Indian Mythology
Dashavatara are the ten primary avataras of Vishnu. This is the first one
What was Matsya avatara?
King George V visited India in 1911 and happens to be the only British monarch to have visited India during the colonial rule. The Gateway of India was built in his honor - however, his visit coincided with a decision that marked a significant event in British-Indian history.
India has 28 states. Of these, Telengana is the newest (2014), but before tha, these three states were created in 2000
What are Uttarakhand, Chattisgarh and Jharkand?
This state has the highest Indian (South Asian descent) diaspora measured as % of the total population of the state
Where is New Jersey?
Baz Luhrmann recruited him to play underworld businessman Meyer Wolfsheim in 'The Great Gatsby' in 2013, marking his debut in a Hollywood production.
This Rishi is famous for his curses - but is best known in the Mahabharata for giving Kunti a boon by which she can invoke any Deva and beget a child by him
Who was Rishi Durvasa?
Padmaja Naidu, the daughter of Sarojini Naidu was the Governor of West Bengal (longest serving woman governor). She once remarked about him: ' ________ is not a one-woman man!
Who was Jawaharlal Nehru?
This is the largest state in India by area. MP held this distinction until Chattisgarh was formed in 2000
Rajasthan
The Hart-Celler Act was passed in 1965, also known as the ______________ with little fanfare. President Lyndon Johnson even said it was "not a revolutionary bill. It does not affect the lives of millions.". History of course proved the President completely wrong, at least as far all of us are concerned!
What was the Immigration and Naturalization Act? This had specific criteria labeled H1B, L1B etc.!!
Mother India (1957), Salaam Bombay (1988) and Lagaan (2001) are the only 3 movies to have achieved this milestone.
What Indian movies have been nominated for the 'Best International Feature Film' category at the Oscars?
As a young man, Ratnakara was a robber. He once tried to rob a group of sages who took pity on him and showed him the folly of his ways. Moved by that, he is supposed to have meditated so long that ant-hills grew around him and that gave him his new name. He is credited to have composed one of the most celebrated and revered works of Indian literature.
Who was Sage Valmiki?
Allasani Peddanna, Nandi Thimmana, Madayyagari Mallana, Dhurjaty, Ayyalaraju Ramambhadrudu, Pingali Surana,Ramarajabhushanudu & _______________. These are the ashtadiggaja's of Krishnadevaya raya's court. We (especially those of us in the South) grew up hearing his stories
Who was Tenali Raman?
The city's name in the local language is 'Kovai' and is known as the 'Manchester of South India' for its flourishing textile industry
What is Coimbatore?
Gobind Behari Lal served as the 'Science Editor' for the San Fransisco Examiner from 1925 to 1930, and is believed to be the first journalist to used the title 'Science writer' as their byline. He was well known for his interviews of some of the most celebrated scientists: Einstein, Max Planck, Enrico Fermi etc. In 1937, he was awarded the _______________________ for his coverage of Harvard's 300th anniversary. making him the first Indian to win this award.
What is the Pulitzer Prize for Reporting?
In 1997, Mukesh Khanna starred in this long-running TV series(it ran for 8 years) on Doordarshan where he played the role of Pandit Gangadhar Vidyadhar Mayadhar Omkarnath Shastri, who attains superhuman powers by meditation and takes upon himself to destroy corruption in society. He is given this name by a reporter based on his heroic exploits (and she goes on to become his love interest)
Who was Shaktimaan?
The ______________ is told as a story within the framing device of a conversation. The narrator is Ugrashravas Suti and the listeners are a group of sages, including the sage Saunaka.
What is the Mahabharata?
The term 'gurutvakarshan' in Sanskrit means 'attraction of the guru' and is attributed to the ancient Indian astronomer, Brahmagupta (7th Century CE). "The earth on all its sides is the same; all people on the earth stand upright, and all heavy things fall down to the earth by a law of nature, for it is the nature of the earth to attract and to keep things, as it is the nature of water to flow ... If a thing wants to go deeper down than the earth, let it try. The earth is the only low thing, and seeds always return to it, in whatever direction you may throw them away, and never rise upwards from the earth"
What is gravity?
NH44 is the longest highway in India from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. This state has the longest stretch of the highway.
What is Tamil Nadu?
Dalip Singh Saund was born in Punjab in 1899, emigrated to the US in 1920. Finished his PhD from UC Berkeley in 1924. He wrote a book 'My Mother India' with the goal of 'educating the Americans of the Indian independence movement'. He went on to become the first Asian- American, first Indian-American and the first member of a non-Abrahamic faith when he achieved this milestone in 1956
Who was the first Indian-American to be elected to the US House of Representatives?
Sabu Dastigar is regarded as the first ____________________. Born in India in 1924, and started his career early. He made his way to the US via Britain. He also served in the US Army, fought in WW-II and was awarded a medal for valor. He was also selected to play the lead role in Mother India but was denied a work permit by the Indian government (the role went to Sunil Dutt!). He was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960.
Who was the first Indian actor to act in Hollywood movies?
The village Bisrakh in UP is believed to be the birthplace of this mythological character. The village observes the nine days of Navratri as a period of mourning when they offer prayers for character and perform a Yagna. It is believed that performing the Ramlila in the village will incur the wrath of this character on the villagers.
Who was Ravana?
The following line is taken from the Mundaka Upanishad. ________ ______ nānṛtaṃ satyena panthā vitato devayānaḥ and was adopted as a key term when India became a republic on January 26, 1950
What is Satyameya Jayate?
The Hindi word for this is derived from the Sanskrit word 'Irina' and is supposed to be the one of the largest of its kind in the world. One side of it is Sir Creek which has been in the news off and on
Where is Greater Rann of Kutch?
Bhagat Singh Thind came to the US in 1913 and later on, enlisted in the US Army and served in WW-I. After WW-I, he sought to ___________________ following a legal ruling that all Caucasians had access to such rights. His argument: Classification as a Caucasian should not be on the basis of color since 'white' does not have a scientific basis, but on the basis of descent. And since he was of Aryan descent, he should be classified as a Caucasian" The federal judge in the state of Oregon accepted this argument. The government then took it to the Supreme Court which overturned the decision. If the Supreme Court had sustained, history could have taken quite a different course
What is naturalized citizenship of the United States?
Bhakta Vidur, a movie released in 1920, a few months after the Jalianwala Bagh tragedy and the passage of the Rowlatt Act. Vidur the main character's role was deemed to have been based on Gandhi and the newly established board concluded " "It is likely to excite dissatisfaction against government and incite people to non co-operation". It is believed to be the first ___________________________ .
Which was the first movie to be banned by the Censor board?