film Award in 2002 for his choreography in the Hindi
film 'Lagaan.' Terence
Lewis also received the 2002 American Choreography Award for his work on the movie.
Resul Pookutty, an Indian film sound designer, won the National Film Award for Best
Audiography in 2010 and
the Golden Reel Award in 2016 for his work on the documentary 'India’s Daughter.'
Yash Chopra was given the title of ‘Ambassador of Interlaken’ in Switzerland in
2011. He was a renowned
Indian film-maker known for his contributions to Hindi cinema.
Omung Kumar directed the film ‘PM Narendra Modi’. He is also known for his work as
a film director and
production designer in Hindi cinema. He gained recognition with his directorial
debut, 'Mary Kom' (2014).

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52
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

•
•
•
•
•

•
•
•

•
•
•
•
•
•

Sabira Merchant is a theatre and film actor who, besides training contestants for
the Miss India pageant, also
hosted a popular quiz show in the 1970s.
Alyque Padamsee, an Indian theatre personality and ad filmmaker, played the role of
Muhammad Ali Jinnah in
the film 'Gandhi.' He also headed Lintas Bombay.
Sonam Wangchuk, an engineer from Ladakh, inspired the character of Phunsukh Wangdu
in the Hindi film '3
Idiots.' Wangchuk is known for his innovative contributions to education and
technology.
Alam Ara was India’s first full-length 'talkie' film, released in 1931 and directed
by Ardeshir Irani.
Satyajit Ray directed the movie 'Pather Panchali', based on Bibhutibhusan
Bandhopadhyay’s Bengali novel of
the same name. Ray is celebrated as one of the greatest filmmakers of all time.
Haqeeqat (1964), a Hindi war film directed by Chetan Anand, is set against the
backdrop of the India-China
War of 1962. The film features Balraj Sahni, Dharmendra, and Priya Rajvansh.
Shatranj Ke Khiladi (1977), directed by Satyajit Ray, is based on a short story by
Munshi Premchand.
Satyajit Ray was honored with the Bharat Ratna in 1992. He also received the Padma
Shri, Padma Bhushan,
Dada Saheb Phalke Award, and Ramon Magsaysay Award.
Ilaiyaraaja is primarily associated with Tamil language films and has received the
Padma Vibhushan, Padma
Bhushan, and National Film Awards.
Waheeda Rehman, an actress and dancer, was honored with the Padma Bhushan in 2011.
She also received the
Filmfare Award for Best Actress (1969), Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award (1995),
and Madhya Pradesh
Government’s National Kishore Kumar Samman (2020).
Jyoti Prasad Agarwala, known as Rupkonwar, was the first filmmaker of Assam and
made the first Assamese
movie, 'Joymoti' (1935).
Gulzar (Sampooran Singh Kalra) is a renowned lyricist who has received both Grammy
and Oscar awards, along
with National Film Awards, Filmfare Awards, and the Padma Bhushan.
Pandit Shivkumar Sharma is known for his musical compositions for films such as
“Silsila” and “Chandni”. He
received a Platinum Disc for “Silsila,” a Gold Disc for “Faasle,” and a Platinum
Disc for “Chandni.”
S. Balachander, a veena player and filmmaker, was awarded the Padma Bhushan in
1982.
A.R. Rahman is the first Indian musician to win an Oscar for Best Original Score.
Resul Pookutty won an Oscar
for Best Sound Mixing, Bhanu Athaiya won an Oscar for Costume Design for her work
on “Gandhi,” and
Mehboob Khan directed the movie "Mother India", which was nominated for Best
Foreign Film.
Shamshad Begum, one of the first women to sing playback for Hindi movies, was
conferred with the prestigious
O.P. Nayyar Award in 2009 and also received the Padma Bhushan in 2009.
Saroj Khan won the first National Film Award for Best Choreography in 1992.
Pandit Bhimsen Joshi received the National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer
for his performance in
the Hindi movie “Ankahee” in 1985. He was honored with numerous awards including
the Sangeet Natak
Akademi Award (1976), National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer (1985),
First Platinum Disc
(1986), Aditya Vikram Birla Kalashikhar Puraskar (2000), Maharashtra Bhushan
(2002), Swathi Sangeetha
Puraskaram (2003), Karnataka Ratna (2005), and Bharat Ratna (2009).
Kishore Kumar, born in 1929 in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh, was a renowned playback
singer who received
multiple Filmfare Awards for Best Male Playback Singer and also received the Odisha
Sangeet Natak
Akademi Award and the Tulsi Award.
Ustad Zakir Hussain, son of Ustad Alla Rakha, is renowned as an Indian tabla
player, composer, percussionist,
music producer, and film actor. He is celebrated for his contributions to Indian
classical music and fusion.
The National Film Awards are the most prominent film awards in India, established
in 1954 to honor the best of
Indian cinema.
The IIFA Awards, or International Indian Film Academy Awards, are presented
annually to recognize
excellence in Bollywood cinema.
Bhanu Athaiya was India’s first Oscar winner. She received the Oscar for Best
Costume Design in 1983 for the
film "Gandhi."
Since 2004, Goa has been the permanent venue for the International Film Festival of
India (IFFI). The festival
was first held in Bombay in 1952 and has been held in Goa since then.
Soorya Classical Dance Festival is held in Thiruvananthapuram for 10 days every
year and is organized by the
Soorya Stage and Film Society.

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53
•

•
•

Radio broadcasting in India began in 1923 with the Radio Club of Bombay. The Indian
Broadcasting
Company (IBC) was established in 1927, and by 1930, the Indian State Broadcasting
Service was founded,
which was later renamed All India Radio (AIR) in 1936.
A door-to-door campaign is not an example of mass media. Mass media technologies,
designed to reach a broad
audience, include radio, television, and newspapers.
Ricky Kej won the Grammy Award in 2015 for his album 'Winds of Samsara,' a
collaboration with South
African flautist Wouter Kellerman. He also received a Grammy in 2022 for ‘Divine
Tides’ in the Best New Age
Album category.

Folk Art of various states.

State

Painting Art

Andhra Pradesh
Bihar
Jharkhand, Bihar
Karnataka

Kalamkari
Madhubani+ Mithila
Jadopatiya
Rangwali + Kasuti

Rajasthan
Uttar Pradesh

Mandana
Choke Poorna/Sona Rakhna

Uttarakhand

Appen

Kerala

Kalmajattu

West Bengal

Alpana

Andhra Pradesh

Muggulu

Telangana

Cherial + Nirmal
Punjab
Tamil Nadu

Phulkari
Kallam, Tanjore

Maharashtra

Wali (Warli)

Gujarat

Pithora +Athiya

Odisha

Pattachitra + Saura

Lucknow [ Uttar Pradesh]

Himachal Pradesh

Chikankari
Pahadi + Guler + Kangra

Kolkata [ West Bengal]

Kali Ghat

Madhya Pradesh
Rajasthan

Surati, Naurata, Morete, Tilanga

Phad + Mandana + Laghu

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Shri Jagannathji Mela: Celebrated in Alwar, Rajasthan. This festival features a

procession of Lord Jagannath
through the city.
Karni Mata Mela: Held in Bikaner, Rajasthan.
Beneshwar Mela: Takes place in Dungarpur, Rajasthan.
Pushkar Fair (also known as Pushkar Camel Fair): Held in Pushkar, Rajasthan, it is
the world’s largest camel
fair and occurs every November during Kartik Purnima.
Madhavpur Fair: Celebrated in Porbandar, Gujarat, starting on Ram Navami. It
commemorates Lord Krishna
and Rukmini with various cultural activities.
Kumbh Mela: A major Hindu pilgrimage festival held every 12 years at four sacred
locations:
o Ganga at Haridwar
o Triveni Sangam at Prayagraj
o Godavari at Nashik
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54
Shipra at Ujjain The Ardha Kumbh Mela (half Kumbh) occurs every six years at
Haridwar and
Allahabad, while the Maha Kumbh Mela is held every 144 years.
7. Simhastha Fair: Celebrated in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, on the banks of the
Kshipra River.
8. Sonepur Cattle Fair: One of Asia’s largest cattle fairs, organized at the
confluence of the Ganga and Gandak
rivers in Bihar. It starts on Purnima (full moon night) in Kartik.
9. Sheorinarayan Fair: Held every February during Magh Purnima at the
Sherorinarayan Temple in
Chhattisgarh, dedicated to Lord Rama.
10. Tarnetar Fair: Celebrated annually in Surendranagar district, Gujarat. Other
notable fairs in Gujarat include:
o Bhavnath Mahadev Mela
o Dangs Darbar
o Chitra Vichitra Mela
11. Minjar Mela: Held in Himachal Pradesh on the second Sunday of the Hindu month
of Shravana.
These fairs are significant cultural and religious events in their respective
regions, attracting visitors from across
India and beyond.
o

MARTIAL ART
➢ KALYARI PATTU › There is a famous martial art in Kerala. Parashuram is said to be
the origin of its style.
➢ SILLAMBEUM › Tamil Nadu - In this art stick is used.
➢ THANGTA› Manipur - Thang Ta - Used for spear.
➢ SARIT SARAK › Manipur - Unarmed Martial Arts
➢ CHEEBI GAT-GA › Manipur - Like Thangata.
➢ PARIKHANDA › Bihar
➢ TODHA › Himachal Pradesh.
➢ GATKA › Punjab – It was started by Guru Hargobind Singh.
➢ MARDANI › Maharashtra - Use of sword and cord.
➢ LATHI › West Bengal and Punjab.
➢ KATTU BARSAI › Tamil Nadu - Literally meaning empty handed struggle.
➢ IMBUAI KUSTI › Mizoram.
➢ MUSTHI YUDH [] Banaras (Uttar Pradesh)
➢ ESKAY › Jammu and Kashmir - Use of sword - shield
➢ PAINA ARENA › Odisha – A combination of dance and martial arts.
➢ MALLA KHAMB › Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra - Use of rope and pole. (State game of
Madhya Pradesh)
➢ KATHI-SAM › Andhra Pradesh
➢ MAL YUDH › South India – It is of two type 1. Parnipatt
2. Asura.
• Guru Shyama Charan Pati was conferred the Padma Shri for his contributions to
Chhau nritya, a martial dance
form.
• Mardani Khel, a famous martial art form in India, belongs to the state of
Maharashtra. It is known for its use of
the patta (sword) and vita (corded lance).
• The traditional sports-state pair of Silambam - Madhya Pradesh is incorrect.
Silambam is a martial art from
Tamil Nadu, not Madhya Pradesh.

Some important points related to folk arts.

o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

Mithila/Madhubani Painting Originated in Bihar and Nepal

Yampuri: It is the traditional rod puppet art of Bihar.
Kalamkari Painting Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
Warli Painting: Maharashtra
Chikankari Embroidery Lucknow
Gondna art and Aripan art – Bihar
Mandana art and Mehandi art – Rajasthan
Kajali paintings: Ajmer, Rajasthan
Chauk Poorna - Uttar Pradesh Kishangarh

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55
o
Sanjhi Art: Mathura, Uttar Pradesh
o
Rangwali – Karnataka
o
Kasuti Embroidery: GI. Tag Indicated Product of Karnataka
o
Pahandi: Guler, Himachal Pradesh
o
Pithora and Athiya art: Gujarat
o
Bandhani art: It is a type tie-dye textile art form Gujarat/Rajasthan.
o
Pattachitra style painting: Odisha
o
Saura Painting – Odisha
o
Kollam and Tanjore art: Tamil Nadu. It has embellishment of pure gold and precious
stone
o
Phulkari Art: Punjab
o
Cherial Scrolls: Practiced by Nakashi family of Telangana
o
Nirmal art: Telangana
o
Alpana Art: West Bengal
o
Kaima jattu art - Kerala
o
Appen art: Uttarakhand
o
Kalmejuthu: Kerala
o
Nandna block print: It is practiced by Bhil tribes in Tarapur Village of Neemuch
district of Madhya Pradesh
o
Bagh style of textile art Printing: Madhya Pradesh
o
Phad Painting: Rajasthan
o
Jadopatiya Painting: Jharkhand is famous in engraving in ornaments with coloured
enamels,
Gujarat/Rajasthan.
o
Patna Kalam is a style of painting
o
Kolam is the art is used to decorate the floor in front of the house
o
Chhipa community has been following block printing since the last three decade
o
Thangka painting is a Tibetan Buddhist painting on cotton, silk applique that
usually depicts a Buddhist deity
or mythological scenes.
o
Note: Joseph Noel Paton's famous painting "In Memoriam" was dedicated to British
women in India during
the revolt of 1857
o
Mural paintings are found on the walls of Thiruvarur and Ajanta temples.
o
Kolkatta is famous for Kalighat paintings.
o
The Sanskrit phrase "Atithi Devo Bhava" means "the guest is equivalent to God. It
is taken from ancient
Hindu scripture and has become part of the codes of conduct for Hindu society.
o
Exhibition of Hunar Haat is a traditional products and handicrafts that ensure are
made by artisans from the
minority the community. It is to "Development with Dignity of the artisans and
craftsmen of the country.
o
Devanagari evolved from the Brahmi script.
o
The famous cartoonist R.K. Laxman made the cartoon 'Gattu' for Asian Paints
Company.
o
Raja Ravi Varma: This is India's (Kerala's) famous painter who was honored with the
Kaisar-i-Hind gold
medal by the British Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon
o
The Bharat Mata is a work painted by the Indian painter Abanindranath Tagore in
1905.
o
Maqbool Fida Hussain (M.F. Hussain) predominately used horses in his paintings to
depict a lively and free
spirit. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1966, the Padma Bhushan in 1973, and the
Padma Vibhushan in 1991.

Traditional dresses of various Indian States.

State

Male Dress

Female Dress

1.
Arunachal
Pradesh
2.
Assam

Shirt-lungi

Lehenga, long Jacket

Dhoti-Kurta, Gamocha: It is Cultural Symbol of

Assam
Dhoto Kurta

Mekhla Chador/Riha-Mekhla

•
Won
•
•

Handloom Saree and Langda

3.
Andhra
Pradesh
4.
Bihar
5.
Chhattisgarh

Dhoti-Kurta, Gamcha
Dhoti, Turban

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Sendha Zone/Kameez Salwar

Kuchora Style Saree

56
6.
Goa
7.
Gujarat
8.
Maharashtra
9.
Madhya
Pradesh
10.
Telangana
11.
Manipur

Shirt, Half Pant, Bamboo cap

Chrone, Kedui
Dhoti
Bandi Dhoti (Jacket cap)

•
•
•
•

Nav-Wari Sarees, Pano Bhaju

Chaniyo Choli
Nuwari or Lugda Saree
Leenga, Lugra, Orni

Dhoti
Innaph, Phanek

•
•

Pochampally saree ikat

Potloi is bridal dress

Temples, forts, monuments, cave and Stupas

Temples
Architecture
In North India, temples were built in Nagara style whereas in south India, the
Dravidian style took hold.
Area of
Difference

Nagara Style

Dravida Style

Location

Predominantly found in Northern

India, characterized by intricate artistry
and detailed sculptures that reflect local
culture.

Commonly located in Southern India, showcasing

rich iconography and unique design elements
reflective of the region’s historical significance.

Main Spire

Features multiple shikharas, which are

tall, tower-like structures that rise above
the temple, symbolizing the cosmic axis.

Typically features a single, prominent shikhara

that serves as the focal point of the temple,
representing the divine presence.

Mandapa
Towers

Characterized by several mandapa

towers that enhance the temple's
grandeur and serve various ceremonial
functions.

Usually includes a single, grand central tower,

which often acts as a gateway to the sanctum,
symbolizing the connection between earth and
heaven.

Tower Shape

The central tower is curvilinear in

design, contributing to an overall
aesthetic that emphasizes upward
movement and spiritual ascent.

The central tower is pyramid-shaped, representing

stability and a strong connection to the earth, with
ornate carvings that depict various deities.

Boundaries
and Deities

This style places less emphasis on

physical boundaries; deities are often
housed within the temple, reflecting an
introspective spiritual experience.

Dravida style temples prioritize boundaries, with

elaborate walls enclosing the temple grounds;
deities are often displayed prominently outside,
inviting worshippers into the sacred space.

Platform

Temples are constructed on elevated

platforms without traditional boundary
walls or entrances, fostering a sense of
openness. The mandapas are typically
situated in front of the main shrine,
emphasizing accessibility.

Dravidian temples are fully enclosed by high

boundary walls, often with intricately carved
gateways (Gopurams) that serve as a transition
from the secular to the sacred realm.

Pillars and
Features

Nagara architecture generally does not

include water reservoirs; notable features
include a cruciform ground plan and
intricate carvings, with symbolic visual
elements such as depictions of rivers like
the Ganga and Yamuna.

Dravida architecture features numerous short,

stout pillars, and includes essential water
reservoirs, highlighting the importance of ritual
purification in worship.

Examples

Notable examples of Nagara-style temples

include the Sun Temple in Konark,

Prominent examples of Dravida-style temples

include the Kailashnath Temple in Ellora, known

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57
renowned for its celestial theme; the
Lakshman Temple in Khajuraho, famous
for its erotic sculptures; and the
Kandariya Mahadeva Temple, celebrated
for its elaborate carvings and intricate
architectural design.

for its monumental rock-cut architecture; and the

Brihadeshwara Temple in Thanjavur, famed for its
grandeur and the massive granite structure that
symbolizes the deity.

Temples of India (State-Wise)

State/Union

Temples

Territory
1.

Assam

2.

Telangana

3.

Arunachal Pradesh

4.

Andhra Pradesh

5.

Jharkhand

•
Kamakhya Temple.
•
Negheriting Shiva Doul.
•
Kedareswara Temple.
•
Asvakranta Temple.
•
Basistha Temple.
•
Dhekiakhowa Bornamghar.
•
Bhairabi Temple.
•
Umananda Temple
•
Ramappa Temple - Kakatiya Dynasty
•
Sangameshwar Temple-Maharaja Satyasraya Vikramaditya
•
Jogalumba Temple - By Badami Chalukyas
•
Saleswaram Lingamarah Swamy Temple
•
Chilkur Balaji Temple
•
Keesaragutta Temple
•
Parasuram Kund Temple. The temple's name is so because Lord
Parasuram washed off his sins in the Lohit River.
•
Akashganaga or Malinithan Temple.
•
Golden Pagoda Temple.
•
Gompa Temple.
•
Meghna Cave Temple.
•
Taktsang Gompa.
•
Shiv Mandir.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Lord Venkateswara Vaari Temple - Sri Krishna Devaraya

Ahobilam Temple - Chalukya Dynasty
Lepakshi Temple
Yaganti
anipakam
Mangalagiri
Sri Padmavathi Ammavari Temple
Vaidyanath Temple
Harihar Dham Temple
Deori Temple
Kauleshwari Temple
Naulakha Temple
Tapovan Temple
Haldighati Temple
Ugratara Temple.

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58
6.

Rajasthan

7.

Madhya Pradesh

8.

Uttar Pradesh

9.

New Delhi

10. Chhattisgarh

•
Brahma Ji Temple
•
Temples of Jaipur
•
Khatushyam Temple
•
Jeen Mata Temple
•
Kaila Devi Temple
•
Balaji Temple
•
Karni Mata (White Rat)
•
Aavri Mata Temple
•
Uday Mandir
•
Osian Temple
•
Kiradu Temple
•
Kunjal Mata Temple
•
Gangamaharani Temple
•
Garh Ganesh Temple
•
Charbhuja Temple
•
Tanot Rai Mata Temple
•
Laxman Temple
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Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga
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Saas Bahu Temple, Gwalior
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Bada Ganesh Ka Mandir
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Kal Bhairav Mandir, Ujjain.
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Chintaman Ganesh Temple, Ujjain. Matangeshwar Temple,
Khajuraho.
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Annapurna Temple, Indore
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Kashi Vishwanath Temple
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Temples of Varanasi
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Dashashwamedh Ghat Temple
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Rangji Temple
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Prem Mandir
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Bade Hanuman Mandir
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Man Kameshwar Temple
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Ram Janmabhoomi Temple
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Hanumangarhi
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Bharat Milap Temple
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Ashtabhuja Temple
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Gaurakshanath Temple
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Bharat Mata Mandir
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Akshardham Temple
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Kilkari Bhairav Temple
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Hanuman Temple
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Birla Mandir (Lakshmi Narayan Temple)
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Lotus Temple
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Kalka Ji temple
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Yogmaya Temple
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Danteshwari Temple
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Chandrahasini Temple
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Banjari Mata Temple
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Maa Bamleshwari Devi Temple
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Bhoramdev Temple
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11. Uttarakhand

12. Himachal Pradesh

13. Gujarat

14. Odisha

15. Goa

16. Kerala

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Badrinath Temple
Kedarnath Temple
Surkanda Mata Temple
Neelkanth Mahadev Temple
Triyugi Narayan Temple
Chandrabadani Temple
Jageshwar Temple
Mansa Devi Temple
Nanda Devi Temple
Naina Devi Temple
Syahi Devi Temple
Pushti Mata Temple
Gangotri Temple
Yamunotri Temple
Mata Chintpurni Devi Temple
Jwalamukhi Temple
Shri Hanuman / Jakhoo Temple
Sankat Mochan Temple
Hadimba Devi Temple
Somnath Temple (Lord Shiva)
Dwarkadhish Temple
Ambaji Temple
Rukmini Temple
Sun Temple
Shamlaji Temple
Ananta Visudeva Temple
Parsvrameswan Temple
Asksharddam (Gandhi Nagar)
Hutheesing Jain Temple
Jagannath Temple (Kaling Raja)
Sun Temple Konark
Lingaraj Temple
Mukteshwar Temple
Rajrani Temple
Ananta Vasudeva Temple
Parsurameswara Temple
Akshardham
Mangeshi Temple
Mahadev Temple
Chandreshwar Bhoothnath Temple
Shanta Durga Temple
Padmanatha Swamy Temple – Marthanda Varma
Sabarimala Temple - King Rajasekhara
Vadakkunnathan Temple.
Thrissur Paramashewara Temple
Shriddhasan Temple, Udupi
Shriddhashan Temple, Gokarnam
Shriddhashan Temple, Calicut
Shriddhashan Temple, Pudukesari
Attukal Bhagwati Temple.

