Art & Culture
🔒 Log in to trackClassical and folk dances, music and maestros, paintings and crafts, temple architecture, festivals and fairs, and India's UNESCO lists. SSC asks 1–2 culture questions in almost every shift. Nearly all are pairings: dance–state, artist–instrument, craft–state or festival–state. The tables below cover almost all of them.
One page per subtopic: detailed notes, every question type, formulas, tricks and practice sets.
Every formula on one printable page, grouped by subtopic.
4 exam-level questions worked step by step.
106 questions — untimed practice or a timed test with analysis.
Track record in the exam
Questions per shift in recent SSC CGL papers.
Test difficulty mix (106 questions)
Question patterns exams keep repeating
Taken from previous-year papers. If a pattern is marked "very common", expect to see it in your exam.
Dance and its state
very commonA dance is named, and the state is asked from four options.
Learn the classical dances.
Bharatanatyam = Tamil Nadu, Kathak = UP, Kathakali and Mohiniyattam = Kerala, Kuchipudi = Andhra Pradesh, Odissi = Odisha, Manipuri = Manipur, Sattriya = Assam.
Kathakali belongs to which state?
Kathakali is a classical dance
It is known for green make-up and big costumes
It comes from Kerala
Kerala
Artist and his instrument or dance
very commonA famous artist's name is given, and the instrument or dance is asked.
Learn the one-to-one pairs.
Birju Maharaj = Kathak, Bismillah Khan = shehnai, Ravi Shankar = sitar, Amjad Ali Khan = sarod, Zakir Hussain = tabla.
Ustad Bismillah Khan was a maestro of which instrument?
He was a famous Indian musician
He got the Bharat Ratna in 2001
His instrument was the shehnai
Shehnai
Painting or craft and its state
very commonA painting style or craft is named, and the state or place is asked.
Paintings: Madhubani = Bihar, Warli = Maharashtra, Pattachitra = Odisha, Phad = Rajasthan.
Crafts: Bidriware = Bidar, Chikankari = Lucknow, Phulkari = Punjab.
Warli painting is from which state?
Warli art uses white stick figures
It is painted on mud walls
It comes from Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Festival and its state
very commonA festival is named, and the state is asked.
Learn the pairs.
Onam = Kerala, Pongal = Tamil Nadu, Baisakhi = Punjab, Bihu = Assam, Chhath = Bihar, Hornbill = Nagaland.
The Onam harvest festival is celebrated in which state?
Onam welcomes the return of king Mahabali
Boat races (Vallam Kali) are held at this time
The state is Kerala
Kerala
Temple and its builder
very commonA famous temple is named, and its builder or dynasty is asked.
Konark = Narasimhadeva I, Thanjavur (Brihadeeswara) = Rajaraja I.
Belur = Vishnuvardhana, Kailasa (Ellora) = Krishna I.
Who built the Sun Temple at Konark?
Konark is in Odisha
It was built in the 13th century
The builder was Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga dynasty
Narasimhadeva I
Dance and its special feature
commonA clue is given in words (green make-up, plate balance, chakkars) and the dance is asked.
Learn one clue for each dance.
Kathakali = green make-up, Odissi = tribhanga pose, Manipuri = Raslila, Kuchipudi = plate dance, Kathak = spins (chakkars).
Dancing while balanced on a brass plate (tarangam) is part of which classical dance?
The plate dance is called tarangam
It is a special item of one dance
That dance is from Andhra Pradesh
Kuchipudi
Art institution: founder and year
common"Kerala Kalamandalam was founded by..." or "Kalakshetra was set up in..."
Kalamandalam = 1930 (Vallathol), Kalakshetra = 1936 (Rukmini Devi).
ASI = 1861 (Cunningham), Sangeet Natak Akademi = 1953.
Kerala Kalamandalam was founded in 1930 by whom?
It was set up in 1930
Its aim was to revive Kathakali
Its founder was the poet Vallathol Narayana Menon
Vallathol Narayana Menon
UNESCO intangible heritage and its year
commonA cultural element (Garba, Durga Puja, Yoga, Kumbh) is named, and its year is asked.
Learn the order.
Ramlila 2008, Chhau and Kalbelia 2010, Yoga 2016, Kumbh 2017, Durga Puja 2021, Garba 2023.
In which year was Garba added to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list?
Durga Puja was added in 2021
Garba came after it
It was added in 2023
2023