Music and Musical Instruments – Static GK Questions Asked in SSC & Railway Exams (PYQs with Answers)

SSC Stenographer 2026 – 15 September 2026 Shift 1 · Carnatic music

Q1. Which of the following statements about Melakarta Ragas in Carnatic music is/are correct?
Statement 1: There are 72 Melakarta ragas, which are parent scales.
Statement 2: All Melakarta ragas are derived from Janya ragas.

(a) Only 1
(b) Only 2
(c) Both 1 and 2 are correct
(d) Neither 1 nor 2 is correct

Answer & solution

Answer: (a) Only 1

Answer: Option 1 — Only 1
Carnatic music has exactly 72 Melakarta (parent or janaka) ragas, so Statement 1 is correct.
Statement 2 reverses the relationship — janya ragas are derived from the Melakarta ragas, never the other way round.
Revision note — Melakarta and janya ragas
• The 72-Melakarta scheme was laid down by Venkatamakhi in his 17th-century treatise Chaturdandi Prakashika (about 1660); he is called the Grand Theorist of Carnatic music.
• A Melakarta raga is sampurna — it uses all seven swaras in both ascent (arohana) and descent (avarohana), in strict order.
• The 72 ragas are grouped into 12 chakras of 6 each; the first is Kanakangi and the last Rasikapriya. The first 36 use shuddha madhyama, the next 36 prati madhyama.
• A janya (derived) raga drops, adds or bends notes of its parent scale — for example Mohanam is a five-note (audava) janya of Harikambhoji.
• The Hindustani parallel is the 10 thaats of V. N. Bhatkhande, against 72 melas in the south.
• Purandara Dasa is the Pitamaha (grandfather) of Carnatic music; the Trinity are Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Syama Sastri, all born in Tiruvarur.
Do not mix these up
• Melakarta vs janya — Melakarta is the parent (all seven notes); janya is the child derived from it.
• Venkatamakhi vs Ramamatya — Venkatamakhi gave the 72-mela system; Ramamatya wrote the earlier Swaramela-kalanidhi (1550) on melas and ragas.
Also asked from this topic: the number of major parent ragas in Carnatic music (72); the theorist who devised the Melakarta system (Venkatamakhi, Chaturdandi Prakashika); the author of Swaramela-kalanidhi (Ramamatya).

SSC Stenographer 2026 – 12 September 2026 Shift 1 · Folk music and songs by state

Q2. How does Bihu music embody both the agrarian lifestyle and cultural identity of Assam through its thematic content and instrumentation?

(a) By focusing exclusively on religious rituals and using only classical instruments like the sitar and tabla
(b) By incorporating themes of fertility, love, and seasonal change in its lyrics, and using traditional instruments like the dhol and pepa that mimic natural sounds, thus reflecting the connection between agriculture, community life, and celebration
(c) By adopting Western musical scales and replacing indigenous instruments with electronic synthesizers
(d) By limiting performances to urban concert halls detached from rural festival contexts

Answer & solution

Answer: (b) By incorporating themes of fertility, love, and seasonal change in its lyrics, and using traditional instruments like the dhol and pepa that mimic natural sounds, thus reflecting the connection between agriculture, community life, and celebration

Answer: Option 2 — By incorporating themes of fertility, love, and seasonal change in its lyrics, and using traditional instruments like the dhol and pepa that mimic natural sounds, thus reflecting the connection between agriculture, community life, and celebration
Bihu geet are sung at the spring sowing festival, so their words are about youthful love, fertility and the turn of the seasons.
The dhol, pepa (buffalo-horn pipe), gogona and toka are made from village materials and echo the sounds of fields and forests — music and farming life are one.
Revision note — Bihu of Assam
• Assam has three Bihus: Rongali or Bohag Bihu (mid-April, Assamese New Year, sowing) and Bhogali or Magh Bihu (January, harvest, feasting).
• The third, Kongali or Kati Bihu (October), is the lean season, marked by lamps lit under the tulsi plant and in the paddy fields.
• Rongali Bihu runs about seven days — Goru Bihu (cattle bathed and worshipped), Manuh Bihu (elders honoured, gamusa gifted) and Kutum Bihu (visits to relatives).
• Magh Bihu is preceded by Uruka, the night of community feasts in makeshift huts, and the burning of the Meji bonfire at dawn.
• Instruments of Bihu: dhol (two-headed drum), pepa (buffalo-horn pipe), gogona (bamboo jaw harp, played by women), toka (bamboo clapper), xutuli (clay whistle) and baanhi (bamboo flute).
• Dancers wear the mekhela chador (women) and dhoti with the red-and-white gamusa (men).
• Bihu geet are the festival songs, distinct from Bon geet (forest songs), Biyanaam (wedding songs) and Nichukoni geet (lullabies).
• Bihu dance was performed at the Rongali Bihu of 2023 by 11,304 dancers and drummers in Guwahati (as widely reported), setting the Guinness World Record for the largest Bihu dance.
Do not mix these up
• Rongali vs Bhogali Bihu — Rongali (April) celebrates sowing and the new year; Bhogali (January) celebrates the harvest with feasts and the Meji bonfire.
• Bihu vs Sattriya — Bihu is Assam's folk dance; Sattriya is Assam's classical dance, created by Srimanta Sankardev in the Vaishnavite sattras.
Also asked from this topic: the Rongali Bihu day for visiting relatives (Kutum Bihu); the Assamese song that is a lullaby (Nichukoni geet); the night of feasting before Magh Bihu (Uruka).