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17. West Bengal

18. Meghalaya

19. Manipur

20. Maharashtra

21. Karnataka

22. Punjab

23. Haryana

24. Mizoram

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Kalighat Kali Temple

Temple of Vedic Planetarium
Fire temple
Blur Math
Bishnupur Temple
Birla Mandir
Dakshineswar Kali Temple
Mawsynram Temple
Nartiang Durga Temple
Mahadev Khola Dham
Matri Mandir
Shri Govindjee Temple
Mahabali Temple
Leimapokpam Keirungba Temple
Sai Baba Temple
Ghrishneshwar Temple - Maloji Raje Bhosale
(Grandfather of Chhatrapati Shivaji)
Trimbakeshwar Temple - Nana Saheb Peshwa
Yamai Devi Temple
Siddhi Vinayak Temple - Vittu and Deubai Patil
Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga Temple – Chhatrapati Shivaji
Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara Temple
Virupaksha Temple (Shiva) – Chalukya Vikramaditya II
Udupi Sri Krishna Temple
Vitthal Temple - Rajadev Rao II
Chennakeshava Temple
Kedareshwar Temple- Veerabaltala Hoysala King
Somanthpur Temple
Shantadurga Temple
Veerbahadra Swami Temple, Ambikapuri
Srirangatampa Temple
Shravanbelagola Temple
Bagalkot Anjaneya Temple
Hazara Ram Temple
Mukteshwar Temple
Durgiana Temple
Golden Temple
Thaneshwar Mahadev Temple
Sarveshwar Mahadev Temple
Garibdas Mandir
Dada Budha Mandir
Sita Mai Temple
Lakahada Temple
Draupadi Ghat Temple
Sheetla Mata Temple
Ekalavya Temple
Bhooto ka temple
Atlas Temple
Solomon's Temple
Khatla Shiva Mandir
Assam Rifles Mandir
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25. Jammu and Kashmir

26. Tamil Nadu

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Vaishno Mata Temple

Ranbireshwar Temple - Maharaja Ranbir Singh
Amarnath Cave Temple
Raghunath Temple - Maharaj Gulab Singh
Kheer Bhavani Temple - Maharaja Pratap Singh
Sun Temple - Built by Jaluka, Son of Ashoka
Meenakshi Temple (Shiva + Parvati) Built by
Pandava rulers.
Brihadeshwara Temple - Raja Chola.
Chidamabarm Nataraja Temple
Arunachala Temple.
Kanchi Kamakoti Temple
Thiruvalluar Temple, Gangaikondam
Sriranaganam Raghunath Temple
Sivakasi Temple
Shringeri Sharda Peetham Temple
Kumbakonam Temple
Thiruawar Tirupati Temple
Srikalahasti Temple
Vellore Ashtabhuja Temple
Trichy Shiv Kashi Temple
Sripuram Golden Temple (Lakshmi) - Chola
rulers
Ekambareshwara Temple
Mahabalipuram Temple - Narasimha Varman II
Gangakonda Cholapuram Temple - Rajendra
Chola I
Nellaiappar Temple
Ranganatha Swamy Temple
Airavatesvara Temple
Omkareshwar Temple
Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga
Chaturbhuj Temple
Sas-Bahu Temple
Chausath Yogini Temple
Bada Ganesh Mandir
Annapurna Devi Temple
Kaal Bhairav Temple
Shree Shiva Kshethram

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Shiv Temple
Jain Temple
Nagaland Police Central Temple
Wokha Shiv Mandir
Durga Temple
Alchi Chos Khor - Rinchen Tsangpo
Lal Maitreya Temple (Buddhist) - Raja Trangspa
Bumde
Tara Mandir
Matho Temple

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28. Lakshadweep

29. Nagaland

30. Ladakh

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31. Puducherry

32. Sikkim

33. Tripura

34. Goa

35. Daman and Diu

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Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar.

Vedapureeswarar Temple.
Varadaraja Perumal Temple.
Kamakshi Amman Temple.
Thakurbari Temple.
Kirateshwar Mahadev Temple.
Solophok Chardham.
Ganesh Tok.
Hanuman Tok.
Viswa Vinayak Temple.
Baba Harbhajan Singh Temple.
Samdruptse Shiva Temple.
Mata Tripura Sundari Temple
Jagannath Temple
Shri Bhubaneshwari Temple
Lakshmi Narayan Temple
Uma Maheshwari Temple
Battala Mahadev Temple
Mangeshi Temple
Saptakoteshwar Temple
Kamakshi Temple
Maruti Temple
Samudra Narayan Mandir
Sai Baba Temple
Sri Satya Narayan Temple
Shree Mahakali Mataji Temple

Some Facts about Important Temples of India

Temples of India

Facts

Lord Venkateswara Temple (Andhra Pradesh)

➤ The temple is in Dravidian Architecture style.

➤ The temple on Tirumala hills is also known as Tirupathi
Balaji temple.
➤ It is also called a temple of seven hills.
➤ It is one of the oldest brick structures.
➤ The brickwork depicts the life of Buddha.
➤ It is also known as Deo Patan.
➤ 1947-Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel ordered the reconstruction
of the temple that completed in 1951.
➤ It is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines of Lord Shiva.
➤ Constructed in Chalukyan style.
➤ There is no land in between seashores from Somnath temple
to Antarctica.
➤ It is also called Yamanika Tirtha.
➤ This temple in Puri is famous for its annual chariot festival,
Ratha Yatra.
➤ The first Jagannath temple was commissioned by King
Indradyumna.
➤ Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra are a trio of deities
worshipped at the temple.

Mahabodhi Temple (Bihar)- Buddhist temple.

Somnath Temple (Gujarat)

Jagannath Temple (Odisha)

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Konark Sun Temple (Odisha)

➤ Build in the 13th century by King Narasimhadeva I (AD

1238-1264) during the Ganga Empire.
➤ It is conceived as a gigantic chariot of the Sun God built in
Kalinga architecture (Odisha style of architecture).
➤ It is one of the richest temples in India.
➤ It was constructed by Laxman Vithu & Deubai Patil in
1801.
➤ They are a group of temples built by the rulers of Chandela
Dynasty.
➤ There were 85 temples scattered over an area of 9 square
miles, of which only 25 temples are remaining.
➤ Famous for nagara style architecture and known for
extensive erotic sculptures.
➤ It is also known as Bahubali temple.
➤ The architecture is the fusion of Chera and Dravidian styles.

Siddhivinayak Temple (Maharashtra)

Khajuraho Temple (Madhya Pradesh)

Padmanabhaswamy Temple (Kerala)

Dwarkadhish Temple (Gujarat)- Jagat Mandir

Amarnath Temple (Jammu & Kashmir)

Virupaksha Temple (Karnataka)

Brihadeshwara Temple

Ranganathaswamy Temple (Tamil Nadu)

Golden Temple (Punjab)

➤ It is one of the four Hindu pilgrimages (Char Dham).

➤ Presently, in the Chalukya architecture style.
➤ The original structure was destroyed by Mahmud Begada in
1472.
➤ A cave temple situated at an altitude of 3888 meters.
➤ It is one of the 51 Shakti Peeths.
➤ It is believed that Bhrigu Muni (A great sage) was the first to
have discovered Amarnath.
➤ Built by Lakkana Dandesha, a chieftain under the ruler
Deva Raya.
➤ Also known as Raja Rajeswara Temple located at Thanjavur.
➤ This Dravidian style temple was built by the Chola emperor
Raja Raja Chola L.
➤One of the tallest temples in India that is completely made of
Granite.
➤It is one of the Great Living Chola Temples, along with
Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple and
Airavatesvara temple.
➤It is also called Dakshin Meru and is situated on the bank of
Cauvery river.
It is a part of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
➤One of the most important of 108 (Divya Desam) Vishnu
Temples.
➤It is built in Dravidian style, constructed in Vijayanagar
Period.
➤It is located on the island formed by twin river- Cauvery &
Coleroon.
1st temple to be awarded by the UN Body for protecting and
conserving cultural heritage.
➤Its Gopuram is the biggest Gopuram in Asia.
➤ Also, it is the largest functioning Hindu temple in the
world.
➤It is a gurudwara, built in the 15th century.
➤It is also known as Harmindar Sahib.
➤Temple was plated in Gold in 1980 from the wealth and
material donated by Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

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Ramanathaswamy Temple (Tamil Nadu)

Nataraja Temple (Tamil Nadu)

Rajagopalaswamy Temple (Tamil Nadu)

Yamunotri Temple (Uttarakhand)

Gangotri Temple (Uttarakhand)

Badrinath Temple (Uttarakhand)

Meenakshi Temple (Tamil Nadu)

Kashi Vishwanath Temple (Uttar Pradesh)

Vaishno Devi Temple (Jammu & Kashmir)

➤One of the twelve Jyotirlinga temples built in the 12th

Century.
➤It has the longest corridor among all Hindu temples in
India.
➤It is built in the Dravidian style of architecture.
Creators - Pandyas and Jaffna Kings
➤There are 64 Tirthas l.e. holy water bodies in and around the
island of Rameswaram.
➤It is also one of the Char Dhams.
➤The temple wall carvings display all the 108 karanas from the
Natya Shastra by Bharata Muni; these postures form the
foundation of Bharatanatyam, a classical Indian dance.
➤It was built in the 10th century when Chidambaram was the
capital of the Chola dynasty.
➤It is one of the oldest surviving active temple complexes in
South India
➤It is created in Dravidian style; it is also called Dakshina
Dwaraka.
➤ It has one of the largest temple tanks in India called Haridra
Nadhi.
➤It is located on the backdrop of Bandarpunch
Mathura and Gandhane
It is dedicated to goddess Yamuna.
➤ It is located on the banks of the river Bhagirathi at an
altitude of 3,415 m (11,204 ft)
➤ It is located in Garhwal hill along the banks of Alaknanda
River.
➤ The temple is mentioned in ancient religious texts like
Vishnu Purana and Skanda Purana.
➤ It has Dravidian Architecture and over 40 inscriptions.
➤ There are 985 richly carved pillars that depict scenes from
the wedding of Meenakshi (Parvati) and Sundareswarar
(Shiva).
➤It is famous for its 3 storied Gopuram at the main entrance.
➤The original Vishwanath temple was destroyed by the army
of Qutb-Uddin Aibak in 1194 AD.
➤There is a small well in the temple called the Inana Vapi also
spelt as Gyaan Vapi.
➤In 1669 AD, Emperor Aurangzeb destroyed the temple and
built the Gyanvapi Mosque in its place.
➤ In 1780, Malhar Rao's daughter-in-law Ahilyabai Holkar
constructed the present temple adjacent to the mosque
➤It is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas.
➤It is 5200 feet above sea level atop Trikuta Hills.
➤ It is a Cave temple.

Temples and Their Locations:

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Kamakhya Temple: Located in Assam, celebrated during the Ambubachi Mela, which
marks the menstruation
cycle of Goddess Kamakhya.
Kailash Temple: Located inside the Ellora Caves in Aurangabad, Maharashtra. It is
the largest monolithic rock-cut
temple in the world.
Brihadeshwar Temple: Situated in Tamil Nadu, built by Raja Raj Chola I. Known for
its depiction of Lord Shiva
in a dancing pose (Nataraj).

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Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga: Located in Madhya Pradesh, one of the twelve Jyotirlinga

shrines dedicated to Lord
Shiva.
Somnath Jyotirlinga Temple: Found in Gujarat, another of the twelve Jyotirlinga
temples dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Jagannath Temple: Located in Odisha, known for its Ratha Yatra (chariot festival).
Built in the Rekha Deula style.
Badrinath Temple: Located in Uttarakhand, one of the Char Dham pilgrimage sites.
Golden Temple: Situated in Punjab, known for its spiritual significance and
architectural beauty.
Meenakshi Temple: Located in Tamil Nadu, known for its intricate carvings and
architectural splendor.
Hoysaleswara Temple: Found in Karnataka, known for its detailed Hoysala
architecture.
Bhitargaon Brick Temple: Located in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, and is an early example
of brick temple architecture
from the Gupta period.
Mahabodhi Temple: Located in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, a significant site associated with
Lord Buddha’s enlightenment.
Sirpur Shrine: Situated in Chhattisgarh, notable for its ancient architectural
styles.
Chandranath Temple: Located in Bangladesh near Sitakunda, known as a Shakti Peeth.
Virupaksha Temple: Located in Hampi, Karnataka, dedicated to Lord Shiva and a
UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Lingaraja Temple: Situated in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Ramappa Temple: Located in Palampet, Warangal, Telangana, a masterpiece of
Kakatiyan architecture.
Dilwara Temples: Located in Mount Abu, Rajasthan, known for their exquisite Jain
architecture.
Notable Fairs and Festivals:
Ambubachi Mela: Held annually at the Kamakhya Temple in Assam.
Madhavpur Fair: Takes place in Porbandar, Gujarat, and begins on Ram Navami.
Pushkar Camel Fair: The world’s largest camel fair held in Pushkar, Rajasthan,
during Kartik Purnima.
Kumbh Mela: A major pilgrimage festival held every 12 years at Haridwar, Prayagraj,
Nashik, and Ujjain, with the
Ardha Kumbh every 6 years and Maha Kumbh every 144 years.
Simhastha Fair: Celebrated in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh.
Sonepur Cattle Fair: One of Asia’s largest cattle fairs, held in Bihar.
Sheorinarayan Fair: Held every February in Chhattisgarh.
Tarnetar Fair: Celebrated annually in Surendranagar district, Gujarat.
Minjar Mela: Held in Himachal Pradesh on the second Sunday of the Hindu month of
Shravana.
Mahamastakabhisheka Festival: Celebrated every 12 years at the Shravanabelagola
complex in Karnataka.

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Gopuram: The monumental entrance tower in South Indian temples, with the tallest at
the Ranganathaswamy
Temple in Tamil Nadu.
Shikhara: The mountain-like spire on the top of the main temple tower, part of
North Indian architecture.
Garbhagriha: The inner sanctum of Hindu temples where the main deity is enshrined.
This detailed overview covers significant temples and fairs across India,
showcasing their cultural and historical
importance.
Konark Sun Temple is situated in Odisha. It was declared a World Heritage Site in
1984 and was built by King
Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty in the 13th century.
The Shore Temple is situated in Tamil Nadu. Located in Mahabalipuram, it was built
during the reign of
Narasimhavarman II and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.
The correct combination of temple and its location is Kamakhya Temple in Assam.
Other notable temples and
their locations include Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga in Madhya Pradesh, Somnath
Jyotirlinga Temple in
Gujarat, Jagannath Temple in Odisha, and Badrinath Temple in Uttarakhand. The
Golden Temple is in
Punjab, the Meenakshi Temple is in Tamil Nadu, and the Hoysaleswara Temple is in
Karnataka.
The Bhitargaon Brick Temple is located in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. This site is noted
for its Bhitargaon
Inscription, which commemorates Skandagupta's victory over the Huns. Other
important religious sites in Uttar
Pradesh include Sarnath, Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Banke Bihari Temple, ISKCON
Vrindavan, and the
Banaras Ghats.
The Bhitargaon Brick Temple exemplifies architecture from the Gupta period. Located
in Kanpur, Uttar
Pradesh, it is one of the earliest surviving brick temples in India, built during
the 5th century AD. Other Gupta
period architectures include Ajanta, Ellora, and Sarnath.

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The famous Pashupatinath Temple is located in Nepal. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, this
temple spans both sides of
the Bagmati River and was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1979.
Chandranath Hill, a Hindu religious site, is located in Bangladesh. The Chandranath
Temple, a famous Shakti
Peeth, is situated near Sitakunda.
The Sri Jagannath Temple in Odisha is built in the style of the Rekha Deula,
characterized by a curvilinear
superstructure. The temple, constructed by Anantavarman Chodaganga Deva, is also
known as the “White
Pagoda” and is part of the Char Dham pilgrimages.
The Konark Sun Temple, a World Heritage Site, is situated in Odisha. It was
declared a World Heritage Site in
1984 and was built by King Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty in the 13th
century.
The Lion Capital at Sarnath does not include a carved cow representing the South
direction. The capital's top
features a lotus base, a drum with carvings of four animals representing the four
cardinal directions, and four
lions facing these directions.
The Sri Brahmapureeswarar Temple is located in Tamil Nadu. Other famous Tamil Nadu
temples include the
Meenakshi Temple, Rameshwaram Temple, Kumari Amman Temple, Nagannathaswamy Temple,
Brihadeeswarar Temple, Kapaleeshwarar Temple, Nataraja Temple, Arunachaleswarar
Temple,
Ekambareswarar Temple, and the Mahabalipuram Temple.
The Western Wall, commonly known as the Wailing Wall, is a significant religious
site for the Jewish people.
Situated in the Old City of Jerusalem, this wall is the western support of the
Temple Mount. It attracts thousands
of visitors annually who come to pray and place written prayers in the wall's
crevices.
The Kamakhya Temple is situated in Assam, on the Nilachal Hill in the western part
of Guwahati city. This
temple is dedicated to the mother goddess Kamakhya and is one of the oldest among
the 51 Shakti pithas.
In Maharashtra, the Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga is one of the five Jyotirlingas in the
state. The Pancha Jyotirlingas,
including Bhimashankar, Trimbakeshwar, Grishneshwar, Nagnath in Aundha, and Parli
Vaijnath, are
dedicated to Lord Shiva and are significant pilgrimage sites.
The Lingaraja Temple is a prominent Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, situated in
Bhubaneswar, the capital of
the Indian state of Odisha. It is one of the city's major landmarks and a key
tourist attraction in the state.
Charupallam, known as 'the village of the incline', is located near the
Rajarajeswara Temple in Taliparamba,
Kannur district, Kerala.
The Kapaleeshwarar Temple in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The
temple features the form
of Shiva's consort Parvati, known as Karpagambal, meaning "Goddess of the Wish-
Yielding Tree."
Among India's famous monasteries, Ghum is incorrectly associated with Jammu and
Kashmir; it is actually
located in Darjeeling, West Bengal. Ghum is known for its historical railway
station, which is the highest in India.
The Meenakshi Temple is a historic Hindu temple situated on the southern bank of
the Vaigai River in Madurai,
Tamil Nadu. It is dedicated to Meenakshi, a form of Parvati, and her consort
Sundareshwar, a form of Shiva.
The famous Vaishno Devi Shrine is situated in Jammu & Kashmir, specifically in
Katra at the Trikuta
Mountains. This Hindu temple is a major pilgrimage destination.
The Gnana Saraswati Temple, dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, is located on the banks
of the Godavari River in
Basar, Telangana. It is one of the two prominent Saraswati temples in the Indian
subcontinent.
Kardang Monastery is a significant Drukpa Lineage monastery located in Lahaul
valley, Himachal Pradesh. It is
the most important monastery in the region.
Among the five Panch Rathas at Mahabalipuram, which include Dharmaraja Ratha, Bhima
Ratha, Arjuna
Ratha, and Nakula Sahadeva Ratha, the fifth ratha is known as the Draupadi Ratha.
Rumtek Monastery, also called the Dharmachakra Centre, is located in Sikkim near
the capital city of Gangtok.
It is an important site in Tibetan Buddhism and is associated with the Karmapa
controversy.
The Ajanta Caves are renowned for their paintings and sculptures depicting the
Jataka Tales, Buddhist legends
describing the previous lives of the Buddha.
Phodong Monastery is a Buddhist monastery located in Sikkim.
The Bylakuppe Monastery, also known as Namdroling Monastery or the Golden Temple,
is located in
Karnataka. It is the second largest Tibetan settlement in India.
The Dilwara Temples at Mount Abu, Rajasthan, are an example of Jain temple
architecture. Built by Vimal Shah
and designed by Vastupala, they follow the Nagara style. Other Jain architectural
sites include the Ellora Caves in
Maharashtra and Hathi Gumpha.
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In the Kandariya Mahadeva Temple, the sanctum sanctorum was the place of ritual
worship where only the king,
his family members, and the priests gathered. This inner part of the temple houses
the deity's murti. Other
components include the Mahamandap (greater hall), Antarala (foyer between
garbhagriha and mandapa), and
Amalaka (notched stone disk atop the temple’s shikhara). The temple, built by King
Dhagadeva of the Chandela
dynasty in 999 CE, features Nagara style architecture.
The Sri Brahmapureeswarar Temple is located in Tamil Nadu. Other famous Tamil Nadu
temples include the
Meenakshi Temple, Rameshwaram Temple, Kumari Amman Temple, Nagannathaswamy Temple,
Brihadeeswarar Temple, Kapaleeshwarar Temple, Nataraja Temple, Arunachaleswarar
Temple,
Ekambareswarar Temple, and the Mahabalipuram Temple.
The Vittala Temple is situated in Hampi, Karnataka. This temple complex, also known
as the Vittaleshvara
Temple, was built during the reign of King Deva Raya II of the Vijayanagara Empire
in the 15th century.
Notable features include the Stone Chariot and musical pillars.
Kailasa Temple in the Ellora Caves is the largest rock-cut monument in the world.
This remarkable structure is
part of a complex that includes 34 rock-cut Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain temples and
monasteries dating from the
7th to the 10th centuries. The Ellora Caves are renowned for their monolithic rock-
cut architecture and are
designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Western Wall, commonly known as the Wailing Wall, is a significant religious
site for the Jewish people.
Situated in the Old City of Jerusalem, this wall is the western support of the
Temple Mount. It attracts thousands
of visitors annually who come to pray and place written prayers in the wall's
crevices.
The Dilwara Jain Temples are located in Rajasthan, about 2.5 kilometers from the
Mount Abu settlement, the
only hill station in the state. These Svetambara Jain temples were initially built
by Vimal Shah and were financed
by Vastupala, a Jain minister.
The Kamakhya Temple is situated in Assam, on the Nilachal Hill in the western part
of Guwahati city. This
temple is dedicated to the mother goddess Kamakhya and is one of the oldest among
the 51 Shakti pithas.
The famous Kandariya Temple is located in Khajuraho. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, it
was constructed by King
Vidyadhar of the Chandel dynasty between 1025-1050 AD.
The Borobudur Temple is located in Indonesia, in the Kedu Valley of Central Java.
This Buddhist monument,
constructed in the 8th and 9th centuries AD during the reign of the Sailendra
Dynasty, is one of the most
impressive Buddhist temples in the world.
The Lingaraja Temple is a prominent Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, situated in
Bhubaneswar, the capital of
the Indian state of Odisha. It is one of the city's major landmarks and a key
tourist attraction in the state.
The Mahishasura Mardini Temple is located at Chaiturgarh or Lafagarh in Korba
district, Chhattisgarh. This
archaeological site is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India and is
renowned for its historical
significance.
Charupallam, known as 'the village of the incline', is located near the
Rajarajeswara Temple in Taliparamba,
Kannur district, Kerala.
The Shore Temple is situated in Mahabalipuram. Named for its location overlooking
the Bay of Bengal, this
structural temple, built with granite blocks, dates back to the 8th century AD and
was part of a busy port during
the Pallava dynasty.
The Kapaleeshwarar Temple in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The
temple features the form
of Shiva's consort Parvati, known as Karpagambal, meaning "Goddess of the Wish-
Yielding Tree."
The only temple dedicated to Brahma, known as Jagatpita Brahma Mandir, is located
at Pushkar in Rajasthan,
close to the sacred Pushkar Lake.
The Meenakshi Temple is a historic Hindu temple situated on the southern bank of
the Vaigai River in Madurai,
Tamil Nadu. It is dedicated to Meenakshi, a form of Parvati, and her consort
Sundareshwar, a form of Shiva.
The Somnath Temple, believed to be the first among the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines
of Shiva, is located in
Prabhas Patan near Veraval on the western coast of Gujarat. It is an important
pilgrimage site in the state.
The famous Vaishno Devi Shrine is situated in Jammu & Kashmir, specifically in
Katra at the Trikuta
Mountains. This Hindu temple is a major pilgrimage destination.
The Veerabhadra Temple in Lepakshi, Andhra Pradesh, is known for its hanging
pillars and its construction in
the Vijayanagara style.
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68
•
•
•
•
•

•
•
•

•
•

The Gnana Saraswati Temple, dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, is located on the banks
of the Godavari River in
Basar, Telangana. It is one of the two prominent Saraswati temples in the Indian
subcontinent.
The Biraja Temple, Rajarani Temple, and Samaleswari Temple are all famous temples
located in Odisha. Biraja
Temple is situated in Jajpur, Rajarani Temple is in Bhubaneswar, and Samaleswari
Temple is in Sambalpur.
The Dilwara Temples of Jainism are situated near Mount Abu, Rajasthan. These
temples are known for their
intricate carvings and architecture.
The Bylakuppe Monastery, also known as Namdroling Monastery or the Golden Temple,
is located in
Karnataka. It is the second largest Tibetan settlement in India.
Abhang is a form of devotional poetry sung in praise of God Vithoba. It is commonly
sung during pilgrimages to
the temples of Pandharpur. Tevaram refers to Tamil Shaivite devotional hymns from
the Sangam period, while
Shabads are devotional songs of the Sikhs sung in gurdwaras.
Yamini Krishnamurthy: Honored with the title of Asthana Narthaki by the Tirumala
Tirupathi Devasthanam
temple, India.
The Tirupati Tirumala Brahmotsavam is organized for 9 days at the Venkateswara
Temple in Andhra Pradesh.
Other notable temple festivals include Thrissur Pooram in Kerala and Buddha Purnima
in Bihar.
The Konark Dance Festival (KDF) has been held in Konark every year between 1st and
5th December since
1986. The festival takes place in an open-air auditorium against the backdrop of
the Sun Temple (Black Pagoda).
Other notable dance festivals in India include the Bamnia Chhau Dance Festival
(West Bengal), Khajuraho
Dance Festival (Madhya Pradesh), Mamallapuram Dance Festival and Natyanjali
Festival (Tamil Nadu),
Nishagandhi Dance Festival (Kerala), and Sirpur Music and Dance Festival
(Chhattisgarh).
Janmashtami involves the activity of making a human pyramid to break an earthen pot
filled with buttermilk.
This festival celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna and includes the Dahi Handi
tradition in Maharashtra. Other
famous festivals related to Lord Krishna include Govardhan Puja and Holi. Major
Krishna temples in India
include Jagannath Temple (Puri, Odisha), Dwarkadhish (Gujarat), Guruvayur (Kerala),
and Udupi Sri
Krishna Matha (Karnataka).
The Makaravilakku festival is celebrated in Kerala at the Sabarimala Temple
annually.
The Sundareswara Festival is celebrated in Kerala. The Sri Sundareswara Temple is
dedicated to Lord Shiva

Some Important Points

Vesak/Walsak: This commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and death of Buddha.
Eid-Fitr is celebrated on the first day of Shawwal, which falls in the 10 th month
of the Islamic calendar. It
marks the end of Ramadan.

