Friday, December 5, 2008

SOLVE THIS

Q.01: The ghazal, “Ranjish he sahi, dil he dukhane ke liye aa…” became a huge hit with ghazal lovers

in mid-seventies. During 70’s, when some students were killed while at a rally protesting against

Z.A. Bhutto’s raids on Baluchistan, the poet also wrote Peshewar Qatilon (Professional murderers),

which led him to a solitary confinement at Attock Jail. He wrote Be-awaaz gali puchhe mein while in jail.

Also arrested in Zia’s regime, the acclaimed Urdu poet saw much upheaval in life.

Name this great Urdu literary figure having an Indian connection.



Q.02: Farrokh, born to Parsi parents, Bomi & Jer Bulsara, in Zanzibar, was educated at St. Peter’s Panchgani,

Maharashtra. Having Indian origin, he became the famous lead singer of the English Rock Band ‘Queen’

(We Will Rock You fame) in 70’s & 80’s. His early music idols included Lataji and Kishore da.

He died in 1991 of bronchial pneumonia. Though oblivious in India, he is immortalized in his statues

erected in Switzerland, London and Tokyo. How do we better know this Rocker?



Q.03: Sir Don Bradman never visited India either to play or to holiday. However, he (along with his wife) once

stepped on the Indian soil when the plane carrying them to London made a stoppage in an Indian city. A

large number of fans thronged the airport to have a glimpse of the great cricket legend. Name the fortunate

city.



Q.04: Who penned the song, “Ae mere watan ke logon…”, the performance of which by Lata Mangeshkar

supposedly brought tears in the eyes of Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru?



Q.05: It contains Type 5 of the glycoprotein Hemagglutinin and Type 1 of the enzyme Neuraminidase.

It first made news in Scotland in 1959. Its Asian lineage is currently scaring people. What am I talking

about?

[Got an easy one … huh!]



Q.06: Napoleon became the president of a French Debating Society in 1791. This society favoured constitutional

monarchy in France in its initial years. This is the selfsame society of which Tipu Sultan was also a

member (remember his French connection). Name the society.

[Mu hu haha ha…]



Q.07: When Lincoln was elected the President in 1861, the 11 southern states viz. North & South Carolina,

Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas & Tennessee receded to

form a new nation called Confederate States of America to be presided by Jefferson Davis. Why did they

do it?



Q.08: Name the only person to win a Nobel Prize as well as an Oscar.



Q.09: Before America’s Independence, colonists imported tea from England which was taxed very heavily by the

British imperialists. Once, as a repercussion the colonists refused to unload the ship laden with tea.

However, dressed as Red Indians, they hoarded the ship and dumped the crates of tea into the sea.

How do we know the incident?



Q.10: The mammal Ailuropoda melanoleuca belonging to the family Ursidae is found in an oriental country. The female of this species goes into her estrous cycle once in a year for 2-3 days. Also, the animal is reluctant

to mate in confinement. These are the important reasons for this species to become endangered.

Acknowledged by the world fauna lovers, this animal is a symbol of innocence and cuteness. Name him.


Q.11: Connect:

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll – China (1931)

Animal Farm, George Orwell – Europe (1946)

Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown – Lebanon (2005)

The Gulag Archipelago, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn – Russia (1960’s)

Lady Chatterley’s Lover, D. H. Lawrence – Australia, US, & UK


Q.12: Which Indian city is supposedly named after Goddess Shyamala Devi, another name of Goddess Kali,

whose temple is situated in the city. The city brought to the world map by the British in 1819 is famous for

its Vice Regal Lodge and World Heritage Narrow-gauge railway line.


Q.13: The fastest car in the world was initially tried with jet engines, with failed results. Subsequently, the Rolls

Royce helicopter engines were used, which resulted in car’s tires being scorched. The 980 bhp car is the

production of which company? (Even the car’s name will do)


Q.14: In 1931, when Gandhiji went to Lord Irwin to sign the Gandhi-Irwin Pact, Gandhiji was asked for ‘tea or

coffee’, which he refused. However, he asked Lord Irwin to provide some lukewarm water. He, then, took

out something out of his dhoti, put it n the water and drank it. What did he take out from his pocket?

[Gandhigiri in full spirit]


Q.15: It is a site of magnificent series of rock-cut temples with large sculptural interiors. These were excavated in

the 7th & 8th centuries. The centerpiece is a massive 5 m, three headed bust of Brahma-Vishnu-Mahesh –

representing his manifestations as Creator; Preserver and Destroyer. What is being talked about?


Q.16: He is considered as the most impractical king of India. Due to threat from invaders, he shifted his capital from Delhi to Devagiri and then again back to Delhi, causing untold miseries to the people of Delhi. He introduced leather currency. Name him.


Q.17: Known as the White Pagoda, it was built in the 12th century. The main building is 65 m high, surmounted

by the mystic wheel and flag of Vishnu. Non-Hindus are not permitted to enter it. Even Mrs. I. Gandhi was

refused entry as her husband was a Parsi. Name the monument.


Q.18: Name this award made of bronze and circular in shape, which has, on the obverse, four replicas of Indira’s Vajra embossed around the State Emblem in the centre. On the reverse, is embossed its name, both in

Hindi and English, with two lotus flowers in the middle. Also, name its first recipient.

3 comments:

Illuminati said...

this is a good qqquuiz nikhil1.
1 ahmed faraz
2 freddie mercury
3 Calcutta
4 Kavi Pradeep
5 H5N1
6 jacobin
7 all sitters but 12 is shimla iknow I;'m 4m there

rebelchild said...

3.bombay.
8.g.b.shaw
9.boston tea party
10.giant panda.
11.books banned in those countries?
12.shimla.
14.salt?
16.mohd.bin tughlaq.

Isha said...

18 is padma bhushan??

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