SSC Stenographer 2026 – 12 September 2026 Shift 1 · Folk music and songs by state

Q3. How do Barahmasa songs of Himachal Pradesh represent a unique convergence of seasonal cycles, emotional expression, and oral tradition, especially in the context of women's folk culture?

(a) By focusing on historical battles and political themes, unrelated to personal emotions or nature
(b) By serving as rigidly structured classical compositions based only on raga theory and temple rituals
(c) By narrating a woman's emotional states—longing, love, separation, and hope—through the symbolic lens of each month, these songs reflect both the natural rhythm of rural life and the intimate emotional world of women, passed down through oral tradition
(d) By being instrumental pieces performed only by male musicians at royal courts

Answer & solution

Answer: (c) By narrating a woman's emotional states—longing, love, separation, and hope—through the symbolic lens of each month, these songs reflect both the natural rhythm of rural life and the intimate emotional world of women, passed down through oral tradition

Answer: Option 3 — By narrating a woman's emotional states—longing, love, separation, and hope—through the symbolic lens of each month, these songs reflect both the natural rhythm of rural life and the intimate emotional world of women, passed down through oral tradition
Barahmasa literally means "twelve months" — the song moves month by month through the year, and in each month a woman voices her longing for an absent husband or lover.
Nature in each season (rains, cold, spring blossoms) mirrors her mood, and the songs survive because women sing and pass them on orally, not through written or classical training.
Revision note — Barahmasa and the folk music of Himachal Pradesh
• The Barahmasa is a pan-North-Indian folk and poetic form; literary versions appear in Jayasi's Padmavat and Keshavdas's Kavipriya, and the Kangra school painted Baramasa miniature series.
• In Himachal the songs are sung by women in Kangra, Chamba, Kullu and Mandi, usually during the long winter or when men leave for work; the singer is the virahini, the woman in separation.
• Other Himachali folk songs: Jhoori (love songs of the Shimla hills), Laman (Kullu love ballads sung in call-and-response) and Samskara songs for births and weddings.
• Folk dances of the state: Nati (Kullu, the Guinness-record largest folk dance in 2015), Jhanjhar, Chohara (Chamba), Shand and Shabu (Lahaul monasteries) and Chhatrari.
• Instruments: Ranasingha (curved brass trumpet), Karnal, Dhol-damau, Shehnai and Nagara.
• Festivals of the state: Kullu Dussehra (international festival, week after Vijayadashami), Minjar Mela (Chamba, corn-tassel offering to the Ravi), Halda (Lahaul), Losar (Lahaul–Spiti and Kinnaur).
Do not mix these up
• Barahmasa vs Chaumasa — Barahmasa covers all twelve months; the shorter Chaumasa covers only the four monsoon months.
• Barahmasa vs Nati — Barahmasa is a song genre sung by women; Nati is the community dance of the Kullu–Shimla region.
Also asked from this topic: the fast circular Himachal dance for men and women (Nati); the Himachal dances Jhanjhar and Chohara (Himachal Pradesh); the festival Halda of Lahaul (Himachal Pradesh).

SSC Stenographer 2026 – 12 September 2026 Shift 1 · Carnatic music

Q4. What is the common musical trait in Andhra-based Carnatic compositions that distinguishes them from Tamil counterparts?