Muharram is a most important festival celebrated by the Muslim community in India
to mark the beginning
of the Islamic New Year.

The birthday of Prophet Muhammad is also celebrated by the name of Mawlid al-Nabi.

Navaratri: It is an annual Hindu festival dedicated to Goddess Durga and her nine
avatars. The tenth day after
Sharad Navratri is celebrated as Dussehra or Vijayadashmi.

Holi/Phagwah: It is a popular ancient Hindu festival that originated in the Indian
subcontinent and is also
known as the Festival of Love. The festival is celebrated in the last month of the
Hindu calendar.

Gokulashtami celebrated every year as per Hindu tradition Month of Bhadrapada.

Diwali Festival Celebrate in Hindu month of Kartik.

Paryushan Parva: This Parva is celebrated every year in the month of August or
September by members of the
Jain community for spiritual upliftment and self-purification. This festival is
celebrated for eight days by the
Shvetambar community and ten days by the Digambar community.

The fifth incarnation of Lord Vishnu is known as Vamana.

Bhai Dooj festivals are celebrated on the fifth/last day of Diwali.

Hunter's Moon: It is called in west. Kartik Purnima in India.

Raksha Bandhan is celebrated in India in the month of Shravan, on the full moon day
according to the Hindu
calendar.

Guru Purnima is a festival celebrated by Hindus, Jains and Buddhists in India that
falls in the month of
Ashadha of the Hindu calendar.




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69

Makar Sankranti: It is one of the famous Indian harvest and kite-flying festivals
celebrated on January 14 (the
Magh month of the Hindu calendar) every year. It is known by various names in
different states, which are as follows:

Haryana: Sakraat

Punjab: Maghi

Gujarat: Uttarayan

Himachal Pradesh: Magha Saaji

Mahavir Jayantri: Major festival of Jain Community.

Navroz: Parsi New Year (March month)

Pateti Festival is the day preceding the Parsi New Year. The name Pateti originated
from the word 'Patet'
which means repentance.

Khordad Sal is the birthday of Zoroaster (Zarathustra), the prophet and founder of
Zoroastrianism.

Losar Festival: Tibetan New year

Songkarn Festival: It is Buddhists Community festival. Which is Thailand celebrated
as the New Year
Thailand.

Ullambana: It is Buddhists Community Festival.

Chaitra is the first month of the national calendar of India based on the Saka Era,
which was adopted in 1957.

Varusha Pirappu is Tamil new year.

Famous Monuments in India.

Monument

Place

Founder

Kanheri Fort
Jagannath Temple

Mumbai, Maharashtra
Puri, Odisha

Sun Temple
Ajmer Sharif
Dilwara Jain Temple
Jaisalmer Fort
Jaigarh Fort
Jantar Mantar
Junagarh Fort
Nahargarh Fort
Amer Fort
Chittorgarh Fort
Jal Mahal
Mehrangarh Fort
Kumbhalgarh Fort
Golkonda Fort
Charminar
Mecca Masjid
Agra Fort
Akbar's Tomb
Anand Bhawan
Aram Bagh
Sikandra

Konark, Odisha
Ajmer, Rajasthan
Mount Abu, Rajasthan
Jaisalmer, Rajasthan
Jaipur, Rajasthan
Jaipur, Rajasthan
Bikaner, Rajasthan
Jaipur, Rajasthan
Jaipur, Rajasthan
Chittorgarh, Rajasthan
Jaipur, Rajasthan
Jodhpur, Rajasthan
Rajsamand, Rajasthan
Hyderabad, Telangana
Hyderabad, Telangana
Hyderabad, Telangana
Agra, Uttar Pradesh
Agra, Uttar Pradesh
Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh
Agra, Uttar Pradesh
Sikandra, Uttar Pradesh

Buddhists
Anantha Varman Chodaganga
Deva
Raja Narasingha Deva I
Sultan Shihabuddin
Vimal Shah
Rawal Jaisal
Sawai Jai Singh II
Sawai Jai Singh
Rai Singh
Sawai Jai Singh
Raja Man Singh
Sawai Jai Singh
Sawai Jai Singh
Rao Jodha
Rana Kumbha
Quli Qutb Shah
Quli Qutb Shah
Quli Qutb Shah
Akbar
Akbar
Motilal Nehru
Babar
Akbar

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70
Chhota Imambara
Vishnupad Temple
Shershah's tomb
Pathar ki Masjid
Golghar
Firoz Shah Kotla
Hauz Khas
Humayun's Tomb
Jama Masjid
Moti Masjid
Khirki Masjid
Laxmi Narayan Temple
Lotus Temple
Moti Masjid
Qutb Minar
Red Fort
Safdarjung Tomb
Sabarmati Ashram
Charar-e-Sharif
Nishat Garden
Shalimar Garden
Gol Gumbaz
Bidar Fort
Bibi Ka Maqbara
Elephanta Caves
Gateway of India
Diwan-e-Khas
Fatehpur Sikri
Tomb of It-mad-udDaula
Jama Masjid
Moti Masjid
Sati Burj
Sheesh Mahal
Taj Mahal
Belur Math
Victoria Memorial

Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

Gaya, Bihar
Sasaram, Bihar
Patna, Bihar
Patna, Bihar
Delhi
Delhi
Delhi
Delhi
Delhi
Delhi
Delhi
Delhi
Delhi
Delhi
Delhi
Delhi
Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Badgam, Jammu and
Kashmir
Srinagar, Jammu and
Kashmir
Srinagar, Jammu and
Kashmir
Bijapur, Karnataka
Bidar, Karnataka
Aurangabad
Mumbai, Maharashtra
Mumbai, Maharashtra
Agra Fort, Uttar Pradesh
Agra, Uttar Pradesh
Agra, Uttar Pradesh

Muhammad Ali Shah

Rani Ahilya Bai
Sher Muhammad Suri
Mughal Emperor Jahangir
British Governor General
Firoz Shah Tughlaq
Alauddin Khalji
Haji Begum
Shah Jahan
Bahadur Shah I
Tughlaq Dynasty
Birla Family
Bahai's
Aurangzeb
Qutb-ud-din Aibak
Shah Jahan
Shuja-ud-Daula
Mahatma Gandhi
Nund Reshi

Agra, Uttar Pradesh

Agra, Uttar Pradesh
Mathura, Uttar Pradesh
Agra, Uttar Pradesh
Agra, Uttar Pradesh
Kolkata, West Bengal
Kolkata, West Bengal

Shahjahan
Shahjahan
Raja Bhagwan Das
Shahjahan
Shahjahan
Swami Vivekananda
British Government

Asaf Ali
Jahangir
Adil Shah
Sultan Ahmed Shah
Aurangzeb
British Government
British Government
Shahjahan
Akbar
Noorjehan

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71
Shanti Niketan

Birbhum, West Bengal

Rabindranath Tagore

Important PYQs
•

The Open Hand Monument in Chandigarh was designed by Le Corbusier. Chandigarh city
was
designed by Le Corbusier, with Matthew Nowicki serving as the chief architect and
Albert Mayer
known for planning the city.
The lofty gates erected in the courtyard of South Indian temples are called
Gopuram. These
monumental entrance towers are built in the Dravidian style, with the tallest
Gopuram found at the
Ranganathaswamy Temple in Tamil Nadu. Southern Indian temples feature the Shikhara
as the
crowning element at the top of the temple and the Vimana as the shape of the main
temple tower.
The Virupaksha Temple is situated at Hampi. This temple, also known as the
Pampapathi Temple,
was built by Lakhan Dandesha in Dravidian style on the south bank of the
Tungabhadra River. It
is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
(1986). Other
notable monuments at Hampi include the Vittala Temple, Ganigatti Jain Temple,
Krishna
Temple, and Lotus Mahal.

Famous Indian forts.

State/Union Territory

Fort

1.

Andhra Pradesh

2.

Arunachal Pradesh

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Kodavidu Fort,
Gooty Fort
Kodapalli Fort
Gandikota Fort
Vizianagaram Fort
Udaya- giri Fort
Chandragiri Fort
Bhishmaknagar Fort
Ita Fort

3.

Assam

•
•
•
•

Garchuk Lachit Garh

Garh Daul
Kareng Ghar Fort
Talatal Ghar Fort

4.

Bihar

5.

Chhattisgarh

6.

Goa

•
Munger Fort (on the banks of River Gan- ga)
•
Rohtasgarh Fort (built by King Harish- chandra on
the Son River)
•
Jalalgarh Fort
•
Ratanpur Fort (it has four gates Singh, Ganesh,
Bhairav and Semraddha)
•
Chaitur- garh Fort (built by Prithvideva I)
•
Aguada Fort, Reis Magos Fort, Terekhol Fort

7.

Gujarat

8.

Haryana
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Uparkot Fort
Bhadra Fort
Bhujia Fort
Kanthkot Fort
Dhoraji Fort
Manek Burj
Dhosi Hill Fort (built by Hemu)

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72
•
Asigarh Fort (built for Prithviraj Chahan)
•
Mad- hogarh Fort (built by Raja Madho Singh of
Udaipur)
•
Kangra Fort
•
Sujanpur Triple Fort
•
Haripur Fort
•
Nurpur Fort
•
Gandhola Fort
•
Palamu Fort (built by Pratap Rai and Me- dini Rai)

9.

Himachal Pradesh

10.

Jharkhand

11.

Karnataka

12.

Kerala

13.

Madhya Pradesh

14.

Maharashtra

15.

Manipur

•
Gulbarga Fort (built by Bahman Shah, founder of
the Bahmani dynasty)
•
Bidar Fort
•
Chitradurga Fort
•
Gajendragarh Fort
•
Bellary Fort
•
Malkhed Fort
•
Nagara Fort
•
Badami Fort
•
Palakkad Fort
•
St. Angelo Fort (Kannur Fort)
•
Bekal Fort
•
Fort Emmanuel
•
Orchha Fort (built by Raja Rudra Pratap Singh)
•
Gwalior Fort (formerly known as Gujari Mahal
built by Raja Suraj Sen)
•
Chanderi Fort
•
Asirgarh Fort
•
Mandu/Mandugarh Fort (the first fort where the
Mughals captured in the year 1644 at the age of just 16)
•
Panhala Fort (Fort of Snakes)
•
Pratapgad Fort (built by Chhatrapati Shivaji
Maharaj)
•
Sinhagad Fort (birthplace of Shivaji Maharaj)
•
Raigad Fort (capital during the time of Shivaji
Maharaj)
•
Malhargad/Sonori Fort (last fort built by
Marathas)
•
Janjira Fort
•
Sindhudurg Fort
•
Kangla Fort

16.

Nagaland

Khonoma Fort

17.

Odisha

18.

Punjab
19.

Rajasthan

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Barabati Fort
Raibania Fort
Chungada Fort
Sisupalgarh Fort
Qila Mubarak (Razai Sultana stayed in this jail)
Gobindgarh Fort
Bahadurgarh Fort
Lohgarh Fort (built by Sher Shah Suri)
Phillaur Fort
Qila Mubarak (Razai Sultana was kept in this jail)
Gohad Fort (built by Sher Shah Suri)

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73
20.

Tamil Nadu

21.

Telangana

22.

Uttarakhand

23.

Uttar Pradesh

24.

West Bengal

25.

Puducherry

26.

Delhi

27.

Kerala

28.

Madhya Pradesh

29.

Maharashtra

•
Phillaur Fort
•
Amber Fort (built by Raja Man Singh)
•
Mehrangarh Fort (built by Raja Rai Singh)
•
Lohagarh Fort
•
Nahargarh Fort
•
Bhangarh Fort
•
Ranthambore Fort
•
Kumbhalgarh Fort (built by Rana Kumbha)
•
Jaigarh Fort
•
Vellore Fort, Gingee Fort (formerly known as Troy
of the East by the British)
•
Golconda Fort
•
Warangal Fort
•
Deverakonda Fort
•
Pithoragarh Fort (it is known by the names
London Fort
•
Banalki Fort
•
Gorkha Fort etc.)
•
Agra Fort (included in the UNESCO World
Heritage Sites list)
•
Kalinjar Fort
•
Chunar Fort
•
Ramnagar Fort
•
Allahabad Fort
•
Buxa Fort
•
Kurumbera Fort
•
Fort William (famous for the black hole incident
of Kolkata)
•
Fort Lewis (French fort built by Franco Martin)
•
Red Fort (built by Shahjahan)
•
Siri Fort (built by Alauddin Khilji)
•
Palakkad Fort
•
St. Angelo Fort (Kannur Fort)
•
Bekal Fort
•
Fort Emmanuel
•
Orchha Fort (built by Raja Rudra Pratap Singh)
•
Gwalior Fort (formerly known as Gujari Mahal
built by Raja Suraj Sen)
•
Chanderi Fort
•
Asirgarh Fort
•
Mandu/Mandugarh Fort (the first fort where the
Mughals captured in the year 1644 at the age of just 16)
•
Panhala Fort (Fort of Snakes)
•
Pratapgad Fort (built by Chhatrapati Shivaji
Maharaj)
•
Sinhagad Fort (birthplace of Shivaji Maharaj)
•
Raigad Fort (capital during the time of Shivaji
Maharaj)
•
Malhargad/Sonori Fort (last fort built by
Marathas)
•
Janjira Fort
•
Sindhudurg Fort

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74
30.

Manipur

Kangla Fort

31.

Nagaland

Khonoma Fort

32.

Odisha

33.

Punjab

34.

Rajasthan

35.

Tamil Nadu

•
Barabati Fort
•
Raibania Fort
•
Chungada Fort
•
Sisupalgarh Fort
•
Qila Mubarak (Razai Sultana stayed in this jail)
•
Gobindgarh Fort
•
Bahadurgarh Fort
•
Lohgarh Fort (built by Sher Shah Suri)
•
Phillaur Fort
•
Qila Mubarak (Razai Sultana was kept in this jail)
•
Gohad Fort (built by Sher Shah Suri)
•
Phillaur Fort
•
Amber Fort (built by Raja Man Singh)
•
Mehrangarh Fort (built by Raja Rai Singh)
•
Lohagarh Fort
•
Nahargarh Fort
•
Bhangarh Fort
•
Ranthambore Fort, Kumbhalgarh Fort (built by
Rana Kumbha)
•
Jaigarh Fort
•
Vellore Fort, Gingee Fort (formerly known as Troy
of the East by the British)

Important forts in the world.

Country

Name of the fort.

1.

Oman

Nizwa Fort

2.

Israel

Masada fort

3.

Australia

Queenscliff Fort

4.

Qatar

Al Zubarah Fort

Famous Tombs in India

State

Name of the Tomb

1.
Andhra Pradesh

Tomb of Saifsad Ahmed Saleh

2.

Bihar

3.

Delhi

4.

Gujarat

•
Tomb of Shershah Suri
•
Tomb of Bakhtiyar Khan
•
Tomb of Syed Ibrahim Malik
•
Tomb of Hasan shah Suri
•
Tomb of Mahwood Shah
•
Humayun's Tomb (built under the patronage of Humayun's wife
Hamida Bano Begum)
•
Muhammad Shah's Tomb
•
Safdarjung Tomb
•
Jamali Kamali Masjid and Tomb
•
Sultanagari Tomb
•
Mahabat Tomb
•
Bahuaddin's Tomb
•
Sikandar Shah's Tomb
•
Khwaja Safar Sulemani's Tomb

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75
5.

Haryana

•
•
•

Tomb of Sheikh Chilli (Taj Mahal of Haryana)

Tomb of Bu-Ali Shah
Tomb of Ibrahim Lodhi (Panipat)

6.

Karnataka

•
•

Tomb of Khwaja Bande Nawaz

Gol Gumbaz (Mohammed Adil Shah Kahi Grave)

7.

Madhya Pradesh

8.

Maharashtra

•
•
•
•
•
•

Hoshangshah's Tomb
Tansen's Tomb
Sawai Singh's Tomb
Mahomood Khalji's Tomb
Aurangzeb's Tomb
Bibi Ka Maqbara (Tomb of Aurangzeb's wife Ra- bia-ud-Daurani)

9.

Punjab

Ustad ka Maqbara

10.

Rajasthan

Tomb of Fatehjung
11.

Tamil Nadu

Tomb of Kanjia Shah

12.

Telangana

Qutubshahi Tomb

13.

Uttar Pradesh

•
•
•
•

Tomb of Akbar (in Sikandra, Agra)

Tomb of Salim Chishti (in Fatehpur Sikri)
Tomb of Itmad-ud-Daula (in Agra)
Tomb of Maryam-uz-Zamani (in Agra)

Famous Tombs of the world.

Lahore

•
•
•

Jahangir's Tomb
Noor Jahan's Tomb
Asif Khan's Tomb

Famous caves in India

State

Name of the Cave

1.

Andhra Pradesh

•
•
•
•

Belam Cave
Undavalli cave
Boraa Cave
Guntupalli Buddhist Caves

2.

Assam

•
•

Jogi Ghopa Cave

Umachal Rock Cave

3.

Bihar

4.

Chhattisgarh

•
•
•
•
•
•

Barabar Pahari Cave (built by Emperor Ashoka)

Nagarjuna Cave
Saptaparni Cave (Buddhist Cave)
Dungeshwari Cave
Jogimara and SitaBenga Cave
Kotamsar Cave

5.

Gujarat

Junagadh Cave

6.

Himachal Pradesh

•
•

Tabo Cave
Arjun Cave

7.

Jammu and Kashmir

8.

Karnataka
•
•
•
•
•

Amarnath Cave (dedicated to Lord Shiva)

Gufkral (Neolithic site)
Vaishno Devi Cave
Badami Cave
Nelltithira Cave

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76
9.

Kerala

Edakkal Cave

10.

Madhya Pradesh

11.

Maharashtra

12.

Meghalaya

•
Bhimbetka Cave (famous site for Paleolithic
paintings)
•
Adamgarh Cave
•
Udaygiri Cave
•
Bagh Cave
•
Bandhavgarh Cave
•
Shankaracharya Cave
•
Ajanta Caves (Buddhist cave included in the list
of UNESCO World Heritage Sites)
•
Ellora Cave
•
Kanheri Cave
•
Jeopkeri Cave
•
Krempuri Cave
•
Kremliat Cave

13.

Odisha

•
•
•

Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves

Ratnagiri Caves
Lalitgiri Caves
14.

Tamil Nadu

15.

Rajasthan

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Yellandha and Elnagiri Caves

Avvai Caves
Armamal Cave (resting place of Jain saints)
Vinasham Buddhist Caves
Hathibapoor Buddhist Caves
Kolvi Caves

16.

Uttarakhand

Lakhuodyar Cave

17.

Uttar Pradesh

Makandha Cave

18.

West Bengal

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Mahakal Cave
Lajjal Cave

Famous stupas in India.

State

Name of the Stupa

1.

Andhra Pradesh

Bihar
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Amravati Stupa
Nagarjunanakonda Stupa
Sanchi Stupa
Bharhut Stupa
Dhamek Stupa
Pipravaha Stupa
Ramabahar Stupa
Kesariya Stupa

2.

Madhya Pradesh

3.

Uttar Pradesh

4.
5.

Ladakh

Shanti Stupa

Famous Stupas of the world.

Country

Stupa

1.
2.
3.
4.

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Sri Lanka
Java
Myanmar
Nepal

Ruwanwelisaya Stupa
Borobudur Stupa
Kyaiktiyo Stupa
Swayambhunath Stupa (Kathmandu)
Boudhanath Stupa (Kathmandu)

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5.
6.

Spain
Australia

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Benalmádena Stupa
Great Stupa of Universal Compassion

Famous statues in India and the world.

Statue

Location

1.

Statue of Unity

Gujarat (world's tallest statue)

2.

Statue of Belief

Nathdwara in Rajasthan

3.

Statue of Prosperity

Bengaluru

4.

Hanuman’s Statue

Srikakulam (Andhra Pradesh)

5.

Statue of Equality

Rangareddy (Hyderabad)

6.
Statue of Nonviolence

Nashik (Maharashtra), World's tallest Jain statue

7.

Statue of Liberty

New York (USA)

8.

Statue of Knowledge

Latur (Maharashtra)

9.

Statue of Peace

Pali (Rajasthan)

10.

The Great Buddha Statue

Bodhgaya (Bihar)

11.

Jatayu Earth Park Centre

Kollam (Kerala) World's largest bird Sculpture

Important Sports Tournaments

➢

OLYMPIC GAMES

•
The ancient Olympic Games were held in the Greek city of Olympia in 776 BC.
•
For the first time these games were played in the honor of the Greek god Zeus. The
games were officially
abolished in the year 394 AD by the Roman Emperor Theodosius.
•
The modern Olympic games were started in 1896 AD in the city of Athens, Greece by
the efforts of Pierre de
Coubertin of France.
•
These games are normally held at an interval of every 4 years.
•
The International Olympic Committee was established in 1894 at a place called
Chakhon.
•
Its headquarters is in Lausanne (Switzerland).
•
It consists of a President, 4 vice-Presidents, 10 Executive members and the
Director General.
•
Olympic torch was introduced at 1928 Amsterdam Olympics.
•
Oath taking in the Olympic Games began in 1920 during the Antwerp Olympic Games.
•
The mascot's debut in the Olympic Games started with the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.
•
In the opening ceremony of the Olympics, the team of Greece is first in the march
past and the host nation's
team is last, with the rest of the team is in the middle.
•
The first ever Olympic day was celebrated on 23 June 1948.
•
New sports have been included in the Tokyo Olympics 2020. Which are as follows1.
Skateboarding
2. Baseball/Softball
3. Sport Climbing and Surfing
4. Karate

OLYMPIC FLAG

•
The flag was first used in the 1920 Antwerp Olympic Games.
•
In the middle of the flag, five rings/wheels are shown intertwined, which represent
the five continents of the
world. The Olympic rings were publicly presented for the first time in 1913.
•
Blue Ring - Europe

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Green Ring - Australia

Yellow Ring - Asia
Red Ring - North and South America
Black Ring - Africa
So, there are a total of 6 colors in the Olympic flag.
It was designed by French educator Pierre de Coubertin.

IMPORTANT FACTS:

•
Nita Ambani is the first Indian woman member of the International Olympic
Committee.
•
The current President of the International Olympic Committee is Thomas Bach
•
(Germany).
•
The awarding of medals in the Olympics started in 1904.
•
The male athlete with the most gold medals in a single Olympics is Michael Phelps
of U.S.A. Phelps, known as
the Golden Shark, won 8 gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. So far, he has
won a total of 28 medals including 23
gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze.
•
The most Olympic medals won by a woman is 18 by Larisa Latynina.
•
The first broadcast of the Olympic Games on TV was the 1960 Rome Olympic Games.
•
The Indian Olympic Association was established in 1924 and Sir J. R.D. Tata was its
first president.
•
The current president is P.T. Usha.
•
The first player to participate in the Olympics from India was an Anglo-Indian,
Norman Richard, who
participated in 1900 AD Olympics.
•
Mary Leela Rao is the first Indian woman athlete to participate in the Olympics.
•
The first Indian woman to win a medal at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 and the first
Indian woman to win a
silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, is P.V. Sindhu.
•
India's flag bearers at the opening ceremony of Tokyo Olympics 2021 were Mary Kom
(Boxer) and Manpreet
Singh (Captain of men's hockey team).
•
India's flag bearer at the closing ceremony was: Bajrang Punia (Wrestler).
•
In medal count, Team USA finishes first in gold and total medals, and India's
position was 48 th (with 1 gold, 2
silver, 4 bronze medals).
•
The 32nd Olympic Games were held in Tokyo (Japan) in 2021.
•
The 33rd Olympic Games are scheduled to be held in Paris (France) in 2024.
•
The 34th Olympic Games are scheduled to be held in Los Angeles (USA) in 2028.
•
The 35th Olympic Games are scheduled to be held in Brisbane (Australia) in 2032.

SUMMER OLYMPICS

The Summer Olympics are the Olympic Games described above on this page.

HOST CITIES AND COUNTRIES

Year

Host City

Opening Ceremony Date

Closing Ceremony Date

1896
1900
1904
1908
1912
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1948

Athens, Greece
Paris, France
St. Louis, USA
London, UK
Stockholm, Sweden
Antwerp, Belgium
Paris, France
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Los Angeles, USA
Berlin, Germany
London, UK

April 6, 1896
May 14, 1900
July 1, 1904
April 27, 1908
July 6, 1912
August 14, 1920
July 5, 1924
July 28, 1928
July 30, 1932
August 1, 1936
July 29, 1948

April 15, 1896

October 28, 1900
September 3, 1904
October 31, 1908
July 22, 1912
September 12, 1920
July 27, 1924
August 12, 1928
August 14, 1932
August 16, 1936
August 14, 1948

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1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024

Helsinki, Finland
Melbourne, Australia
Rome, Italy
Tokyo, Japan
Mexico City, Mexico
Munich, West Germany
Montreal, Canada
Moscow, Soviet Union
Los Ángeles, USA
Seoul, South Korea
Barcelona, Spain
Atlanta, USA
Sydney, Australia
Athens, Greece
Beijing, China
London, UK
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Tokyo, Japan
Paris, France

July 19, 1952

November 22, 1956
August 25, 1960
October 10, 1964
October 12, 1968
August 26, 1972
July 17, 1976
July 19, 1980
July 28, 1984
September 17, 1988
July 25, 1992
July 19, 1996
September 15, 2000
August 13, 2004
August 8, 2008
July 27, 2012
August 5, 2016
July 23, 2021
July 26, 2024

August 3, 1952
December 8, 1956
September 11, 1960
October 24, 1964
October 27, 1968
September 11, 1972
August 1, 1976
August 3, 1980
August 12, 1984
October 2, 1988
August 9, 1992
August 4, 1996
October 1, 2000
August 29, 2004
August 24, 2008
August 12, 2012
August 21, 2016
August 8, 2021
August 11, 2024

WINTER OLYMPICS

•
Winter Olympics are organized by IOC at an interval of every 4 years. The first
winter Olympic games were
held in France, in 1924.
•
The Winter Olympic Games-2022 were held in Beijing (China).
•
India sent its team to the winter Olympics for the first time in 1964.

HOST CITIES AND COUNTRIES

Year

Host City

Opening Ceremony Date

Closing Ceremony Date

1924
1928
1932
1936

Chamonix, France
St. Moritz, Switzerland
Lake Placid, USA
Garmisch-Partenkirchen,
Germany
St. Moritz, Switzerland
Oslo, Norway
Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy
Squaw Valley, USA
Innsbruck, Austria
Grenoble, France
Sapporo, Japan
Innsbruck, Austria
Lake Placid, USA
Sarajevo, Yugoslavia
Calgary, Canada
Albertville, France
Lillehammer, Norway
Nagano, Japan
Salt Lake City, USA
Turin, Italy
Vancouver, Canada
Sochi, Russia

January 25, 1924

February 11, 1928
February 4, 1932
February 6, 1936

February 5, 1924
February 19, 1928
February 15, 1932
February 16, 1936

January 30, 1948

February 14, 1952
January 26, 1956
February 18, 1960
January 29, 1964
February 6, 1968
February 3, 1972
February 4, 1976
February 13, 1980
February 8, 1984
February 13, 1988
February 8, 1992
February 12, 1994
February 7, 1998
February 8, 2002
February 10, 2006
February 12, 2010
February 7, 2014

February 8, 1948
February 25, 1952
February 5, 1956
February 28, 1960
February 9, 1964
February 18, 1968
February 13, 1972
February 15, 1976
February 24, 1980
February 19, 1984
February 28, 1988
February 23, 1992
February 27, 1994
February 22, 1998
February 24, 2002
February 26, 2006
February 28, 2010
February 23, 2014

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1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
2026

Pyeongchang, South Korea

Beijing, China
Milan-Cortina, Italy

February 9, 2018
February 4, 2022
February 6, 2026

February 25, 2018

February 20, 2022
February 22, 2026

32nd Tokyo Olympics-2021

Hosted
Total Countries
India’s Theme Song

Tokyo(Japan) 23July-8, August, 2021

206 (Matches-339, Indian Athlete-127)
“Lakshya hai tere Samne”

India’ Cheers Song

India’s Opening ceremony Players
India’s Closing Ceremony Player

Hindustani Ve (A.R. Rehman)

Marry Kom (wrestler) &Manpreet Singh(Men’s Hockey team Captain)
Bajrang Punia (Wrestler)

India’s 1st gymnastic Judge in Olympics

India’s 1st Female Phaser Qualifier
st
1 Country do not participate because
of COVID-19

Deepak kabra
Bhavani Devi
N. Korea

India’s only wrestler umpire

India’s 1st Female golfer Qualifier
India’s Men Hockey team captain in
Olympics

Ashok Kumar
Aditi Ashok
Manpreet Singh

India’s Women Hockey team Captain in

Olympics

Rani Rampal

1st Transgender Athlete participates in

Olympics
Laurel Habred

Olympic’s 1st Gold Medal

India’s 1st Medal
India’s 2nd Silver Medal
India’s Gold Medal
India’s Bronze Medals

Yang Kiyan(China-Shooting)
Meerabai Chanu (Silver Medal-Weighlifting49kg)
Ravi Kumar Dahiya (wrestling-57kg)
Neeraj Chopra (87.58 m- Javelin Throw)
Lavlina Boroghain(Boxing:64-69kg), P.V. Sindhu(Badminton), Bajrang Punia
(wrestling-65kg)
India’s Men Hockey Team(defeat- Grmany)
Momiji Nishiya Australia(Japan- Skateboarding)
Emma Mckeon (Australia-Swimmer)
Caleb Dressel (u.s-Swimmer)
America (39- Gold, 41- Silver, 33- Bronze) Total-113
China-88 Medals
Japan-58 Medals
48th (1-Gold, 2-Silver, 4- Bronze) Total-7
Paris (France)

Youngest’s Champion
Maximum 7 Gold Medal (Female)
Maximum 5 Gold Medal (Male)
1st Position
2nd Position
3rd Position
India’s Position
33nd Olympics-2024 takes place on

Summer Tokyo Paralympic 2020

➢
➢
➢
➢
➢
➢

Host City = Tokyo, Japan

Motto = United by Emotion Athletes = 4403
Winner = China (G = 96 Total = 207)
India = (Gold = 5, Silver = 8, Bronze = 6, Total = 19
Flag Bearer Opening = Tek Chand (Javelin Thrower)
Flag Bearer Closing = Avani Lekhara (Shooter)

Player

Field

Medal

Krishna Nagar
Manish Narwal

Badminton Men's singles SH6

P4-Mixed 50m Pistol SH1 final (Shooting)

Gold Medal
Gold Medal

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Avani Lekhara
Sumit Antil
Pramod Bhagat

women's R2 10m air rifle SH3 final

(Shooting)
men's javelin throw F64 final
Badminton Men's singles SL3

Gold Medal
Gold Medal
Gold Medal

Highlights of Tokyo Paralympics 2020

➢ The Gold medalists from the Indian contingent at Tokyo Paralympics were:
1. Avani Lekhara in Women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 (Jaipur, Rajasthan)
2. Pramod Bhagat in Men's singles SL3 badminton (Hajipur, Vaishali, Bihar)
3. Krishna Nagar in Men's singles SH6 badminton (Jaipur, Rajasthan)
4. Sumit Antil in Men's Javelin Throw F64 (Sonipat, Haryana)
5. Manish Narwal in Mixed 50m Pistol SH1 (Faridabad, Haryana)

➢ Silver medalists were:

1. Bhavinaben Patel in Women's Singles Class 4 Table Tennis
2. Singhraj Adhana in Mixed 50m Pistol SH1
3. Yogesh Kathuniya in Men's Discus F56
4. Nishad Kumar in Men's High Jump T47
5. Mariyappan Thangavelu in Men's High Jump T63
6. Praveen Kumar in Men's High Jump T64
7. Devendra Jhajharia in Men's Javelin F46
8. Suhas Yathiraj in Men's Singles Badminton SL4.

Important PYQs
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Norman Pritchard was India's first Olympian to star in Hollywood and Broadway. He
was a British-Indian athlete
and actor who won two silver medals in athletics at the 1900 Paris Summer Olympics.
The Indian Olympic Association is affiliated with the International Olympic
Committee. The headquarters are
located in Lausanne, Switzerland, and it was established on 23 June 1894.
India organized the Asian Games for the second time in 1982. The Asian Games are
held every four years and were
regulated by the Asian Games Federation from 1951 to 1978, after which the Olympic
Council of Asia took over.
The Olympic Games were not held in 1916, 1940, and 1944 due to World War I and II.
The first modern Olympics
were held in Athens in 1896.
Equestrian vaulting is often described as gymnastics and dance on horseback. It was
demonstrated as an art at the
1920 Antwerp Olympics.
The second Olympic Games were hosted by France in 1900. The first Olympic Games
were held in Athens in 1896.
India was the first country to host the Asian Games in 1951. The Asian Games are
organized by the Olympic
Council of Asia.
Satish Kumar was the first Indian to participate in a Super Heavyweight Boxing
event at the 2020 Olympic
Games.
India ranked 48th in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The country won 1 gold, 2 silver, and
4 bronze medals.
Mirabai Chanu, who was selected as BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year 2022, is
related to weightlifting. She
is a Tokyo Olympic silver medallist (2020), a world champion, and a three-time
Commonwealth Games gold
medallist. She has received the Padma Shri (2018) and Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna
Award (2018). Other
notable athletes include Kamalpreet Kaur and Seema Punia (Discus throw), Shiva
Thapa, Mary Kom, Nikhat
Zareen, and Nitu Ghanghas (Boxing), and Neeraj Chopra, Annu Rani, and Davinder
Singh Kang (Javelin).
Neeraj Chopra became the first Indian javelin ace to win gold at the Zurich Diamond
League. His other gold
medals include the Olympics Games 2020 (Tokyo, Japan), World Championships 2023
(Budapest, Hungary),
Commonwealth Games 2018 (Gold Coast, Australia), and Asian Games 2018 (Jakarta,
Indonesia). He has been
honored with the Padma Shri (2022), Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award (2021), and
the Arjuna Award
(2018).
India won 8 gold medals in the Olympics between 1928 and 1980. The men’s hockey
team accounts for all eight of
these medals. After Abhinav Bindra (men’s 10m air rifle shooting in Beijing 2008),
Neeraj Chopra (men’s javelin

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throw in Tokyo 2020) is the second individual Olympic champion. India first
participated in the Olympics in 1900
in Paris, and the first Indian contingent was present at the 1920 Olympics.
In swimming, the minimum lane width is 2.13 meters. Olympic swimming pools are 50
meters long, 25 meters
wide, and have a minimum depth of 2 meters, divided into 10 lanes. Types of
swimming include Freestyle,
Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly, Medley, and Marathon swimming. Famous Olympic
swimmers include
Michael Phelps, Sajan Prakash, Krisztina Egerszegi, Virdhawal Khade, and Shivani
Kataria.
At the 2012 Olympics, Lord's Cricket Ground hosted Archery. The first archery
national championship was held
in Grenoble, France, in July 1973. Other cricket grounds used in the Olympics
include the Melbourne Cricket
Ground, The Gabba, and Sydney.
Arjuna awardee Dr. Ajmer Singh is associated with athletics. The Arjuna Award is
the second-highest sporting
honor in India and was first awarded in 1961. Ajmer Singh was an Indian sprinter
who competed in the 1964
Summer Olympics and won gold at the 1966 Asian Games in Bangkok.
Thomas Hicks was the first American male athlete to win the Marathon gold medal in
the Olympic Games.
Notable marathon runners include Kelvin Kiptum, Eliud Kipchoge, Kenenisa Bekele,
Sisay Lemma, Birhanu
Legese, Mosinet Geremew, Dennis Kimetto, Evans Chebet, Gabriel Geay, and Lawrence
Cherono.
South Korea is the country that has hosted the Asian Games three times: in 1986,
2002, and 2014. The Asian Games
are organized every four years by the Olympic Council of Asia, headquartered in
Kuwait. The 20th Asian Games
in 2026 will be held in Nagoya, Japan.
The Olympic flag features five rings, a design created by Pierre de Coubertin in
1913. These rings are colored
blue, yellow, black, green, and red on a white field.
The first winter edition of the Olympic Games was organized in 1924 in Chamonix,
France. Charles Jewtraw of
the United States became the first gold medalist at these Games.
In Table Tennis, the length of the upper surface of the table is 274 cm. The
dimensions of the table are 2.74 meters
long, 1.525 meters wide, and 0.76 meters high. Table Tennis, also known as ping-
pong, is the national sport of
China and was first played as an Olympic sport in 1988. The sport's founding figure
is David Foster, and notable
players include Sharath Kamal Achanta, Ma Long, Manika Batra, and Liu Guoliang.
Saina Nehwal won India's first badminton medal in the Olympics, securing a bronze
in 2012. She also achieved
gold in the Commonwealth Games in 2010 and 2018 and has received several awards,
including the Arjuna
Award and the Padma Bhushan.
Simone Biles is renowned in gymnastics, holding the record for the most World
Championship medals (30 total
as of January 2024) and four gold medals from the 2016 Olympics.
Neeraj Chopra clinched the historic gold medal in Javelin Throw at the Tokyo
Olympics 2020 with a throw of
87.58 meters. He is the first Indian athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in track
and field events.
India won two silver medals at the London Olympics 2012, with Sushil Kumar winning
in wrestling and Vijay
Kumar in pistol shooting. Norman Pritchard was the first Indian to win a silver
medal at the 1900 Paris
Olympics.
Michael Phelps holds the record for the most individual gold Olympic medals, with
23 out of his 28 total medals.
Major Dhyan Chand was famous for field hockey. He won three Olympic gold medals
(1928, 1932, and 1936) and
was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1956. National Sports Day in India is celebrated
on August 29 in his honor.
Leander Paes was the first Indian and Asian tennis player to win an Olympic medal,
securing a bronze in men's
singles at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. KD Jadhav was the first athlete
from independent India to win
an individual Olympic medal.
The thickness of a wrestling mat should be between 5 and 7 centimeters. Wrestling
at the Olympics includes two
variations: Freestyle and Greco-Roman.
The 1952 Olympic Games were held in Helsinki, Finland. The Olympics are normally
held every four years, with
the International Olympic Committee headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The first edition of the Youth Olympic Games was held in Singapore in 2010.
The length of a Beach Volleyball court is 16 meters long and 8 meters wide. Beach
Volleyball, an Olympic sport
since 1996, is a modified form of traditional volleyball, which has a court 18
meters long and 9 meters wide.
The “Miracle on Ice” refers to the United States hockey team’s unexpected victory
over the Soviet Union in the
1980 Winter Olympics.
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South Africa has never organized the Olympic Games. Australia, Japan, and China
have hosted the Olympics;
Australia in Melbourne (1956) and Sydney (2000), Japan in Tokyo (1964 and 2020),
and China in Beijing (2008).
Acrobatic gymnastics is not an Olympic event. The Olympic events include rhythmic
gymnastics, artistic
gymnastics, and trampoline gymnastics.
Shiny Abraham Wilson became the first woman to carry the flag of India at the
opening ceremony of any
Olympics at the 1992 Summer Olympics.
Indian sportsperson Bhavani Devi is associated with fencing. She made history by
becoming the first Indian fencer
to qualify for the Olympics.
Shabana Akhtar, the first female athlete to represent Pakistan, participated in the
women’s long jump at the
1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.
Duncan White was the first athlete to win an Olympic medal for Sri Lanka.
India won a total of six medals at the Summer Olympic Games in London 2012,
including two silver and four
bronze medals.
The motto of the Olympics was proposed by Pierre de Coubertin. This motto, which is
made up of three Latin
words—CITIUS, ALTIUS, FORTIUS - COMMUNITER (FASTER, HIGHER, STRONGER - TOGETHER)—
reflects the spirit of the Games.
The major component of modern Olympic gold medals is silver. While Olympic gold
medals must contain a
minimum of 6 grams of gold, they are primarily made of pure silver.
The Asian Games, also known as Asiad, is a multi-sport event held every four years
among athletes from all over
Asia. It is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and is
considered the second-largest multisport event after the Olympic Games.
Special Olympics, held every two years, is a global movement that creates a world
of inclusion, accepting and
welcoming everyone regardless of ability or disability. The Games alternate between
summer and winter every two
years.
New Delhi has hosted the 9th edition of the Asian Games, which took place from
November 19, 1982, to
December 4, 1982. The games were notable for breaking 74 Asian and Asian Games
records and marked the first
Asiad under the Olympic Council of Asia's aegis.
India won its first Olympic gold medal in field hockey at the 1948 Summer Olympics,
defeating the British
team. This victory was significant as it marked the first Olympic gold medal for
India post-independence.
The Indian Olympic Association expressed interest in hosting the 2032 Summer
Olympics, with Mumbai
proposed as the host city during a meeting with the IOC President Thomas Bach.
Karnam Malleswari is the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal. She achieved
this milestone in
weightlifting and has received several prestigious awards, including the Rajiv
Gandhi Khel Ratna and the Padma
Shri.
Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav was Independent India's first individual Olympic
medalist, winning a bronze medal
in wrestling at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki.
Dipa Karmakar is associated with gymnastics. She represented India at the 2016
Summer Olympics in Rio de
Janeiro, becoming the first Indian female gymnast to compete in the Olympics and
the first Indian gymnast in 52
years. She achieved fourth place in the Women's Vault Gymnastics event with a score
of 15.066.
Bruny Surin, an Olympian athlete, belongs to Canada. Born on July 12, 1967, Surin
won a gold medal in the
4×100 meters relay at the 1996 Summer Olympics and was inducted into Canada's
Sports Hall of Fame in 2008
as part of the 1996 relay team.
The first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens. On April 6, 1896, Athens hosted
the inaugural modern
Olympiad with athletes from 14 countries participating. The International Olympic
Committee had selected
Greece as the site for the games in a meeting held in Paris in June 1894.
The city that hosted the Summer Olympics in 2020 was Tokyo. The International
Olympic Committee selected
Tokyo as the host city for the 2020 Summer Olympics on September 7, 2013.
Pink is not a color present in the Olympic rings. The rings are blue, yellow,
black, green, and red, representing
the five continents of the world united by Olympism.
The 2020 Summer Olympics, commonly known as Tokyo 2020, were held in Tokyo, Japan.
This event took place
from July 24 to August 9, 2020.

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Cricket has not been played at the Olympics since 1900. It was included in the 1900
Olympics but has not featured
in subsequent Games.
Usain Bolt is associated with athletics. The Jamaican sprinter is known as one of
the fastest men in the world and
won three gold medals at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
To achieve a Golden Slam in tennis, a player must win all four Grand Slam
tournaments along with the
Olympic Gold Medal. This feat was first accomplished by Steffi Graf in 1988.
The 2024 Summer Olympics will be held in Paris. Scheduled from July 26 to August
11, 2024, this international
multi-sport event will return to the French capital.
Dattu Bhokanal is associated with rowing. He is an Indian rower who qualified for
the 2016 Rio Summer
Olympics.

PARALYMPICS

The Paralympics Games is an international sports competition for athletes with

disabilities.

•
The first Paralympic Games were held in Rome, in 1960.
•
India has been participating in the Paralympics since the debut in 1968.
•
Devendra Jhajharia has won a total of 3 medals (2004 : Gold Medal, 2016 : Gold and
2020 : Silver) in
Paralympics in Javelin Throw.
•
Mariyappan Thangavelu has won a total of 2 medals (2016 : Gold and 2020 : Silver)
in Men's High Jump at the
Paralympics.
•
Deepa Malik is the first Indian woman to win a medal at Paralympic. (Won a silver
medal in the shot-put event
at Rio 2016)
•
The Olympic Games have been canceled three times.
•
1916 - Berlin (during World War I)
•
1940 - Tokyo (during World War II)
•
1944 London (during World War II)
•
The 31-year-old Arif Khan, the lone Indian competitor at the Beijing games, could
not get any medal.
•
India does not participate in the Winter Olympics.
•
The Youth Olympics will be held in Senegal, in 2026.

HOST CITIES AND COUNTRIES

Year

Host City

1896
1900
1904
1908
1912
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988

Athens, Greece
Paris, France
St. Louis, USA
London, UK
Stockholm, Sweden
Antwerp, Belgium
Paris, France
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Los Angeles, USA
Berlin, Germany
London, UK
Helsinki, Finland
Melbourne, Australia
Rome, Italy
Tokyo, Japan
Mexico City, Mexico
Munich, West Germany
Montreal, Canada
Moscow, Soviet Union
Los Ángeles, USA
Seoul, South Korea

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85
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024

Barcelona, Spain
Atlanta, USA
Sydney, Australia
Athens, Greece
Beijing, China
London, UK
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Tokyo, Japan
Paris, France

Important PYQs
•

•
•

•
•
•

Devendra Jhajharia, an Indian Paralympic javelin thrower, won a silver medal at the
World Para Athletics Grand
Prix in Morocco on September 17, 2022. He is notably the first Indian to win two
gold medals at the
Paralympics and was the first para-athlete to receive the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna,
India's highest sports award.
India organized the Asian Games for the second time in 1982. The Asian Games are
held every four years and were
regulated by the Asian Games Federation from 1951 to 1978, after which the Olympic
Council of Asia took over.
Sakina Khatun was the first Indian woman powerlifter to participate in the Tokyo
Paralympics 2020. The
Paralympic Games are an international multi-sport event for athletes with a range
of disabilities. India won 19
medals at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2020, including five golds, eight silvers, and
six bronzes.
The Olympic flag features five rings, a design created by Pierre de Coubertin in
1913. These rings are colored
blue, yellow, black, green, and red on a white field.
Someity, a mascot with a pink-checkered pattern, was featured at the Tokyo
Paralympics 2020. Someity's design
was inspired by cherry blossoms.
SM Gayakwad is an Indian Paralympic swimmer who won six medals at the 2014 Asian
Games, setting a record
for the most number of medals by an Indian at a multi-discipline event.