(a) Predominant use of Sanskrit with rigid compositional formats
(b) Use of instrumental interludes and Western harmonies
(c) Predominant use of Telugu language, enhancing melodic fluidity and gamaka-rich expression
(d) Emphasis on secular themes over devotional content

Answer & solution

Answer: (c) Predominant use of Telugu language, enhancing melodic fluidity and gamaka-rich expression

Answer: Option 3 — Predominant use of Telugu language, enhancing melodic fluidity and gamaka-rich expression
The bulk of the Carnatic kriti repertoire is in Telugu — the language of Tyagaraja, Syama Sastri, Annamacharya, Kshetrayya and Bhadrachala Ramadasu.
Telugu's open vowel endings let the singer stretch and oscillate notes, so the gamaka (ornamental oscillation) sits naturally on the words; Tamil compositions came later and are fewer.
Revision note — Composers of Carnatic music
• The Trinity of Carnatic music, all born at Tiruvarur in the 18th century: Tyagaraja (1767–1847), Muthuswami Dikshitar (1775–1835) and Syama Sastri (1762–1827).
• Tyagaraja composed in Telugu on Rama; his Pancharatna kritis are sung at the annual Tyagaraja Aradhana at Thiruvaiyaru on the Pushya Bahula Panchami day.
• Muthuswami Dikshitar composed in Sanskrit (signature Guruguha) — the Navagraha and Kamalamba Navavarna kritis.
• Syama Sastri wrote in Telugu and Tamil on Goddess Kamakshi (signature Shyamakrishna) and is famous for his swarajatis.
• Earlier Telugu saint-composers: Annamacharya (15th century, about 32,000 sankirtanas on Lord Venkateswara), Kshetrayya (padams) and Bhadrachala Ramadasu.
• Purandara Dasa (Kannada, 16th century) is the Pitamaha (father) of Carnatic music — he fixed Mayamalavagowla as the beginners' raga and the graded lessons (svaravali, gitam, varnam).
• Key terms: kriti (main concert composition — pallavi, anupallavi, charanam), gamaka (ornamental oscillation of a note), 72 melakarta ragas classified by Venkatamakhi.
Do not mix these up
• Tyagaraja vs Dikshitar — Tyagaraja wrote in Telugu on Rama; Dikshitar wrote in Sanskrit with the mudra Guruguha.
• Purandara Dasa vs Tyagaraja — Purandara Dasa is the father of Carnatic music (Kannada, 1500s); Tyagaraja is the greatest of the Trinity (Telugu, 1700s).
Also asked from this topic: the composer of the Pancharatna Kritis (Tyagaraja); the musician NOT in the Carnatic Trinity (Swathi Thirunal); who codified Carnatic music (Purandara Dasa).

SSC Stenographer 2026 – 12 September 2026 Shift 2 · Folk music and songs by state

Q5. Which of the following aspects best distinguishes the Birha folk music tradition of Uttar Pradesh from other regional folk styles like Kajri and Chaiti?

(a) Its exclusive association with monsoon rituals and feminine voice traditions in the Bhojpuri belt
(b) Its thematic focus on divine love stories, especially those of Radha and Krishna
(c) Its role as a narrative expression of separation, struggle, and migration, especially among male laborers
(d) Its primary function in temple rituals and Sufi devotional gatherings, accompanied by harmonium and tabla

Answer & solution

Answer: (c) Its role as a narrative expression of separation, struggle, and migration, especially among male laborers

Answer: Option 3 — Its role as a narrative expression of separation, struggle, and migration, especially among male laborers
Birha takes its name from viraha — separation.
It grew among the Ahir (Yadav) cowherds of the Bhojpuri belt as the song of men who left home for the mills and cities, and of the families they left behind.
Kajri and Chaiti are seasonal songs; Birha is a narrative ballad of hardship and migration, sung mainly by men.
Revision note — Folk songs of Uttar Pradesh
• Birha — eastern UP (Varanasi, Azamgarh, Jaunpur, Ballia, Ghazipur) and western Bihar.
• It began as short khari birha couplets and grew into long narrative birha sung with dholak, harmonium and kartal.
• Kajri — sung by women in the monsoon month of Sawan, centred on Mirzapur and Varanasi; often an all-night group song-and-dance.
• Chaiti — sung in the month of Chaitra (March–April); a semi-classical form whose lines often end with the refrain "ho Rama".
• Sohar — sung at the birth of a child in UP and Bihar; Alha — the heroic ballad of Alha and Udal from Bundelkhand.
• Hori and Phag — Holi songs of Braj; Rasiya — love songs of Braj; Nautanki — the folk theatre of UP.
• The Purvanchal singer Sharda Sinha (Padma Vibhushan 2025) made Bhojpuri and Maithili folk songs nationally known.
Do not mix these up
• Birha vs Kajri — Birha is the men's song of separation and migration; Kajri is the women's song of the rains.
• Chaiti vs Kajri — both are semi-classical seasonal songs, but Chaiti belongs to spring (Chaitra) and Kajri to the monsoon (Sawan).
Also asked from this topic: the state famous for the Kajri folk form (Uttar Pradesh); the UP folk song sung by women in the monsoon (Kajri); the folk song sung at birth celebrations in Bihar and UP (Sohar).