COMMONWEALTH GAMES
•
It is the biggest sporting event in the world after the Olympics.
•
These games are usually held between two Olympic Games, which is called
•
the Olympic year.
•
Commonwealth Games started in 1930 in at Hamilton (Canada).
•
India first participated in the 1934 London Games.
•
Commonwealth Games-2022 were held in Birmingham, England.
•
The next Commonwealth Games will be held in Melbourne, Australia in 2026.
•
India won the first gold medal in Commonwealth Games in 1958. This gold was won by
the great sprinter
Milkha Singh.
•
Roopa Unnikrishnan became the first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the
Commonwealth Games,
Clinching the 50m Rifle Prone title at the CWG 1998 in Kuala Lumpur.
•
India has won a total of 61 medals in the Commonwealth Games 2022.
•
This includes 22 gold, 16 silver and 23 bronze medals.
•
In Commonwealth Games 2022, India's star women's badminton player PV Sindhu and
men's hockey team
captain Manpreet Singh were India's flag bearers. Table Tennis player Achanta Kamal
Sharath and boxer Nikhat Zareen
were India's flag bearers for the closing ceremony.
•
India hosted the CWG in the year 2010 at Delhi.

HOST CITIES AND COUNTRIES

Year

Host City

Opening Ceremony Date

Closing Ceremony Date

1930
1934
1938
1950

Hamilton, Canada
London, England
Sydney, Australia
Auckland, New Zealand

August 16, 1930

August 4, 1934
February 5, 1938
February 4, 1950

August 23, 1930

August 11, 1934
February 12, 1938
February 11, 1950

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86
1954
1958
1962
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
2026

Vancouver, Canada
Cardiff, Wales
Perth, Australia
Kingston, Jamaica
Edinburgh, Scotland
Christchurch, New
Zealand
Edmonton, Canada
Brisbane, Australia
Edinburgh, Scotland
Auckland, New Zealand
Victoria, Canada
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Manchester, England
Melbourne, Australia
Delhi, India
Glasgow, Scotland
Gold Coast, Australia
Birmingham, England
Victoria, Australia

July 30, 1954

July 18, 1958
November 22, 1962
August 4, 1966
July 16, 1970
January 24, 1974

August 7, 1954
July 26, 1958
December 1, 1962
August 13, 1966
July 25, 1970
February 2, 1974

August 3, 1978
September 30, 1982
July 24, 1986
January 24, 1990
August 18, 1994
September 11, 1998
July 25, 2002
March 15, 2006
October 3, 2010
July 23, 2014
April 4, 2018
July 28, 2022
March 17, 2026

August 12, 1978

October 9, 1982
August 2, 1986
February 3, 1990
August 28, 1994
September 21, 1998
August 4, 2002
March 26, 2006
October 14, 2010
August 3, 2014
April 15, 2018
August 8, 2022
March 29, 2026

Important PYQs
1.

The first Commonwealth Games were organized in 1930 in Hamilton, Canada. The Games
have since grown to
include 72 nations.
2. Manika Batra is associated with Table Tennis. She won two gold medals at the
2018 Commonwealth Games in
Gold Coast and three gold medals at the 2016 South Asian Games. She also won a
bronze medal in the Asian Cup
tournament.
3. Vinesh Phogat became the first Indian woman wrestler to win 2 medals at the
World Championships. She
achieved gold in both the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. Her awards include
the Major Dhyan
Chand Khel Ratna (2020) and the Arjuna Award (2016). Notable Indian wrestlers
include Sakshi Malik, Ravi
Kumar Dahiya, Yogeshwar Dutt, Deepak Punia, and Antim Panghal.
4. Milkha Singh, also known as the 'Flying Sikh', won gold medals in the 1958
Commonwealth Games, the 1958
Tokyo Asian Games, and the 1962 Jakarta Asian Games.
5. Lovely Choubey is a famous Indian sportswoman associated with lawn bowls. She
and her team won the
women’s team gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
6. Dipa Karmakar, hailing from Tripura, won a bronze medal at the 2014 Commonwealth
Games in Glasgow.
7. The Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune was constructed for the
National Games in 1994. The
venue has hosted significant events, including the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games
and the 2009 FIVB Men's
Junior World Championship.
8. Deepika Kumari is an Indian athlete in archery. She is currently ranked World
No. 9 and was formerly the world
number one. Kumari won a gold medal in the women’s individual recurve event at the
2010 Commonwealth
Games.
9. Mouma Das is associated with Table Tennis. Born on February 24, 1984, in
Kolkata, West Bengal, she has
represented India in international Table Tennis events and won multiple medals at
the Commonwealth Games,
including gold in the Women's Team Competition in 2018.
10. In the Commonwealth Games 2018, India ranked third in terms of the number of
gold medals won. The Games
were held at Gold Coast, Australia, and India secured 26 gold medals out of a total
of 66 medals.

ASIAN GAMES
•
•

It was started on March 4, 1951 in New Delhi.

India hosted these games again in 1982.

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87
•
•
•
•
2022)
•
•

India won 51 medals in 1951 Asian Games, including 15 gold, 16 silver and 20 bronze
medals.
In 1951 Asian Games, only Japan was ahead of India.
The shining sun is the symbol of the Asian Games. The 2018 Asian Games took place
in Jakarta, Indonesia.
In 2023, the Asian Games will be held in Hangzhou, China. (The Games were
originally planned to be held in

In 2034, the Asian Games will be held in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia .

In 2026, the Asian Games will be held in Japan.

In 2030, the Asian Games will be held in Doha, the capital of Qatar.

HOST CITIES AND COUNTRIES

Year

Host Country

1951
1954
1958
1962
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
2026

India
Philippines
Japan
Indonesia
Thailand
Thailand
Iran
Thailand
India
South Korea
China
Japan
Thailand
South Korea
Qatar
China
South Korea
Indonesia
China
Japan (Nagoya)

South Asian Federation games

1.
2.
3.
4.

The South Asian Sports Federation

Formed: November 26, 1982, New Delhi
Governing Body: South Asian Olympic Council (SAOC)
Member Countries:
Bangladesh
Bhutan
India
Maldives
Nepal
Pakistan
Sri Lanka

•
•
•
•
•
•
•

HOST CITIES AND COUNTRIES

Year

Host Country

1984

Nepal

1985

Bangladesh

1987

India

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88
1989

Pakistan

1991

Sri Lanka

1993

Maldives

1995

India

1997

Sri Lanka

1999

Nepal

2004

Pakistan

2006

Sri Lanka

2010

Bangladesh

2012

India

2016

India

2023

Pakistan

Some Major Sports, their important facts and terminologies

CRICKET
• Cricket is a physical sport that requires agility to bat, bowl, and field. At the
same time, two teams of 11 players
each compete. ICC created a set of rules for the game. These are the same for both
male and female players.
• England is considered to be the originator of cricket.
• Global Governing Body of Cricket: The International Cricket Council (ICC)
• Founded: 1909
• Function: ICC is responsible for the organisation and governance of cricket's
major international tournaments,
most notably the Cricket World Cup and the T20 World Cup It also appoints the
umpires and referees that
officiate at all sanctioned matches.
• The International Cricket Council (ICC) CEO: Geoff Allardice
• Nepal is associated member of ICC.
• Terminology: Chinaman, Hit Wicket, Played On, Appeal, Bye, Leg Bye, Power Play,
Follow on Fine Leg, Gully,
Bend your back
• Leg bye NOT a way in which a batsman can get out in a game of cricket, DUCK
• The first Test match was played between Australia and England in Melbourne,
(Australia) in 1877.
• The first ODI match was played between Australia and England in Melbourne in
1971.
• The apex body of cricket is the ICC, which was established in 1909. Earlier its
name was Imperial Cricket
Conference.
• Its name was changed in 1956.
• The headquarters of ICC is in Dubai, earlier it was at Lord's.
• BCCI is the governing organization for cricket in India.
• It was formed in December 1928. The headquarters of BCCI is in Mumbai.
• The first World Cup of Cricket was held in England in 1975, and was won by West
Indies.
• The first 20-20 World Cup was held in South Africa in 2007, which India won by
defeating Pakistan in the
final.
• India played its first match in 1932 against England.
• The 2019 World Cup was played in England and the upcoming 2023 World Cup will be
played in India.
• The first day-night Test Match was played with pink ball between Australia and
New Zealand in 2015, in
Adelaide.

List of ODI WORLD CUP WINNERS

Year

Winner

Runner-up

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Host Country

89
1975
1979
1983

West Indies
West Indies
India

Australia
India
West Indies

1987

Australia

England

1992

Pakistan

England

1996

Sri Lanka

Australia

1999

England

Pakistan

2003

Australia

India

2007
2011

Australia
India

Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka

2015

Australia

New Zealand

2019
England

India

2023

Australia

India

England
England
England and
Wales
India and Pakistan
(co-hosted)
Australia and New
Zealand (cohosted)
India, Pakistan,
and Sri Lanka (cohosted)
England, Wales,
Scotland, Ireland,
and Netherlands
(co-hosted)
South Africa,
Zimbabwe, and
Kenya (co-hosted)
West Indies
India, Sri Lanka,
and Bangladesh
(co-hosted)
Australia and New
Zealand (cohosted)
England and
Wales (co-hosted)
India

List of T20 WORLD CUP WINNERS

Year

Winner

Runner-up

Host Country

2007
2009
2010

India
Pakistan
England

Pakistan
Sri Lanka
Australia

2012
2014
2016
2018
2021

West Indies
Sri Lanka
West Indies
West Indies
Australia

Sri Lanka
India
England
India
New Zealand

2022
2024

England
India

Pakistan
South Africa

South Africa
England
Caribbean Islands
(Barbados,
Guyana, St. Lucia,
St. Vincent and
the Grenadines,
Trinidad and
Tobago)
Sri Lanka
Bangladesh
India
India
United Arab
Emirates and
Oman (co-hosted)
Australia
West Indies and
United States (cohosted)

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90
Important PYQs
•

•
•

•
•

•
•
•

•
•

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Azhar (2016) is a sports-related movie inspired by the life of Mohammad Azharuddin,

a former national cricket
team captain. Other movies based on Indian cricketers include "Sachin Tendulkar: A
Billion Dreams" (2017),
"83" (2021), and "M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story" (2016).
Sunil Gavaskar is known as the Little Master in Indian cricket. Other notable
cricketers include Kapil Dev
(Haryana Hurricane), Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Captain Cool), Rahul Dravid (The Wall),
Anil Kumble
(Jumbo), Harbhajan Singh (Turbanator), Sachin Tendulkar (Master Blaster), Rohit
Sharma (Hit-Man), and
Virender Sehwag (Nawab of Nazafgarh).
Gurucharan Singh, a cricket coach, received the Padma Shri (2023) and the
Dronacharya Award (1987) for his
contributions to cricket.
Kapil Dev, the former Indian cricket team captain, was awarded the Padma Shri
(1982). Under his captaincy, India
won the World Cup in 1983. He also received the Padma Bhushan (1991), the Arjuna
Award for Cricket (1979),
and the C.K. Naidu Lifetime Achievement Award (2013).
The Men's Cricket World Cup started in 1975 with the inaugural tournament held in
England, won by the West
Indies.
The Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad is one of India's premier cricket
stadiums. Other notable
stadiums include Eden Gardens (Kolkata), Wankhede Stadium (Mumbai), HPCA
International Cricket
Stadium (Dharamshala), Ekana Cricket Stadium (Lucknow), and Arun Jaitley Cricket
Stadium (New Delhi).
In Test cricket, a team can play a minimum of 90 overs in a day, with matches
lasting five days and consisting of
two innings per team. The first Test match was played between Australia and England
in 1877.
Cricket became an international game with the formation of the Imperial Cricket
Conference (ICC) in 1909,
renamed the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 1989. Its headquarters are in
Dubai.
The first ICC T20 Cricket World Cup was held in 2007 in South Africa, with India as
the host. India won the
inaugural edition under Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The ODI Men's World Cup has been won
by India twice (1983
and 2011).
The shape of a basketball court is rectangular, while cricket is played on a
circular field. The length of a cricket
pitch is 22 yards.
In cricket, the Strike Rate refers to the average number of runs a batter makes per
100 deliveries, and the Batting
Average is the total number of runs divided by the total number of innings in which
the batsman was out. The
Economy Rate measures the average number of runs conceded per over by a bowler, and
the Run Rate is the
average number of runs scored in an over.
The first Test cricket captain of independent India was Lala Amarnath, who led
India in their first Test series
against Pakistan in 1952.
Sachin Tendulkar has featured in the most number of international cricket matches
among Indian cricketers, with
664 matches and 34,357 runs scored.
The highest individual score in T20 International cricket is 175 not out by Chris
Gayle against Pune Warriors
India in the 2013 IPL.
The Big Bash League (BBL) is a T20 cricket competition in Australia, alongside
other major T20 leagues like the
Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
The term 'Pinch Hitter' refers to a batsman sent in to bat in a crucial situation,
usually to score quickly. 'Leg bye',
'Beamer', and 'Chinaman' are among the terms used in cricket.
Rahul Dravid is known as ‘The Wall’ in cricket, and Harmanpreet Kaur is an Indian
cricketer who plays for the
Indian women’s cricket team, receiving the Arjuna Award for Cricket in 2017.
Alan Burgess, a New Zealand first-class cricketer and WWII veteran, became the
world's oldest living first-class
cricketer in June 2020.
The Maharaja of Vizianagaram was the first Indian cricketer to serve as President
of the Board of Control for
Cricket in India (BCCI).
In cricket, the fielding position behind the batsman is known as the first slip.
The average circumference of a standard cricket ball is between 8.81 inches and 9
inches. The ball weighs
between 5.5 and 5.75 ounces.
The term 'Straight drive' is related to cricket. Other cricket terms include Cover,
Yorker, Silly Point, Gully, and
Long On.

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91
Kapil Dev scored the most runs for India in the 1983 Cricket World Cup, amassing
303 runs in eight innings,
including a high score of 175 not out against Zimbabwe.
The Pro Kabaddi League features the Telugu Titans among its teams.
For the motor development of a student, activities like playing cricket, joining a
dance class, or attending yoga
sessions are recommended over helping the visually challenged.

•
•
•

Alan Burgess, a New Zealand cricketer, became the world’s oldest living first-class
cricketer in June 2020.

IPL
•
Full Form: IPL stands for Indian Premier League; it is a twenty-20 cricket
tournament played by the cricket
players from all over the world. BCCI is responsible for arranging and managing the
IPL .
•
There are players from different countries made to play for one team, depending on
the performance the teams
will qualify for semi-finals and then Final.

IPL Winners from 2008 to 2024

Year

Winner

Runner-Up

2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)

Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
Gujarat Titans (GT)
Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
Mumbai Indians (MI)
Mumbai Indians (MI)
Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
Mumbai Indians (MI)
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
Mumbai Indians (MI)
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
Mumbai Indians (MI)
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
Deccan Chargers
Rajasthan Royals

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)

Gujarat Titans (GT)
Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
Delhi Capitals (DC)
Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS)
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)
Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
Kings XI Punjab (KXIP)
Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)
Mumbai Indians (MI)
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)
Chennai Super Kings (CSK)

Important PYQs
•
The average circumference of the standard cricket ball in international cricket
8.81 inches-9 inches
•
Salix purpurea wood or white willow wood is used in making cricket bat.
•
The First Cricket Test match was play on the 15 March 1877.
•
The china man style of bowling in cricket has been named after a West Indies bowler
of Chinese origin.
•
In 1987 India and Pakistan jointly host the tournament and the first-time game were
reduced from 60 to 50
over.
•
The Indian cricket team made its Test cricket debut in 1932 and has since advanced
to be among the top four
test teams in the ICC rankings in each of 2005 to 2008. The team won the ODI
Cricket World Cup in 1983 and 2011
and three times enter in the ICC Men's world cup finals.
•
GS Lakshmi is the first Indian woman to be appointed as a match referee for the
International Cricket Council
(ICC).
•
Kapil Dev was the captain of the Indian cricket team when they won the Cricket
World Cup in 1983.
•
The Indian team has won the ICC Under-19 World Cup a record five times (2000, 2008,
2012, 2018, 2022).
•
The lunch interval in a Test match lasts for 40 minutes.

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92
•
Yuvraj Singh (India), Herschelle Gibbs (South Africa), and Kieron Pollard (West
Indies) are the only players to
hit six sixes in a single over in international cricket.
•
The height of the stumps in cricket is 28 inches.
•
Joe Root hasn't scored a double century in his 100th test match (as of July 25,
2024). Sachin Tendulkar holds
the record for the youngest player to debut in a Test match, playing for India in
Karachi at the age of 16.
•
Afghanistan created history in their second T20 International against Ireland by
achieving the highest ever T20
total at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Dehradun, Uttarakhand
(date not confirmed, but likely after
2019).
•
India defeated Australia in the 2011 World Cup Quarter Final.
•
CSK is the abbreviation for the IPL franchise cricket team, Chennai Super Kings.
•
Lalit Modi was the founder and first chairman and commissioner of the Indian
Premier League (IPL).
•
If the wicket-keeper's helmet is placed on the ground and the batsman's strike hits
the helmet, a five-run
penalty is awarded to the batting team.
•
United Arab Emirates hosted the Asia Cup 2022 for Cricket.
•
India won the Women's T20 Asia Cup 2022 for Cricket.
•
The Duckworth-Lewis method is used in cricket to set a revised target score when a
limited-overs match is
interrupted by rain or other factors.
•
Sri Lanka won the Men's T20 Asia Cup 2022 for Cricket.
•
Mark Wood, Jonny Bairstow, and Stuart Broad are all English cricketers.
•
Silly point, slip, and gully are fielding positions in cricket.
•
Stuart Broad was hit for six sixes in an over by Indian batsman Yuvraj Singh during
the 2007 T20 World Cup
match held in South Africa.
•
India hosted the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in 2023 (not 2022).
•
South Africa hosted the ICC Women's T20 World Cup in 2023.
•
India had not won the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup as of July 25, 2024.
•
The ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2022 was held in New Zealand.
•
Pat Cummins was the Player of the Match in the final of the 2023 Men's Cricket
World Cup.
•
South Africa will host the first edition of the ICC Women's Under-19 Cricket World
Cup in January 2023 (date
might be subject to change).
•
The minimum over rate in a Test match is 15 overs per hour.
•
In cricket, when the umpire raises their index finger above their head, it
signifies the batsman is out

HOCKEY

•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Origin: England.
International Governing Body: Federation of International Hockey
Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland
Founded: 7 January 1924,
President: Tayyab Ikram
Membership: 137 National Associations
Indian Hockey Federation: 1925

List of Men’s Hockey World Cup

Year

Winner

Runner-up

Host Country

1971
1973
1975
1978
1982

Pakistan
Netherlands
India
Pakistan
Pakistan

Spain (originally Pakistan)

Netherlands
Malaysia
Argentina
India

1986
1990
1994
Australia
Netherlands
Pakistan

Spain
India
Pakistan
Netherlands
West
Germany
England
Pakistan
Germany

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England
Pakistan
Australia

93
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2023

Netherlands
Germany
Germany
Australia
Australia
Belgium
Germany

Spain
Australia
Australia
Spain
Netherlands
Netherlands
Belgium

Netherlands
Malaysia
Germany
India
Netherlands
India
India

Important PYQs

•
•
•

•
•
•
•

•
•

• Terminology: Penalty Corner

• SCOOP term is an aerial pass on the dribble from the left side of the field in
the field hockey. BULLY 16-yard
hit.
• Field hockey used to be restarted by 'Roll-in'. Roll in replaced in 1970 by the
'Push-in'.
• Penalty corner signal if the umpire points both arms horizontally towards the
goal, Back-stick'
• The Indian hockey team won the gold medal for the country in the 1928 Olympics.
Dhyan Chand was the
captain of the Indian hockey team at that time.
• Between 1928 and 1956, the Indian hockey team won six consecutive Olympic gold
medals, scoring 178 goals
in 24 consecutive matches, while conceding only 7 goals in their half.
• The members of the Olympic team were Richard Allen, Dhyan Chand, Michael Gately,
William GoodsirCullen, Leslie Hammond, Feroze Khan, Santosh Manglani, George
Marthins, Rex Norris, Broome Pinninger,
Michael Rocque, Frederick Seaman, Shaukat Ali, Jaipal Singh, Kher Singh Gill.
• Indian Hockey team winning streak ended in the 1960 Rome Olympics when the team
lost 0-1 to the Pakistan
Hockey team in the finals.
• Indian Hockey team again won gold medal in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and 1980
Moscow Olympics.
Indian Men's Hockey team was the winner of the Hockey World Cup in 1975 held in
Kuala Lampur, Malaysia.
The Indian Women's Hockey team won Gold medal in the 2002 Commonwealth Games held
in Manchester,
England.
Pritam Siwach, the former captain of the Indian women's hockey team, received the
BBC Lifetime Achievement
Award for her contributions to Indian sports. She has also been honored with the
Arjuna Award (1998) and the
Dronacharya Award (2021).
Rani Rampal is another notable hockey player who was awarded the Padma Shri (2020)
and the Major Dhyan
Chand Khel Ratna Award (2020). Vandana Katariya received the Padma Shri (2022) and
the Arjuna Award
(2021).
The Rangaswami Cup is associated with hockey, along with other notable cups like
the Agha Khan Cup and
Beighton Cup.
In hockey, a yellow card results in a player being sent off the pitch for 5
minutes.
Ice hockey features 6 players from each team on the ice at any one time and is
Canada’s national sport. The
McGill University Hockey Club, formed in 1880, was the first recognized team.
The standard weight of a hockey ball is between 156 grams and 163 grams. The hockey
pitch dimensions are 91.4
meters long and 55 meters wide, with the goal post being 2.14 meters high and 0.05
meters wide. Key hockey
terms include Cross, Dangerous Play, Drive, Flick, Penalty Stroke, and Tackle.
The Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium in Rourkela, Odisha, is the largest
hockey stadium in India,
with a seating capacity of 20,011 spectators. It was inaugurated on January 5,
2023, and recognized by the
Guinness Book of World Records. Other major hockey stadiums in India include the
Chandigarh Hockey
Stadium, Major Dhyan Chand Stadium (Delhi), and Mohali International Hockey Stadium
(Punjab).
In hockey, an umpire raising one arm horizontally signifies a Free hit.
The Corbillon Cup is awarded for the women's team event at the World Table Tennis
Championships. Other
notable cups in sports include the Ryder Cup in golf, and the Scindia Gold Cup and
Murugappa Gold Cup in
hockey.
The term 'Back-stick' refers to a penalty for hitting the ball with the rounded
back side of the stick. Other terms
include Bully, Circle, Drag Flick, and Green Card.

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94
Rani Rampal is the first woman hockey player to receive the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna
Award, which has since
been renamed the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. Major Dhyan Chand is famously
known as the
‘Wizard of Hockey’.
The 16-yard hit in hockey is awarded when a foul is committed inside the defense's
striking circle or when the ball
is hit over the backline by the opposing team.
The Beighton Cup, instituted in 1895, is the oldest hockey tournament in India.
Gurjit Kaur is an Indian field hockey player known for her role as a defender and
drag flicker, notably
representing India at the Hockey World Cup in 2018.
The Dhyan Chand Award, instituted in 2002, is India's highest honor for lifetime
achievement in sports and is
named after the legendary hockey player Dhyan Chand.
The Sultan of Johor Cup is an annual international under-21 men's field hockey
event held in Malaysia.

•
•
•
•
•

VOLLEYBALL
•
The game was first created by W. G. Morgan a physical instructor at the young men's
Christian association in
Holyoke, Massachusetts, USA in 1895
•
Volleyball is popular team sports that are played all around. The game involves two
team of six players each,
who competed against each other on a court divided by a net
•
International governing body: International Volleyball Federation
•
Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland.
•
Terminology: SMASHAR
•
The length of a Beach Volleyball court is 16 m Free Throw.

FOOTBALL

•
It originated in England, in 1857. The world's first football club, Sheffield
Football Club, was formed in
England.
•
Football was brought to India by the Britishers. The duration of this game is 90
minutes.
•
The first Indian Football club was the Dalhousie Club.
•
The apex body of football is FIFA, who’s headquartered is in Zurich (Switzerland).
•
FIFA was launched to oversee international completion among the national
associations of Belgium. Denmark,
France, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
President of FIFA: Glanti Infantino
•
The Indian super League (ISL) is a football championship. It is organized by All
India football federation
(AIFF) and their commercial partner football Sport Development limited.
•
Igor Stimac was the coach of the Indian men's football team at the intercontinental
cup 2019
•
The first World Cup of football took place in Uruguay in 1930 and was won by
Uruguay.
•
Brazil has won the maximum number of times in the Football World Cup.
•
The 2018 Football World Cup was held in Russia and 2022 Football World Cup was be
held in Qatar.
•
Football World Cup-2026 will be in held in Canada, USA and Mexico.
•
Terminology:
•
Penalty Kick, Goal, offside . 11 Meter is the distance of the penalty kicks from
the mid point of goal post.

FIFA World Cup 2022

•
It was the 22nd edition of the FIFA World Cup.
•
Host Country: Qatar
•
It was the first World Cup held In the Arab world and Muslim world.
•
This consisted of 32 teams participating.
•
Argentina won the FIFA World Cup, 2022.
•
Golden Boot: French player Kylian Mbappe won the Golden Boot as he scored most (8)
goals in the world cup.
•
Golden Ball: Argentine captain Lionel Messi was voted the tournament's best player,
winning the Golden Ball.
Messi won his second Golden Ball after 2014 as the best player of the tournament,
becoming the first player to receive
the award twice.

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•
Golden Glove: Emiliano Martinez from Argentina. won the Golden Glove. awarded to
the tournament’s best
goalkeeper.
•
Brazil ahs won the world cup maximum of five times.
•
Germany won the FIFA confederations cup 2017.

List of World Cup winners (FIFA)

Year

Winner

Runner-up

Host Country

1930

Uruguay

Argentina

Uruguay

1934

Italy

Czechoslovakia (now

Italy

Czech Republic)
1938

Italy

Hungary

France

1950

Uruguay

Brazil

Brazil

1954

West Germany

Hungary

Switzerland
1958

Brazil

Sweden

Sweden

1962

Brazil

Czechoslovakia (now

Chile

Czech Republic)
1966

England

West Germany

England

1970

Brazil

Italy

Mexico

1974

West Germany

Netherlands

West Germany

1978

Argentina

Netherlands

Argentina

1982

Italy

West Germany

Spain

1986
Argentina

West Germany

Mexico

1990

West Germany

Argentina

Italy

1994

Brazil

Italy

United States

1998

France

Brazil

France

2002

Brazil

Germany

South Korea & Japan (cohosted)

2006

Italy

France

Germany

2010

Spain

Netherlands

South Africa

2014

Germany

Argentina
Brazil

2018

France

Croatia

Russia

2022

Argentina

France

Qatar

Important PYQs
•
2022 FIFA Ul7 Women's World Cup to be held at three venues in three states.
•
Kalinga Stadium {Bhubaneswar). Fatorda Stadium (Goa) and DY Patil Stadium (Navi
Mumbai) are the
designsted venues.
•
FIFA U19 Women's World Cup 2022 be organized by India.
•
New Zealand and Australia will host the FIFA Women's Wotld Cup 2023.
1.

2.
3.

Cristiano Ronaldo is a famous Portuguese footballer. Other notable footballers

include Lionel Messi
(Argentina), Kylian Mbappe (France), Andres Iniesta (Spain), Zlatan Ibrahimovic
(Sweden), Radamel Falcao
(Colombia), Robin van Persie (Netherlands), Andrea Pirlo (Italy), and Sadio Mane
(Senegal).
The distance between football goal posts is 7.32 meters. A football match consists
of two halves of 45 minutes
each, with 11 players per team. The distance between the goal line and the penalty
spot is 12 yards.
A football match is played on a field measuring 105 meters × 68 meters. Key terms
include Attacker, Back Heel,
Back Pass, Bicycle Kick, Center Spot, Corner Flag, Corner Kick, Foul, and Free
Kick.

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4.

Real Madrid, a prominent Spanish football team, plays its home games at Santiago
Bernabeu Stadium in
Madrid, founded in 1902.
5.
The Indian Super League (ISL) is a professional football league in India,
established in 2014. It started with 11
teams and features various Indian cities.
6.
Manisha Kalyan is recognized as the first Indian female football player to
participate in the UEFA Women's
Champions League. She has received the AIFF Women's Emerging Footballer of the Year
(2020-21) and the
AIFF Women's Player of the Year (2022–23).
7.
The Durand Cup, an annual domestic football competition in India, was founded in
1888. The Mohun Bagan
team holds the most titles. Other notable football cups in India include the IFA
Shield, Federation Cup, Indian
Super League (ISL), and Santosh Trophy.
8.
The record for the most goals scored in a calendar year is held by Lionel Messi
with 91 goals in 2012.
9.
The 'Hat-trick' refers to scoring three goals in a single game, and 'Nutmeg' refers
to passing the ball through an
opponent's legs.
10. The Indian Football Association (IFA) was established in 1893, headquartered in
Kolkata. Calcutta FC was the
first football club in India, founded in 1872. The All India Football Federation
(AIFF) was formed in 1937.
11. Sunil Chhetri is the captain of the Indian national football team, the
country’s all-time top goalscorer, and the
most-capped player. He is the second Indian footballer to play 100 international
games, following Bhaichung
Bhutia.
12. Pele, known as 'The Black Pearl' and 'The King of Football', holds the record
for the most FIFA World Cup wins
by any player, with five titles.
13. FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) is the international
governing body for soccer. Founded
in 1904 and headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland, FIFA oversees international
competitions among national
football associations

TABLE TENNIS

•
Table Tennis, also known as Ping-Pong and Whiff-Whaff, is a racket sport.
•
Governing Body: the international table tennis federation.
•
Founded: 1926
•
President: Petra Sorling
•
Headquarters: Lausanne Switzerland
•
Founders: Ivor Montagu, William Henry Lewis
•
Terminology: Twiddle, Shake hand Grip, Volley
•
In Table Tennis unlimited serves are allowed in a row.
•
England is the originator of this game. Standard size of table tennis' table is :
Length 2.74 meters and width
1.52 meters.

SWIMMING

•
Swimming is recreation and sports, the propulsion of the body through water by
combined arm and leg
motions and the natural flotation of the body.
•
Swimming came into prominence with its inclusion in the modern Olympic Games from
their inception in
1896.
•
International Swimming Federation administers international competition and
development in all six FINA
aquatic disciplines: Swimming, Open Water Swimming, Diving, Water Polo, Artistic
Swimming and High Diving.
•
Terminology: Dolphin Kick; the motion that propels the swimmer forward underwater
after he dives in and at
the turns.
•
Tumble turn or flip turn; is associated with swimming and it used to revers to
direction in which the person is
swimming, Backstroke does NOT start with a dive into the pool from outside
•
FINA WORLD CHAMPAINSHIP (25m) 2022 was held at Melbourne Australia

BOXING
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97
•
Boxing is a sport in which two people fight with their fists. A boxing competition
is called a match, a fight, or a
bout. To win matches, a boxer needs courage and skill.
•
A boxer can win by knocking out the other boxer. Generally, bouts take place in a
"ring" that is 18 to 22 feet
(5.5 to 6.7 meters) square and surrounded by four strands of rope.
•
A referee is stationed inside the ring with the boxers and regulates the bout.
•
Governing body of international boxing:
•
The International Boxing Association
•
President: Umar Kremlev
•
Founded: 1946
•
Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland
•
Assam state was host second edition of the Indian open tournament. international
boxing
•
The Boxing are categorized into 3 Categories; Heavy Weight, Middle Weight and Light
Weight.
•
The age range for the Youth Boxer category
•
is 17-18 years.
•
In all AIBA Boxing competition, the rest time between each round is one minutes.
•
Terminology: Jab; is a type of quick punch that is used in boxing. (
•
Knockout and Knockdown
•
Bleeder

KHO-KHO

• This game is invented in Maharashtra.

• It is played by 12 nominated players of which 9 enter the field who sit on their
knees and 3 extra (defending
team) who try to avoid being touched by the member of the opposite team.
• Kho-Kho is a tag game of India,
• Asian Kho-Kho Federation was set up in the year 1987.

KABADDI

• Kabaddi is basically a combative sport, with seven players on each side; played
for a period of 40 minutes with a
5 minutes break (20-5-20).
• The core idea of the game is to score points by raiding into the opponent's court
and touching as many defense
players as possible without getting caught on a single breath.
• Payel choudhary was the captain of the Indian women Kabaddi team That Won Silver
at the 2018 Asian Games.

BILLIARDS

• Simply known as Billiards is a cue sport.

• It was originated in Great Britain
• This game is played using two white balls (one white ball and one spotted white
ball or yellow ball) and a red
object ball and a stick called a cue is used to strike the balls
• The global governing body of English Billiards is World Professional Billiards
and Snooker Association
(WPBSA) for professionals and International Billiards & Snooker Federation (IBSF)
for amateur players.

SHOOTING
•
•
•
•
•
•

Shooting is an Olympic sport. Shooting accuracy is a skill that competitors compete

in.
Pneumatic and firearms were used.
Russia is home to the world's largest practical shooting club
Governing body for shooting: International Shooting Sport Federation
Headquarters: Munich, Germany
Founded: 1907

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98
•

The ISSF Junior World Cup 2022 was held in Germany

ATHLETICS
• Athletics is a group of sporting events that involves competitive running,
jumping, throwing, and walking.
• The most common types of athletics competitions are track and field, road
running, cross country running, and
race-walking, mountain running and ultra-running.
• Governing body: World Athletics
• Formation: 12 July 1912
• Headquarters: Monaco
• President: Sebastian Coe
• In Triple Jump, white flag indicates: trail is valid
• The sheets Printed with number used to identify each runner in a race is called
bib number.

GOLF
• Golf is a precision and accuracy sport which is played by striking a ball using
clubs into a series of holes on a
golf course in as few strokes as possible.
• The game is often played on a course with an 18-hole progression; however,
leisure courses can be short,
commonly with nine holes.
• Each hole on the course must have a teeing ground to begin. with, as well as a
putting green with the actual
hole or cup 4+14 inches (11 cm) in diameter.
• The major tournament for golf is The Masters Tournament, U.S. Open Championship.
The Open
Championship and U.S. PGA Championship.
• The governing body for international golf: International Golf federation
• Founded: 1958
• Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland
• President: Annika Sörenstam
• Terminology of golf Short Fried Egg. Shank Pull, Albatross, Chunk, Greenie, Green
in Regulation,
Sandbagging, Playing it "Up" or "Down", Lip Out, Slice, Hook, Fade, Draw, Up and
Down, Birdie, Par, Putt,
Address, Bridge), Eagle, Albatross, Address
• Royal Calcutta Golf club Kolkata is the oldest golf course outside the United
Kingdom

POLO
•
It is generally believed that Polo originated in Persia (Iran) but some people
believe that Polo was originated in
Manipur, India.
•
The first international polo competition took place in 1886, when the United States
competed unsuccessfully
for the Westchester Cup against the English, who were at the time the uncontested
world champions.
•
Governing body of Polo in India: Indian Polo Association
•
Founded: 1892
•
Headquarters: B Squadron 61 Cavalry, Cantonment New Delhi

BASKETBALL
•
Basketball began with its invention in 1891 in Springfield, Massachusetts by
Canadian physical Naismith
education instructor James
•
Governing body: Basketball Federation the International
•
Headquarters: Mies, Switzerland
•
Formation: 18 June 1932
•
Founded at: Geneva, Switzerland
•
President: Hamane Niang
•
Members: 212 national federations
•
Secretary General: Andreas Zagklis

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99
•
Terminology of Basketball: Cherry Picking,
•
Pitcher
•
The Basketball center line is part of the back court
•
Pivoting
•
A FIBA sanctioned game of basketball typically consists of 4 quarters of 10 minutes
each.
•
Japan, Indonesia, Philippines will host the 2023 FIBA basketball World Cup
•
In March 2019, K. Govindaraj has been unanimously re-elected as president of the
Basketball Federation of
India (BFI).
•
Sim Bhullar has become first player of Indian Descent to Play in NBA Game.
•
United State of America won the (FIBA) women's basketball world cup 2022.

BADMINTON
•
Badminton was earlier known as Poona or Poonah when British Army officers started
playing the game at Pune
in 1860.
•
Governing body: The World Badminton Federation (WBF)
•
Headquarters Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
•
Members 198 member associations
•
President Poul-Erik Hoyer Larsen
•
Badminton Association of India: 1934
•
Men's Team World Badminton Championship "Thomas Cup" was first held in 1948
•
Women's Team World Badminton Championship "Uber Cup" was first held in 1956-1957.
•
Sudirman Cup is a World Mixed Team Badminton Championship, which was first held in
1989.
•
The Individual Championship World started Badminton 1956. Badminton is played as a
singles, doubles or
mixed doubles game with one or two players on a side.
•
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has launched two new formats of badminton game
namely, Air
Badminton and Triples.
•
The All England Championship, an international championship badminton, was first
held in 1899.
•
Black Card given to a badminton player during the game indicates Disqualification.
•
Yellow card in badminton indicates warning for misconduct.
Badminton Court Dimensions & Size
•
The overall dimensions of a standard badminton court dimension are 44 feet by 20
feet. The lines of these 20
feet by 44 feet is there for doubles matches and the long service lines are there
for singles matches.
•
Badminton is racquets sport played using racquets· to hit a shuttlecock across net.

Baseball
•
It is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking
turns batting and fielding.
•
A baseball game is played between two teams, each usually composed of nine players
that take turns playing
offense.
•
Governing Body: World Baseball Confederation
•
Founded : 2013
•
President: Riccardo Frascati
•
Headquarter: Pully, Switzerland
•
Terminology: Strikeout

FUTSAL
•
Futsal is a football-based game played on a hard court like a basketball court,
smaller than a football pitch, and
mainly indoors. It has similarities to five-a-side football and indoor football.
Futsal is played between two teams of
five players each, one of whom is the goalkeeper

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

CHESS

•
•
•

This game is a gift from India.

FIDE is the apex body of the game.
There are 64 squares made in chess.

MARATHON RUNNING

Its distance is 26 miles, 385 yards or 42.195 km .

FORMULA-1 RACING
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Originated from European Grand Prix Motor Racing of the 1920s and 1930s
Governing body: Fédération Internationale de automobile (FIA)
Headquarters: Paris, France
Number of teams: 10 (as of 2024)
FIA President: Mohammed Ben Sulayem
Officially inaugurated in 1950
First World Drivers' Championship held in 1950
World Constructors' Championship introduced in 1958
Commercial rights managed by Formula One Group, owned by Liberty Media
Races called "Grands Prix" held on purpose-built circuits or public roads
Typical season consists of 20-24 races
Most prestigious race: Monaco Grand Prix
Black flag with car number indicates disqualification
Black and white diagonal flag indicates warning for unsportsmanlike behavior
Drivers' and Constructors' World Championships awarded annually
Points system awards points to top 10 finishers in each race
"Halo" safety device mandatory since 2018
Circuit types: Permanent, street, and temporary
Race weekend format: Friday (two practices), Saturday (practice and qualifying),
Sunday (race)
Qualifying format: Q1 (18 min), Q2 (15 min), Q3 (12 min)
Race distance: Typically, 305 km or 2 hours, whichever comes first
Mandatory use of at least two different tire compounds during a race
DRS (Drag Reduction System) for overtaking
Parc fermé rules after qualifying
Safety Car and Virtual Safety Car procedures
Some races feature sprint format
Fastest lap point awarded (if finished in top 10)
Strict enforcement of track limits

TENNIS
•
England is the originator of this game.
•
The International Tennis Federation (ITF), the supreme body of tennis, was
established in Paris in 1913.
•
The Australian Open, Wimbledon, French Open and American Open are the four Grand
Slam events of the
year.
•
FRENCH OPEN: It is played on red clay court.
•
WIMBLEDON: It is played on green grass.
•
There are four Grand Slam Tennis tournaments in tennis, as follows:
•
Australian Open held in mid-January every year. Rafael Nadal won the men's singles
title at the Australian
Open 2022. Ashleigh Barty won the women's singles title at the Australian Open
2022.
•
The French Open (also known as the Roland Garros Grand Slam) is played on clay
courts, held in Paris from
late May to early June. Iga Swiatek of Poland won the Women's singles title at
French Open 2022. Rafael Nadal of
Spain won the men's singles title at French Open 2022.

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101
•
Wimbledon is the oldest tournament in the world, held annually in June-July in
England. Novak Djokovic won
the Men's Singles title at Wimbledon 2022.
•
US Open is held in August-September. Forest Hills was the former venue of US Open.
Carlos Alcaraz of Spain
won men's singles title at US Open 2022. Iga Swiatek of Poland won the Women's
singles title at US Open 2022.
•
The chronological order of major tennis tournaments is: Australian Open, French
Open, Wimbledon, U.S.
Open.
•
Roger Federer, a Swiss professional tennis player, set a record with eight
Wimbledon titles and five consecutive
US Open titles. Switzerland also minted a coin in his honor. After winning
Australian Open 2018, the total number
of Grand Slam Men's singles titles won by Roger Federer was 20. He has won the
maximum number of Grand Slam
tournaments in men's tennis.
•
Rafael Nadal, a Spanish tennis player, is known as the "King of Clay."
•
The first Wimbledon Championship was held in 1877.
•
Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi, in 1999, reached the finals of all four Grand
Slams, winning Wimbledon
and French Open, thus becoming the first Indians to win a doubles event at a Grand
Slam.

IMPORTANT CUPS OF VARIOUS SPORTS

Game

Cup/ Trophy

Football

Begum Hazrat Mahal Cup Bilt Cup, Bordoloi Trophy, Colombo Cup, Confederation Cup,
D.C.M. Trophy, Durand Cup, Rovers Cup, B.C. Rai Trophy (National Competition), FIFA
World Cup, Santosh Trophy, Subroto Mukherjee Cup, Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee Trophy,
Todd Memorial Trophy
Ranji Trophy, Irani Trophy, Duleep Trophy, C.K. Naidu Trophy, Deodhar Trophy,
Rohinton
Baria Trophy, Cooch Behar Trophy, Sharjah Cup, Ashes Cup, Asia Cup, Benson & Hedges
Cup, Bose Trophy, Champions Trophy, Gavaskar Border Trophy, G.D. Birla Trophy,
Ghulam Ahmed Trophy, Interface Cup, Jawaharlal Nehru Cup, Rani Jhansi Trophy,
Rothmans Cup, Sahara Cup
Aga Khan Cup, Beighton Cup, Rangaswamy Cup, Begum Rasool Trophy (Women),
Maharaja Ranjit Singh Gold Cup, Lady Ratan Tata Trophy (Women), Guru Nanak Trophy
(Women), Dhyan Chand Trophy, Nehru Trophy, Sindhia Gold Cup, Sodhi Cup, Murugappa
Gold Cup, Wellington Cup
Olympian Challenger Cup, Asia Cup, Chadha Cup, Konica Cup, Narang Cup, Sophia Cup,
Thomas Cup, Tunku Abdul Rahman Cup, Uber Cup, Yonex Cup
Berna Bellack Cup (Men), Corbillion Cup (Women), Jai Lakshmi Cup (Women), Ramanuja
Trophy (Junior Men)
Cricket

Hockey

Badminton
Table
Tennis
Basketball

Golf

S. M. Arjuna Trophy, Todd Memorial Trophy, William Jones Cup, Bangalore Blues
Challenge Cup, Nehru Cup, Federation Cup
Erza Cup, Classic Cup, Prithi Pal Singh Cup, President's Cup, Winchester Cup, Radha
Mohan Cup
Ryder Cup, Walker Cup, Dunhill Cup, Murphy Cup, Nomura Trophy

Tennis

Davis Cup, Wimbledon, French Open, Hopman Cup, Grand Prix, Grand Slam

Chess

Naidu Trophy, Khaitan Trophy, Limca Trophy

Volleyball

Centennial Cup, Federation Cup, Indira Pradhan Trophy, Shivanthi Gold Cup

Bridge

Ruia gold Cup, Holkar Cup

Rowing

Wellington trophy

Rugby

European Championship cup or Heineken Cup

Polo

NATIONAL GAMES OF DIFFERENT COUNTRY

Country

National Game
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102
India
United States
France
Bhutan
Japan
Russia
Pakistan
Bangladesh
Hungary
Indonesia
South Africa
Iran
Cuba
South Korea
Norway
Spain
Canada
China
Scotland
England
Australia
Malaysia
Sri Lanka
Brazil
Nepal
Uruguay
Sweden
Mexico
New Zealand
Colombia
Mauritius

Field hockey
Baseball
Football
Archery
Judo
Bandy (Russian Hockey) / Chess
Hockey
Kabaddi
Water Polo
Badminton
Rugby Football
Wrestling
Baseball
Taekwondo
Cross Country Skiing
Man-bull fight
Ice Hockey
Table Tennis
Rugby Football / Golf
Cricket
Cricket
Badminton
Volleyball
Capoeira
Dandi-biyo (Before 2017) / Volleyball
Football
Football
Chararia
Rugby Union
Tejo
Football

IMPORTANT SPORTS AND NUMBER OF PLAYERS

Sport

Number of Players

Baseball

Polo

Kho-Kho

Hockey

11

Football

11

Cricket

11

Volleyball

Gymnastics

Snooker

Rugby Football

15

Water Polo

Kabaddi

7
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Netball

Basketball

Tennis/Table Tennis

1 or 2

Futsal

Kabaddi

Kho-Kho

Total 12 (9 in field)

IMPORTANT SPORTS AND NAME OF SPORT PLAYING AREAS

Sport

Playing Area

Common Name

Cricket
Tennis
Football (Soccer)
Basketball
Baseball
American Football
Ice Hockey
Golf
Swimming
Athletics (Track and Field)

Field
Court
Field
Court
Field
Field
Rink
Course
Pool
Track and Field
Stadium
Court
Court
Table
Ring
Mat
Floor, Apparatus
Rink
Lane
Court
Field
Track
Slope
Velodrome
Sheet

Stadium, Cricket Ground

Tennis Court
Stadium, Pitch
Basketball Court, Arena
Ballpark, Diamond
Stadium, Gridiron
Ice Rink, Arena
Golf Course
Swimming Pool, Natatorium
Track and Field Stadium

Volleyball
Badminton
Table Tennis
Boxing
Wrestling
Gymnastics
Figure Skating
Bowling
Squash
Rugby
Horse Racing
Skiing
Cycling (Track)
Curling

Volleyball Court
Badminton Court
Table Tennis Table
Boxing Ring
Wrestling Mat
Gymnasium
Ice Rink
Bowling Alley
Squash Court
Pitch, Rugby Ground
Racecourse, Hippodrome
Ski Resort, Piste
Velodrome
Curling Sheet

Dimensions of sports fields

Sport / Game
Badminton Singles
Badminton Doubles
Baseball
Billiards
Basket Ball
Durby Horse Race
Football Ground
Cricket

Dimensions of the field / ground

Full Width: 5.18 metres (17ft), Full Length: 13.4 metres (44ft)
Full Width: 6.1 metres (20ft), Full Length: 13.4 metres (44ft)
Diamond shape ground, Breadth – 127ft & Length – 90ft
Length – 10ft, Breadth – 5ft & Height – 3ft
85ft * 46ft
1.5 Miles/2.4 Km
300/390ft * 150/168ft
Breadth of Goal Post – 18ft, Height of Goal Post – 8ft
Perimeter of Ball – 27″/28″ & Time – 90 Minutes
Pitch – 22 Yards/66ft
Length of Bat – 30″ & Breadth of Bat – 4.25″

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Perimeter of Ball – 9″ & Height of the Stumps – 27″
Popping Creeze – 4ft
Field(Generally) – 150 mtr long & 137 mtr Broad
Hockey

Ground – 300ft * 165ft, Time – 60 minutes

Breadth of Goal Post – 12ft & Height of Goal Post – 7ft

Golf
Marathon
Polo
Lawn Tennis

Hole – 4.25″ Diameter & Weight of Ball – 1.5 Ounce

26 miles and 285 Yards
300 Yards * 200 yards
78ft * 28ft(Singles)
78ft * 36ft(Doubles)
Length – 9ft, Breadth – 6ft & Height – 2.5 ft

Table Tennis
Volley Ball
Water Polo

30ft * 30ft
30 Yards * 20 Yards

STADIUMS
•
The oldest cricket stadium in India is Eden Gardens Stadium which is located in
Kolkata.
•
It is the second largest stadium in India.
•
The largest cricket stadium in India and the world is Narendra Modi Stadium in
Ahmedabad with a capacity of
100,000. It is also called Motera Stadium.
•
World's highest cricket stadium is proposed in Sissu, Himachal Pradesh, which is
going to be named Lahaul
Cricket Stadium.
•
The largest hockey stadium in India is to be built in Rourkela, Orissa, which will
be named Birsa Munda
Stadium.
•
The Buddh International Circuit, located in Greater Noida, is the only Formula-1
race car track in India.
•
The largest indoor stadium in India is the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New
Delhi.

FAMOUS INDIAN STADIUMS

Stadium Name

Sports
City

Brabourne Stadium

Cricket

Mumbai

Wankhede Stadium

Cricket

Mumbai

Maulana Azad Stadium

Cricket

Jammu

Sawai Mansingh Stadium

Cricket

Jaipur

Sher-e-Kashmir Stadium

Cricket

Srinagar

Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk Stadium)

Cricket

Chennai

Ferozshah Kotla Stadium (New Name: Arun Jaitley

Cricket

New Delhi

Cricket

Ahmedabad

Cricket

Guwahati

Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium

Cricket

Hyderabad
Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium

Cricket

Hyderabad

Ekana Stadium (renamed as Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Cricket

Lucknow

Captain Roop Singh Stadium

Cricket

Gwalior

Madhavrao Sindhia Stadium

Cricket

Rajkot

Eklavya Stadium

Cricket

Agra

Budh International Circuit Stadium

Formula 1

Noida

Stadium)
Sardar Patel Stadium (New Name: Narendra Modi
Stadium)
Bhupen Hazarika Stadium (Barsapara Cricket
Stadium)

Stadium)

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105
Eden Gardens Stadium

Cricket

Kolkata

Green Park Stadium

Cricket

Kanpur

Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium

Cricket

Nagpur

Maharaja Bir Bikram Stadium

Cricket

Agartala

Dhyan Chand National Stadium

Hockey

Delhi

Chinnaswamy Stadium

Cricket

Bengaluru

Moin-ul-Haq Stadium

Cricket

Patna

Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket

Cricket

Raipur

Barkatullah Khan Stadium

Cricket

Jodhpur

Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium

Badminton

Panaji
Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium

Hockey

Rourkela

Salt Lake Stadium

Football

Kolkata

Birsa Munda Stadium

Athletics

Ranchi

Barabati Stadium

Cricket

Cuttack

Guru Gobind Singh Stadium

Athletics

Jalandhar

Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium

Cricket

Pune

Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium

Football (Kochi), Athletics (New

Kochi, New Delhi

Stadium

Delhi)
Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium

Athletics

Guwahati

Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium

Cricket

Dharamshala

❖
FAMOUS INTERNATIONAL STADIUM

Category Name

Location

Capacity/Length

Notable For

UEFA Leagues

Camp Nou

Barcelona, Spain

99,354

Santiago Bernabéu

Madrid, Spain

81,044

Old Trafford

Manchester, UK

74,140

Anfield

Liverpool, UK

53,394

Allianz Arena

Munich, Germany

75,000

Signal Iduna Park

Dortmund, Germany

81,365

San Siro

Milan, Italy

80,018

Juventus Stadium

Turin, Italy
41,507

Parc des Princes

Paris, France

47,929

All England Club

London, UK

14,979

Roland Garros

Paris, France

15,225

Arthur Ashe Stadium

New York, USA

23,771

Rod Laver Arena

Melbourne, Australia

14,820

Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Atlanta, USA

71,000

Dignity Health Sports Park

Carson, USA

27,000

Banc of California Stadium

Los Angeles, USA

22,000

Circuit de Monaco

Monaco

3.337 km

Silverstone Circuit

Silverstone, UK
5.891 km

Circuit de Spa-

Stavelot, Belgium

7.004 km

Grand Slam Tennis

MLS

F1 Tracks

Francorchamps

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Cricket

Monza Circuit

Monza, Italy

5.793 km

Suzuka Circuit

Suzuka, Japan

5.807 km

Lord's

London, UK

30,000

Melbourne Cricket

Melbourne, Australia

100,024

Lambeau Field

Green Bay, USA

81,441

AT&T Stadium

Arlington, USA

80,000

Ground
American Football

❖
Rank

TOP 10 LARGEST STADIUMS IN THE WORLD

Stadium

City

Country

Capacity

Sport(s)

Ahmedabad

India
132,000

Cricket

Pyongyang

North Korea

114,000

Football,

Name
1

Narendra Modi
Stadium

Rungrado 1st of
May Stadium

Athletics, Mass
Games

Michigan

Ann Arbor

United States

107,601

American

Stadium
4

Football

Beaver Stadium

State College

United States

106,572

American
Football

Ohio Stadium

Columbus
United States

102,780

American
Football

Kyle Field

College Station

United States

102,733

American
Football

Tiger Stadium

Baton Rouge

United States

102,321

American
Football

Neyland

Knoxville

United States

101,915

American

Stadium
9

Football

Darrell K Royal-

Austin

United States

100,119
American

Texas Memorial

Football

Stadium
10

Bryant-Denny

Tuscaloosa

United States

100,077

American

Stadium

Football

INDIAN SPORTS INSTITUTIONS

Institution

Full Name

Headquarters

Founded

Related Sport

SAI

Sports Authority of

New Delhi

1984

Multi-sport

New Delhi

1927

Multi-sport

India
IOA

Indian Olympic
Association
BCCI

(Olympics)

Board of Control for

Mumbai

1928

Cricket

Cricket in India

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AIFF

All India Football

Dwarka, New Delhi

1937

Football

Federation
HI

Hockey India

New Delhi

2009

Field Hockey

BAI

Badminton

New Delhi

1934

Badminton

New Delhi

1951

Shooting

New Delhi

1967

Wrestling

New Delhi

1926

Table Tennis

New Delhi

1920

Tennis

New Delhi

2016
Boxing

New Delhi

1946

Athletics

New Delhi

1935

Weightlifting

New Delhi

1960

Sailing

New Delhi

1919

Multi-sport (Armed

Association of India
NRAI

National Rifle
Association of India

WFI

Wrestling Federation
of India

TTFI

Table Tennis
Federation of India

AITA

All India Tennis

Association

BFI

Boxing Federation of
India

AFI

Athletics Federation
of India

IWLF
Indian Weightlifting
Federation

YAI

Yachting Association
of India

SSCB

Services Sports
Control Board

Forces)

NICKNAME OF SPORTS PERSONALITIES

Nickname

Player

Sport

Hockey ka Jadugar

Major Dhyanchand

Hockey

Flying Sikh

Milkha Singh

Athletics

Udanpari / Golden Girl

P.T. Usha

Athletics

Super Mom

Mary Kom

Boxing

Lightning Kid

Vishwanathan Anand

Chess

Indian Express

Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi

Tennis (Doubles)

Little Master

Sunil Gavaskar

Cricket

Master Blaster

Vivian Richards, Sachin Tendulkar

Cricket

360 Degree

A.B. De Villiers

Cricket

Jumbo

Anil Kumble

Cricket

Bengal Tiger / Dada

Sourav Ganguly

Cricket

Jammy / The Wall / Mr. Reliable

Rahul Dravid

Cricket

Turbanator / Bhajji

Harbhajan Singh

Cricket

Captain Cool

Mahendra Singh Dhoni

Cricket

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Chilly

Rajy Vardhan Singh Rathore

Shooting

Pocket Dynamo

Kedar Jadhav

Cricket

Dhing Express

Hima Das

Athletics

Run Machine / Cheeku

Virat Kohli

Cricket

Haryana Hurricane

Kapil Dev

Cricket

The Iron Lady

Karnam Malleswari

Weightlifting

Flicker Singh

Sandeep Singh

Hockey

Hitman

Rohit Sharma

Cricket

Sultan of Multan

Virender Sehwag

Cricket

Gabbar

Shikhar Dhawan

Cricket
❖

IMPORTANT NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL

SPORTS PERSONALITIES
Player

Sport (Country)

Cristiano Ronaldo

Football (Portugal)

Lionel Messi

Football (Argentina)

Baichung Bhutia

Football (India)

Neymar

Football (Brazil)

Diego Maradona

Football (Argentina)

David Beckham

Football (England)

Zinedine Zidane

Football (France)

Sunil Chhetri

Football (India)

Pele

Football (Brazil)

Kaka

Football (Brazil)

Wayne Rooney

Football (UK)

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu

Football (India)

Alexia Putellas
Football (Spain)

Roger Federer

Tennis (Switzerland)

Sania Mirza

Tennis (India)

Rohan Bopanna

Tennis (India)

Andy Murray

Tennis (UK)

Andre Agassi

Tennis (USA)

Steffi Graf

Tennis (Germany)

Leander Paes

Tennis (India)

Mahesh Bhupathi

Tennis (India)

Rafael Nadal

Tennis (Spain)

Novak Djokovic

Tennis (Serbia)

Serena Williams

Tennis (USA)

Maria Sharapova

Tennis (Russia)

Ashleigh Barty

Tennis (Australia)

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P.V. Sindhu

Badminton (India)

Prakash Padukone

Badminton (India)

Sania Nehwal

Badminton (India)

Pullela Gopichand

Badminton (India)

Jwala Gutta

Badminton (India)

Suhas Yathiraj

Badminton (India)

Manish Narwal

Badminton (India)

Krishna Nagar

Badminton (India)

Manoj Sarkar

Badminton (India)

Geeta Phogat

Wrestling (India)

Bajrang Punia

Wrestling (India)

Yogeshwar Dutt

Wrestling (India)

Ravi Kumar Dahiya

Wrestling (India)

Vinesh Phogat

Wrestling (India)

Babita Phogat

Wrestling (India)
Sushil Kumar

Wrestling (India)

Deepak Punia

Wrestling (India)

Sakshi Malik

Wrestling (India)

Navjot Kaur

Wrestling (India)

Mary Kom

Boxing (India)

Bijendra Singh

Boxing (India)

Gaurav Bidhudi

Boxing (India)

Lovlina Borgohain

Boxing (India)

Shiva Thapa

Boxing (India)

Amit Panghal

Boxing (India)

Vikas Krishna

Boxing (India)

Poonam Yadav (Cricket)

Cricket (India)

Harmanpreet Kaur

Cricket (India)

Ravindra Jadeja

Cricket (India)

Ajay Thakur
Kabaddi (India)

Rahul Chowdhary

Kabaddi (India)

Jasveer Singh

Kabaddi (India)

Pradeep Narwal

Kabaddi (India)

Rajesh Narwal

Kabaddi (India)

Anup Kumar

Kabaddi (India)

Fouaad Mirza

Horse Racing (India)

Deepa Karmakar

Gymnastics (India)

Neeraj Chopra

Javelin Throw (India)

Sumit Antil

Javelin Throw (India)

Devendra Jhajharia

Javelin Throw (India)

Sundar Singh Gurjar (Javelin Throw)

Javelin Throw (India)

Tiger Woods

Golf (USA)

Jeev Milkha Singh

Golf (India)

Geet Sethi

Billiards (India)

Pankaj Advani
Billiards (Snooker) (India)

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Mirabai Chanu

Weightlifting (India)

Jeremy Lalrinnunga

Weightlifting (India)

Poonam Yadav (Weightlifting)

Weightlifting (India)

Karnam Malleswari

Weightlifting (India)

Bhavini Ben Patel

Table Tennis (India)

Yogesh Kathuniya

Discus Throw (India)

Singhraj Adhana

Shooting (India)

Avani Lekhra

Shooting (India)

Abhinav Bindra

Shooting (India)

Saurabh Chowdhary

Shooting (India)

Manu Bhaker

Shooting (India)

Gagan Narang

Shooting (India)

SPORTS AWARDS
MAJOR DHYAN CHAND KHEL RATNA AWARD (OLD NAME: RAJIV
GANDHI KHEL RATNA)
•
•

This award was started in 1991-92 and it was first received by Viswanathan Anand.
The prize money under this award is Rs 25 lakh.

•
First women to receive this award - Karnam Malleswari (1995)

DHYAN CHAND AWARD

•
•
•
lakh.

Dhyan Chand Award is the highest award given for lifetime achievement in the field
of sports.
This award was instituted in the year 2002.
The winner of this award is given a statue of Dhyanchand, a certificate, formal
dress and a cash prize of Rs 10

ARJUNA AWARD
•
•
•

This award was started in 1961.

Under this award, a cash prize of Rs 15 lakh is given.
It is given on the basis of the performance of the players for the last 3 years.

DRONACHARYA AWARD
•
•
•

This award was started in 1985.

Under this award, a prize money of Rs 15 lakh and a statue of Dronacharya is given.
This award is given only to the sports coaches for excellence in sports coaching.

RASHTRIYA KHEL PROTSAHAN PURASKAR

•
This award was instituted in 2009.
•
It recognizes contributions in sports development through corporate involvement and
sports welfare measures.
•
The award carries a trophy and a citation.
•
There are four categories for this award: Identification and Nurturing of
Budding/Young Talent,
Encouragement to Sports through Corporate Social Responsibility, Employment of
Sportspersons and Sports Welfare
Measures, and Sports for Development.
•
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy
•
This trophy was instituted in 1956-57.
•
It is awarded annually to the top overall performing university in inter-university
tournaments.
•
The award consists of a rolling trophy and a cash prize.

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111
•
•

The trophy is named after Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, India's first Education
Minister.
It is the highest honor given to an academic institution for achievements in
sports.

IMPORTANT SPORTS RELATED ACRONYMS

Acronym

Full Name

AAA
AAFLA
ALFF
BCCI
CCA
CCI
DLF
DSJA
ELFA
FCI
FIH
FHA
FLH
IAAF
IBA
IC
ICE
ICI
IFA
IOC
LAAF
LFB
LHW
LOC
LTA
MCC
NCC
NLTA
NIS
NS
OG
SAFA
SAI
SGFI
USOC
WB
WBF
WBC
WSC

Amateur Athletic Association

Amateur Athletics Federation of India
All India Football Federation
Board of Control for Cricket in India
Cricket Club of India
Cricket Control Board of India
Delhi Ladies Football Club
Delhi Sports Journalists Association
Federation Internationale de Football Association
Federation Cycling International
International Hockey Federation
Federation of Hockey Associations
Federation for International Hockey
International Association of Athletics Federations
International Boxing Association
International Cricket
Indian Cricket Council
Indian Cricket League
Indian Football Association
International Olympic Committee
International Amateur Athletic Federation
International Boxing Federation
Long Before Wicket
International Olympic Committee
Lawn Tennis Association
Marylebone Cricket Club
National Cadet Corps
National Lawn Tennis Association
National Institute of Sports
National Sports
Olympic Games
South Asian Football Association
Sports Authority of India
School Games Federation of India
United States Olympic Committee
World Boxing
World Boxing Federation
World Boxing Council
World Snooker Championship

IMPORTANT PRIZE MONEY

Championship

1st Place

2nd Place 3rd Place

Country

Olympics (individual events)

$37,500

$22,500

USA

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$15,000

112
Commonwealth Games

£30,000

£15,000

£7,500

England (2022)

Commonwealth Games

$20,000

$10,000

$7,500

India (2022)

Asian Games

$50,000

$25,000

$10,000

India (2023)

Asian Games

$236,000

$94,000

$47,000

China (2018)

South Asian Games

$3,000

$2,000

$1,000

India (2019)

Diamond League (athletics)

$30,000

$12,000

$7,000

N/A (standard)
FIFA World Cup (team prize)

$42 million

$30 million

$27 million

N/A (standard)

ICC Cricket World Cup (team prize)

$4 million

$2 million

$400,000

N/A (standard)

SOME OTHER IMPORTANT POINTS

•
Indian Premier League of franchise cricket started in 2008.
•
Claire Polasak became the first woman umpire to officiate in a men's test match.
•
Gagan Narang was given the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award for shooting in 2010.
•
Singapore hosted the first edition of the Summer Youth Olympic Games in 2010.
•
The term "bull's eye" is used in the shooting game.
•
Abhishek Yadav was appointed by AIFF (All India Football Federation) as its first
deputy general secretary in
January 2021.
•
Saikhom Mirabai Chanu was conferred with the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in
2018.
•
Football is officially the state sport of Goa.
•
Shandur, the world's highest polo ground, is located in Pakistan.
•
Mizoram state is giving industry status to sports activities.
•
Soccer legend Johan Cruyff belonged to the Netherlands.
•
The England professional club Chelsea is associated with football.
•
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was established in 1928, with
headquarters in Mumbai.
Roger Binny is the President as of October 2022.
•
The Lodha Committee recommended changes in the structure and working of the BCCI.
•
Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG), formerly known as Khelo India School Games (KISG),
are national level
multidisciplinary grassroots games held annually in January/February for two
categories: under-17 year's school students
and under-21 college students. The headquarters is in New Delhi.
•
The 3rd edition of Khelo India Youth Games was held in Guwahati, Assam.
•
The 4th edition of Khelo India Youth Games was held in Haryana in February 2022.
•
In the 4th Edition of Khelo India Youth Games 2022, Haryana topped the medal tally
with 137 medals (52
gold, 39 silver, 46 bronze). Maharashtra finished second with 125 medals, and
Karnataka finished third with 67 medals.
•
India's first Olympic Values Education Program (OVEP) was launched in Odisha.
•
The 5th edition of Khelo India Youth Games was held in eight cities in Madhya
Pradesh in February 2023.
•
Khelo India University Games 2020 were held in Odisha.
•
Khelo India University Games 2021 were hosted by Karnataka.
•
Haryana won the maximum number of medals in the inaugural 2018 edition of Khelo
India School Games.
•
The highest title in Judo is 10th Dan.
•
The world's first motor race occurred in France.
•
Oscar Carl Pistorius (South Africa) is popularly known as the "Blade Runner."
•
Arunima Sinha is the first female amputee to climb Mount Everest.
•
Scuba diving players must have knowledge of Pascal's law.
•
Tiger Woods is associated with American golf.
•
Assam Rifles Public School, Shillong is the first Khelo India Sports School in
North East India.
•
16-year-old Arjun Vajpayee from Uttar Pradesh became the youngest Indian to
successfully climb Mount
Everest on May 22, 2010.
•
The 7th CISM Military World Games 2019 were held in Wuhan, China.
•
Ashwini Akkunji was the first Indian to be banned for using anabolic steroids in
Olympic games.
•
Telugu Titans is a Kabaddi Team based in Visakhapatnam and Hyderabad that plays in
the Pro Kabaddi
League.

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113
•
In the 2017 Pro Kabaddi League, Nitin Tomar played for Jaipur Pink Panthers.
•
Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Pune was constructed in 1994 for the
National Games.
•
Wes Morgan captained the Premier League team Leicester City, Romelu Lukaku played
for Manchester United,
and France hosted the 2017 Davis Cup.
•
Sri Lanka is the first South Asian country to call match-fixing a crime.
•
The term "Time trial" is associated with cycling.
•
Rahul Bose is an Indian movie star associated with the Indian rugby team.
•
Esow Alben is an Indian teen cyclist who created history by winning the country's
maiden medal in track
cycling at the world level in 2018.
•
The First South Asian Games were hosted by Kathmandu, Nepal in 1983.
•
Cricket has not been played at the Olympics since 1900.
•
The Golden Slam or Golden Grand Slam is a term created in 1988 when Steffi Graf won
all four Grand Slam
tournaments and a gold medal in tennis at the Summer Olympics in the same calendar
year.
•
The International Kabaddi Federation was founded in 2004. It is the international
governing body of Kabaddi.
•
The Sultan of Johor Cup is an annual, international under-21 men's field hockey
tournament held in Malaysia.
•
Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy was founded in 2008 in Hyderabad. Gopichand was
the chief national
coach of the Indian badminton team as of June 2019.
•
The first Winter Paralympics Games were held in 1976 in Sweden.
•
Tenpins refers to the game of bowling.
•
Atanu Bhattacharya was a football goalkeeper for the Indian national football team
in the 1980s.
•
In the 30th Summer Olympics 2012 held in London, India won a total of 6 medals: 2
silver and 4 bronze.
•
The height of the goal post in netball is 10 feet.
•
Rhythmic gymnastics, Artistic gymnastics, and Trampoline gymnastics are Olympic
events.
•
In 1979, the Asian Wrestling Championships were organized by the Asian Associated
Wrestling Committee
(AAWC) for the first time in Japan.
•
Kitakyushu, Japan is the place where the World Artistic Gymnastics Championship was
held.
•
Japan has the most Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup titles.
•
The Badminton World Federation imposed a 5-year ban on Russian shuttler Nikita
Khakimov.
•
Players who stop dribbling in handball have to pass or shoot within 3 seconds.
•
The World Para Athletics Grand Prix 2022 was held in Dubai.
•
India hosted the 2023 Men's FIH Hockey World Cup.
•
The word "calibre" is related to shooting sports.
•
The word "LONA" is related to kabaddi games.
•
Boat races in Kerala are a special feature of the Onam festival.
•
India won the first-ever South Asian Regional Badminton Team Championship by
defeating Nepal.
•
Surya Namaskar is a sun salutation where 12 steps are followed.
•
FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup 2020 was hosted in India.
•
Ishwar Sharma was honored with the Global Child Prodigy Award 2020 for yoga.
•
India finished the year 2019 as the top shooting nation in the world as per the
International Shooting Sport
Federation (ISSF).
•
New Zealand defeated India in the semi-final of the ICC One Day International
Cricket World Cup 2019.
•
India and Russia were declared joint winners of the 2020 Online FIDE Chess
Olympiad.
•
Alan Burgess was a New Zealand first-class cricketer and World War II veteran.
•
India hosted the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup 2022, with the opening match played
between Morocco and
Brazil.

Important Sports PYQ

•

In fencing, a contest between two fencers is known as a Bout. The three disciplines
of modern fencing are foil,
epee, and saber. Key moves include the Lunge (a basic attacking move), Parry (a
defensive action to block an
opponent's lunge), Riposte (a counterattack after a successful parry), and Remise
(a follow-up attack after an initial
one fails).

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•

•
•

•
•

•
•
•

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

In lawn tennis, the width of the court for double matches is 36 feet. Key terms in
lawn tennis include Ace,
Advantage, Deuce, Backspin, Deep, Double Bagel, Groundstroke, and Approach Shot.
The size of a single
match court is 78 feet in length and 27 feet in width.
The term 'tackle point' is associated with Kabaddi. Kabaddi terminology includes
All-out, Ankle hold, Bonus
line, Frog Jump, and Lona.
Korfball is the only sport specifically designed to be played by participants of
both genders simultaneously. Each
team consists of 4 men and 4 women, divided into attacking and defending divisions.
The goal is to score by
throwing the ball through a basket that is 3.5 meters high.
The 'Glide Technique' is used in Shot Put. Sports terminology includes Freestyle,
Bridge Out, and Breakdown
in wrestling, and Snatch and Jerk in weight lifting.
The term 'Dressage' is associated with Equestrian sports. Indian equestrians
include Fouaad Mirza, Imtiaaz
Anees, Indrajit Lamba, Darya Singh, and Jitendarjit Singh Ahluwalia. Equestrian
terminology includes Amble,
Bascule, Buck, Eventing, Forging, Gait, and Gallop. Polo terminology includes Neck
Shot, Bump, Chukka, and
Bowl-in. Rugby terminology includes Drop Goal, Ankle Tap, Advantage Line, Ball
Back, and Blitz Defence.
Water Polo terminology includes Dead Time, Double Post, and Dry Pass.
In the decathlon, the Discus Throw is not an event on the first day. The men’s
decathlon events on Day 1 are 100
meters running, Long Jump, Shot Put, High Jump, and 400 meters running. Day 2
includes 110 meters
hurdles, Discus Throw, Pole Vault, Javelin Throw, and 1500 meters running. The
women’s decathlon events on
Day 1 are 100 meters running, Discus Throw, Pole Vault, Javelin Throw, and 400
meters running. Day 2
includes 100 meters hurdles, Long Jump, Shot Put, High Jump, and 1500 meters
running.
In 100 meters women’s hurdles, the distance between the hurdles is 8.50 meters. For
sprint hurdle races, the first
hurdle is 13 meters from the starting line. In long hurdle events, the first hurdle
is 45 meters from the starting line,
with a distance of 35 meters between hurdles.
Powerlifting events include Squats, Bench Press, and Deadlift. Other sports events
include Swimming (Freestyle,
Butterfly, Backstroke), Athletics (Relay, Hurdles, Shot Put, High Jump), Cycling
(Sprint, Time Trial, Track Race,
Point Race), Shooting (Rapidfire Pistol, Standard Rifle, Free Pistol, Air Rifle,
Range, Bull’s Eye), and Weight
Lifting (Jerk, Snatch).
The first official compilation of volleyball rules was published by the YMCA in the
United States. This compilation
was authored by William G. Morgan, who also invented the game of volleyball in
1895.
The Bhimrao Ambedkar Multipurpose Stadium is situated in Faizabad.
The Thomas Cup, an important event in badminton, is a biennial tournament. The
first Thomas Cup was held in
the 1948-49 season, and it was won by Malaya. India's men's badminton team secured
their first Thomas Cup title
in 2022.
The Olympic flag features five rings, a design created by Pierre de Coubertin in
1913. These rings are colored
blue, yellow, black, green, and red on a white field.
In volleyball, a set lasts 25 points, including the fourth set.
The Sports Authority of India, which is the apex body for sports promotion in the
country, was established in
1984.
The National Sports University, located in Imphal, Manipur, was inaugurated on
March 16, 2018.
A marathon covers a distance of 42.195 kilometers. This distance was standardized
in 1921.
The Khelo India Winter Games commenced in 2020, with events held in Leh (Ladakh)
and Gulmarg (Jammu
and Kashmir).
The 35th National Games in 2015 were held in Kerala. Kerala had previously hosted
the National Games in 1987
as well.
The FTX Crypto Cup is associated with chess, a sport that features various cups and
trophies.
In kabaddi, the Attack line is not a term used. Related lines include the Baulk
line, Bonus line, and End line.
The Nehru Trophy boat race is organized in Kerala, specifically on the Punnamada
lake near Alappuzha.
Dibyendu Barua is India's second Grandmaster in chess, following Viswanathan Anand.
Powerlifting includes the Deadlift as one of its primary styles, alongside the
squat and bench press.
Wimbledon is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, dating back to 1877. It is
held from late June to early
July and is considered the most prestigious grass court Grand Slam tournament. The
US Open started in 1881, the
French Open in 1891, and the Australian Open in 1905.

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Mahendra Singh Dhoni is nicknamed 'Captain Cool'. Other Indian sports figures with
notable nicknames
include Sachin Tendulkar (Master Blaster), Mary Kom (Magnificent Mary), and Milkha
Singh (Flying Sikh).
The first Field Handball World Championships were held in Germany in 1938, with
only four teams
participating: Germany, Austria, Sweden, and Denmark. Germany won the championship.
P Harikrishna was the first Indian to win the under-10 World Chess Championship in
1996. He became the
youngest grandmaster from India in 2001 and has won several championships.
A standard chessboard has 32 white squares.
The National Anti-Doping Bill, 2021, targets the sports sector in India. The
National Anti-Doping Agency
(India) was formed in 2005 to address doping in sports.
Shuttlecock is required in badminton. Rules of badminton include Love (a score of 0
points), Set (a match
consists of the best of 3 sets), Rally (a sequence of shots starting with the
serve), Clear (a shot hit high and deep),
Drop Shot (a shot hit softly and close to the net), Smash (a powerful downward
shot), and Fault (an illegal shot).
Formula One is an international level professional auto racing sport. It is the
highest class of international racing
for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars.
Judo originated from the ancient Japanese art of Ju-jitsu. Kano Jigoro invented
Judo in 1882, emphasizing throws,
joint locks, and pins for self-defense and personal development.
The Davis Cup is related to men's tennis. Other tennis-related cups include the
Wimbledon Trophy and the
Wightman Cup for women.
The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy is a T20 tournament, and the Vijay Hazare Trophy is a
50-over tournament. The
Vijay Hazare Trophy began in 1993-94 and is named in honor of Vijay Hazare.
In AIBA Boxing Junior Boys and Girls Competitions, the bouts consist of each round
being 2 minutes long. A
standard boxing ring is between 16 and 24 feet to a side between the ropes.
In Table Tennis, there is no limit to the number of lets allowed in a row on a
serve.
In AIBA Boxing competitions, the rest time between each round is 1 minute. AIBA
Boxing consists of three
rounds of three minutes for men and four rounds of two minutes for women.
In tennis, a complete set score is 6-4. A tennis match is played in points, games,
and sets, with a set won by the first
side to win six games with at least a two-game margin.
The age range for the Youth Boxer category is 17-18 years.
The weight range for lightweight boxers in AIBA Boxing is 57-60 kg.
The record for the most consecutive wins in Formula One is held by Alberto Ascari
with 9 consecutive wins.
In basketball, the term ‘Rebound’ refers to the act of catching the ball after a
missed shot attempt. Rebounds are
categorized into offensive and defensive rebounds.
In the Indian Premier League (IPL), teams play a total of 14 matches during the
group stage, with each team
playing against every other team twice.
The weight limit for the Heavyweight boxing division is over 200 lbs (90.72 kg).
In Polo, a 'Chukker' refers to a period of play, with each match consisting of six
chukkers. Other terms include
Mallet, Goal, and Polo Pony.
The Ryder Cup is a biennial men's golf competition between teams from Europe and
the United States.
The oldest golf tournament is The Open Championship, also known as The British
Open.
The World Series is the championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the
United States.
In badminton, the term 'Love' denotes a score of zero.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) was established in 1999 to promote and
coordinate the global fight
against doping in sports.
The Khelo India Youth Games are an annual multi-sport event in India, aiming to
promote sports and discover
young talent.
The record for the most goals in a World Cup tournament is held by Just Fontaine of
France, who scored 13
goals in 1958.
The term 'Rally' in badminton refers to the sequence of shots between the serve and
the point’s end.
In throwing events, the equipment used is called a shot. The standard throwing
events include shot put, discus,
hammer, and javelin.
The European Champions Cup, also known as the Heineken Cup, is associated with
rugby. It is the top-tier
competition for clubs from countries participating in the Six Nations Championship.

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Wilson Jones was India's first world champion in any sport after independence,
winning national billiards and
snooker titles in 1952 and 1954. He played his first World Billiards Championship
in London in 1951.
The Produnova vault is related to gymnastics. It consists of a front handspring
onto the vaulting horse and two
front somersaults off it. Dipa Karmakar is one of the few gymnasts to have
successfully executed this highly
difficult vault.
The National Institute of Water Sports is located in Goa. It was established in
July 1990.
Saurabh Chaudhary is an ace pistol shooter. Manu Bhaker is also recognized as a
prominent female ace pistol
shooter.
Mihir Sen was the first Indian swimmer to swim across the English Channel in 1958.
Arati Saha was the first
Asian woman to achieve this feat.
The Ruia Gold Cup is associated with the sport of bridge. Other trophies related to
bridge include the Basalat Jha
Trophy, Holkar Trophy, and Singhania Trophy.
In table tennis, the shakehand grip is used. This grip involves holding the racket
as if shaking hands with it, with
the racket head facing up.
Birdie, eagle, and albatross are terms used in golf. In golf, an 'ace' refers to a
hole-in-one, while other terms like
bogey and handicap are also used.
Vijay Amritraj and Anand Amritraj are associated with lawn tennis.
In the traditional sport of 'Kambala' in Karnataka, buffaloes are made to race.
The headquarters of the All India Chess Federation is situated in New Delhi. This
organization manages chess in
India and is affiliated with the Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE).
Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi became the first Indian pair to reach the finals
of all Grand Slams in a year
during the Open era, winning the French Open and Wimbledon as top seeds.
Anju Bobby George won a bronze medal in the long jump at the 2003 World
Championships in Athletics in
Paris, becoming the first Indian to win a medal in this event.
Jahangir Khan from Pakistan is credited with ten British Open titles and six World
Championship crowns in
professional squash.
Assam Rifles Public School in Shillong is the first Khelo India Sports School in
North East India.
Annu Rani is the first Indian woman to throw a javelin beyond 60 meters. She
achieved this milestone at the 2019
World Athletics Championships.
Anjali Bhagwat won the 2002 International Shooting Sport Federation Champion of
Champions combinedair-rifle event, becoming the first Indian to win this
competition.
Sagol Kangjei, an indigenous game of Manipur, is similar to modern-day polo. The
game is played by both upperclass and common people in Manipur.
Sachin Tendulkar scored his first ODI century in his 79th match.
The Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy was founded in Hyderabad in 2008.
There are four Grand Slam tournaments in tennis: the Australian Open, the French
Open, Wimbledon, and the
US Open.
Brazil has won the FIFA World Cup the most number of times.
The term ‘Tenpins’ refers to the game of bowling.
Abhinav Bindra was the first Indian to receive the International Shooting
Federation (ISSF) Blue Cross, the
ISSF's highest honour, on November 30, 2018.
The term ‘Putt’ is used in the sport of golf. In miniature golf, also known as
minigolf or putt-putt, the focus is
solely on the putting aspect of the game.
Pankaj Advani is the only Indian to have won the Amateur World title in both
snooker and billiards.
The term ‘Dolphin Kick’ is associated with swimming. It is the motion used to
propel a swimmer forward
underwater after diving in and at turns.
Karun Chandhok is associated with car racing. He competed for Hispania Racing in
Formula One in 2010.
Paan Singh Tomar, a seven-time national champion, was associated with steeplechase.
His story is about his
transformation from an athlete to one of the most feared dacoits in the Chambal
Valley.
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) introduced a new game format called ‘Triples’
alongside
AirBadminton. AirBadminton is an outdoor game, whereas traditional badminton is
played indoors.

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In March 2019, K. Govindaraj was unanimously re-elected as president of the

Basketball Federation of India
(BFI).
Cycling is the sport played in a velodrome, where various events like the
individual pursuit, points race,
madison, and keirin are held.
The term 'Jab' is associated with boxing. It refers to a quick punch thrown from
the fighter's chin.
The term 'bib' is used in running. It refers to sheets printed with numbers to
identify different participants in a
race.
'Tumble Turns' are associated with swimming. They are used to reverse direction
while swimming.
‘Twiddle’ is a term associated with table tennis. It involves flipping the paddle
to use the rubber on the other side
for a competitive advantage.
The term 'address' is used in golf to describe the stance and position of the golf
club head behind the ball before
taking a stroke.
‘Jamming’ is a term related to lawn tennis.
Anju Bobby George made history as the first Indian medalist at the 2003 World
Athletics Championships in
Paris, winning a bronze medal in women's long jump with a leap of 6.70 meters.
Viswanathan Anand has a minor planet named '4538 Vishyanand'. This was discovered
in 1988 and named
recently in his honor.
The Khelo India Youth Games (formerly known as the Khelo India School Games) are
annual multi-disciplinary
grassroots games in India for under-17 and under-21 age groups.
In cycling, a 'time trial' is a race where cyclists compete against the clock to
achieve the fastest time.
Pranti Nayak is a gymnast from West Bengal who won a bronze medal in vault at the
Senior Asian Artistic
Gymnastics Championships in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
Michael Phelps is an American swimmer, often called "The Baltimore Bullet" and "The
Flying Fish."
Jay Adams is a key figure in skateboarding and was a part of the Z-Boys,
significantly influencing the sport's
evolution.
Baseball is considered the national game of the USA, though it is not officially
designated as such by law.
Vaibhav Yadav is a boxer who won the World Boxing Council (WBC) Asia Silver
Welterweight Championship in
Pattaya, Thailand.
Chess originated in India, where it was known as Chaturanga before evolving into
its modern form.
Divya Kakran is an Indian freestyle wrestler with numerous medals, including 17
golds in the Delhi State
Championship.
Bhavisha Singh is a karate champion with over 142 gold, 11 silver, and 13 bronze
medals.
The Holkar Trophy is associated with the card game bridge.
Underweight is not a weight classification in boxing; recognized weight classes
include flyweight, bantamweight,
featherweight, lightweight, welterweight, middleweight, junior middleweight, and
heavyweight.
The Roland Garros Grand Slam of tennis is held in Paris, specifically at the Stade
Roland Garros.
The International Tennis Federation (ITF), founded in 1913, is the governing body
of world tennis.
Mary Kom, the renowned Indian boxer, hails from Manipur and belongs to the Kom
tribe.
Chess pieces include the Wazir, Knight, King, and Queen among others.
The International Basketball Federation (FIBA), established in 1932, governs
international basketball
competitions.
Knockout and knockdown are boxing terms; a knockout means the opponent cannot stand
within ten seconds,
while a knockdown refers to any part of the boxer's body touching the ground.
The International Kabaddi Federation, founded in 2004, oversees the sport of
kabaddi globally.
According to the Sample Registration System for 2016, India's infant mortality rate
was 34 per 1000 live births.
Duryodhan Singh Negi is a notable boxer who has won a gold medal at the national
championship.
Hakan Sukur holds the record for the fastest goal in a FIFA World Cup match,
scoring in 11 seconds for Turkey
against South Korea in 2002.
The US Open Tennis Championship moved to Flushing Meadows in 1978 from its previous
venue at Forest Hills.
Among female Indian boxers, Jamuna Boro did not reach the final in her debut at the
World Boxing
Championships, unlike Manju Rani, Sonia Chahal, and Sarbjuala Devi, who did.
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Other sports terms include Bending the Ball and Direct Free Kick in football;
Butterfly and Breaststroke in
swimming; and Chukker, Foul, and Knock-in in polo. In riding, terms like Dressage,
Bridle, and Reins are used.
Terms related to gymnastics include Pommel Horse, Roman Rings, and Vaulting Table.
Rahul Bose, an Indian film actor, is associated with rugby. He was part of the
first Indian national rugby team to
participate in an international event, the Asian Rugby Football Union Championship,
in 1998.

Important PYQ on Awards

Notable Awards and Recipients: These cover awards conferred in various fields
such as science, sports, films etc.
1.

Kailash Satyarthi: Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 for his work against child
exploitation and advocacy for
education. He founded Bachpan Bachao Andolan in 1980.
2. Jacobus Henricks van 't Hoff: Received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1901 for
discovering the laws of chemical
dynamics and osmotic pressure.
3. Kailash Kher: Conferred with the Padma Shri in 2017 for his contributions to
Indian music.
4. Padma Vibhushan: The first recipients in 1954 included Satyendra Nath Bose,
Nandalal Bose, Zakir Husain,
Balasaheb Gangadhar Kher, V.K. Krishna Menon, and Jigme Dorji Wangchuk.
5. Miss World Pageant: An annual international beauty contest.
6. Meghnad Saha: Renowned Indian astrophysicist known for the Saha ionization
equation.
7. Rabindranath Tagore: First non-European Nobel Laureate in Literature in 1913 for
"Gitanjali." Also composed
India's national anthem and wrote works like "Gora" and "Ghare-Baire."
8. G. N. Joshi: Pioneer in human anatomy research and education in India.
9. Wanderers Association of London: Established in 1901 to support traveling
professions.
10. Prithviraj Kapoor: Legendary Indian actor and theatre artist.
11. Sukhbir Singh: Known as the Prince of Bhangra; won Channel V Awards in 1996.
12. Amitabh Bachchan: Won the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2019, along with Padma
Bhushan and Padma Shri.
13. Jawaharlal Nehru: Awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1955 for his role as India's
first Prime Minister and in
independence and development.
14. Ammanur Madhava Chakkiar: Awarded Padma Shri for his contribution to
Kutiyattam.
15. Kanaka Raju: Received Padma Shri in 2021 for Gussadi.
16. Uday Shankar: Created fusion dance and was awarded Padma Vibhushan in 1971.
17. Manna Dey: Notable playback singer with multiple awards, including Padma
Bhushan, Padma Shri, and
Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
18. Amjad Ali Khan: Renowned sarod player with Padma Shri (1975), Padma Bhushan
(1991), and Padma Vibhushan
(2001).
19. Gulabo Sapera: Queen of Kalbeliya dance, awarded Padma Shri in 2016.
20. A.R. Rahman: Known as the 'Mozart of Madras' with Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri,
two Oscars, and multiple other
awards.
21. Khayyam: Awarded Padma Bhushan in 2011, known for his work as a music director
in Hindi cinema.
22. Asghari Bai: Known for Dhrupad music, awarded Padma Shri in 1990 and Sangeet
Natak Akademi Award in 1986.
23. Bhushan Lakandri: Awarded Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2020 for contemporary
dance.
24. Subha Mudgal: Hindustani music singer with Padma Shri in 2000 and Rajiv Gandhi
National Sadbhavana Award
in 2016.
25. Satyaram Reang: Promoted Hojagiri dance from Tripura and received Padma Shri
and Sangeet Natak Akademi
Award in 1986.
26. Pandit Kumar Gandharva: Distinguished classical singer awarded Padma Vibhushan
in 1990.
27. Lata Mangeshkar: Legendary playback singer with numerous awards, including
Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan,
and Padma Bhushan.
28. Mrinalini Sarabhai: Founder of Darpana Academy of Performing Arts, awarded
Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.

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29. Zakir Hussain: Renowned tabla player with Grammy awards, Padma Shri, Padma
Bhushan, and Padma
Vibhushan.
30. Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma: Leading santoor player with Sangeet Natak Akademi
Award, Padma Shri, and Padma
Vibhushan.
31. Ustad Bismillah Khan: Renowned shehnai player with Bharat Ratna, Sangeet Natak
Akademi Award, and Sangeet
Natak Akademi Fellowship.
32. Girija Devi: Known as the 'Queen of Thumri', awarded Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan,
and Padma Vibhushan.
33. Ustaad Allauddin Khan: Famous sarod player with Padma Bhushan and Padma
Vibhushan.
34. Pandit Ravi Shankar: Sitar virtuoso with Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and
Bharat Ratna.
35. Asha Bhosle: Playback singer with Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Padma Vibhushan, and
Maharashtra Bhushan.
36. Sonali Mansingh: Classical dancer with Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan.
37. Vidushi Sharan Rani: First woman sarod player in India, awarded Padma Bhushan.
38. Sri Deepak Mazumdar: Awarded Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for contemporary
dance.
39. Ali Akbar Khan: Renowned sarod player with Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan.
40. Shahid Parvez Khan: Acclaimed sitar maestro with Kalajyothi Lifetime
Achievement Award, Sangeet Natak
Akademi Award, and Padma Shri.
41. Gangubai Hangal: Leading vocalist of Kirana Gharana with Padma Bhushan and
Padma Vibhushan.
42. MS Subbulakshmi: First Indian musician to receive Bharat Ratna, with other
honors including Padma Bhushan
and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.
43. Satyadev Pawar: Renowned violinist.
44. Ricky Kej: Grammy Award winner for “Winds of Samsara” and “Divine Tides”.
45. Chintaman Raghunath Vyas: Notable Khayal singer with various awards including
Padma Bhushan and Tansen
Samman.
46. Sandeep Das: Tabla player and composer with a Grammy Award for “Sing Me Home”.
47. Mallikarjun Mansur: Eminent Khayal vocalist with Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and
Padma Vibhushan.
48. Ustad Amjad Ali Khan: Classical sarod player with notable awards including
Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and
Padma Vibhushan.
49. Zakir Hussain: Part of “Planet Drum” and Grammy-winning “Global Drum Project”.
50. Begum Akhtar: Known as Mallika-e-Ghazal, awarded Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan.
51. Shovana Narayan: Awarded Guru Deba Prasad award in 2013.
52. Linus Pauling: Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1954) and Nobel Peace Prize (1962) for
his work in chemical bonds and
peace.
53. Richard Phillips Feynman, Julian Schwinger, and Sin-Itiro Tomonaga: Nobel Prize
in Physics (1965) for
quantum electrodynamics.
54. Madurai Shanmukhavadivu Subbulakshmi: First musician to receive Bharat Ratna
(1998), also honored with
Padma Bhushan and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.
55. The Bessie Award: Established in 1983 for dance artists in New York City.
56. Vyjayanthimala: Awarded Padma Shri in 1968 and Padma Vibhushan in 2024 for
contributions to cinema and
dance.
57. Amrita Devi Bishnoi National Award: Presented for wildlife protection.
58. Ramon Magsaysay Award: Established in 1957 to honor integrity, service, and
idealism in democratic society.
59. ICTP Ramanujan Prize: Awarded annually for excellence in mathematics.
60. Sahitya Akademi Award: Literary honor in India for outstanding works in various
languages.
61. Pulitzer Prize: Recognizes achievements in journalism, literature, and musical
composition in the U.S.
62. Kabir Samman: Award given by Madhya Pradesh for contributions to literature and
cultural preservation.
63. Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize: Given annually for outstanding research in
science and technology in India.
64. G.D. Birla Award: For Indian scientists under 50 years of age for outstanding
research.
65. Lalit Kala Akademi: Established in 1954 to promote Indian art and provide
scholarships and awards.
66. Bhartendu Harishchandra Award: Given by the Government of India for original
works in Hindi literature.
67. Padma Bhushan: Third-highest civilian award in India for distinguished service
in any field.
68. Jnanpith Award: India's highest literary honor for exceptional contribution to
literature.
69. Param Vir Chakra: India’s highest military honor for valor in the face of the
enemy.

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70. V. Shantaram Award: Presented for excellence in cinema and cultural fields.
71. Dadasaheb Phalke Award: India's highest award in cinema, named after the father
of Indian cinema.
72. National Film Awards: Recognize excellence in cinematic achievements in Indian
cinema.
73. Nandi Awards: Presented by the Government of Andhra Pradesh for excellence in
Telugu cinema.
74. K.K. Aziz Award: Recognizes significant contributions to literature and
history.
75. Booker Prize: International literary award for fiction.
76. National Geographic Society Medal: Awarded for significant contributions to
geography and exploration.
77. Nobel Prize: Recognizes achievements in Physics, Chemistry, Medicine,
Literature, Peace, and Economic Sciences.
78. Field’s Medal: Awarded for outstanding achievements in mathematics.
79. Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation: Established to continue work on child
rights and education.
80. Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament, and Development: Given for work in
these fields.
81. Raja Rao Award: Given for significant contributions to Indian literature.
82. Feroz Shah Kotla Award: Recognizes contributions to Indian sports.
83. Bharatiya Gyaanpeeth Award: Given for outstanding contributions to Indian
literature.
84. Tansen Samman: Presented by the Madhya Pradesh Government for contributions to
classical music.
85. Sangeet Natak Akademi Award: India's National Academy of Music, Dance, and
Drama awards for performing
arts.
86. Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar: Recognizes young artists for their
contributions to music.
87. National Award for Excellence in Journalism: Given for outstanding
contributions to journalism.
88. J.B. Vachha Memorial Award: Presented for contributions to literature and
education.
89. National Excellence Award: Given in various fields for outstanding
achievements.
90. Gandhi Peace Prize: Awarded for contributions to peace and non-violence.
91. Oskar Schindler Medal: Given for humanitarian efforts and contributions to
peace.
92. Bharat Ratna: India’s highest civilian award for exceptional service in any
field.

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