SSC Stenographer 2026 – 12 September 2026 Shift 2 · Devotional and semi-classical song forms

Q6. How does Maand music of Rajasthan serve as a cultural bridge between folk traditions and classical Indian music, and what features distinguish it from purely folk or classical forms?

(a) By strictly following the rules of Hindustani classical music with no folk influences
(b) By incorporating folk narratives and emotions into structured melodic frameworks that borrow elements of classical ragas, thus blending spontaneity with discipline
(c) By focusing only on fast-paced dance tunes with minimal lyrical depth
(d) By using only percussion instruments and avoiding melodic instruments

Answer & solution

Answer: (b) By incorporating folk narratives and emotions into structured melodic frameworks that borrow elements of classical ragas, thus blending spontaneity with discipline

Answer: Option 2 — By incorporating folk narratives and emotions into structured melodic frameworks that borrow elements of classical ragas, thus blending spontaneity with discipline
Maand is the semi-classical singing style of Rajasthan: its words are folk — love, longing, praise of the land — but its melody is disciplined by the Hindustani raga also called Maand.
That is why it sits between the village song and the concert stage.
Revision note — Maand and the music of Rajasthan
• Maand grew in the royal courts of Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Bikaner and Udaipur; the best-known song is "Kesariya Balam, aavo ni padharo mhare des".
• Great exponents: Allah Jilai Bai of Bikaner (Padma Shri 1982), Gavri Devi of Jodhpur and Mangi Bai of Udaipur.
• The Manganiyar and Langa communities of Jaisalmer and Barmer are hereditary musicians; the Manganiyars play the bowed kamaicha, the Langas the sarangi and algoza.
• Other Rajasthani forms: Panihari (women's songs at the well), Pabuji ki Phad (a scroll ballad sung with the ravanhattha) and the Kalbelia songs of the snake-charmer community.
• Folk instruments: kamaicha, ravanhattha, algoza, morchang, khartal, sarangi.
• The Rajasthan International Folk Festival (RIFF) at Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur is recognised by UNESCO and stages Manganiyar and Langa artists.
Do not mix these up
• Maand (Rajasthan) vs Mando (Goa) — Maand is a semi-classical Rajasthani song; Mando is a slow Goan song-and-dance form in Konkani.
• Langa vs Manganiyar — both are Muslim musician communities of western Rajasthan; the Langas play the sarangi and the Manganiyars the kamaicha.
Also asked from this topic: what best describes traditional Rajasthani music such as Maand (tied to nature, life and stories); the string instrument central to the Manganiyar tradition (kamaicha).

SSC Stenographer 2026 – 11 September 2026 Shift 1 · Hindustani music (ragas, gharanas)

Q7. Originating from Punjab and often sung by camel riders, which vocal form is known for its fast, intricate taans and rapid changes in melodic phrases, making it distinct from other Hindustani classical genres?

(a) Thumri
(b) Khayal
(c) Tappa
(d) Dhrupad

Answer & solution

Answer: (c) Tappa

Answer: Option 3 — Tappa
Tappa grew out of the folk songs of the camel drivers of Punjab and Sindh.
It is built on fast, rolling, knotty taans and very quick turns of melodic phrase, which is exactly what sets it apart from the other Hindustani forms.
Revision note — Hindustani vocal forms
• Tappa was shaped into a classical form in the late 18th century by Mian Ghulam Nabi Shori (Shori Miyan) of Lucknow; it is strongest today in the Gwalior and Banaras traditions and in Bengali tappa.
• Dhrupad is the oldest and most austere form — grave in mood, strong in rhythm, devotional in theme.
• Dhrupad has two parts, the alap and the dhrupad proper; the composition itself has four — sthayi, antara, sanchari and abhog.
• Dhrupad gharanas: Darbhanga and Bettiah in Bihar, and the Dagar tradition.
• Khayal, from a Persian-Arabic word meaning imagination, is the most popular form today; it is sung in slow vilambit (bada khayal) and fast drut (chhota khayal).
• Thumri is semi-classical and lyrical, usually a love song on Radha and Krishna; its gharanas are Banaras, Lucknow and Patiala, and it is the music of Kathak.
• Lighter forms alongside these: Tarana (sung on syllables, not words), Dadra, Ghazal, Kajri and Chaiti.
Do not mix these up
• Tappa vs Thumri — both are light and emotional, but tappa runs on fast, intricate taans from Punjabi folk song, while thumri is slow and lyrical and puts bhav above strict grammar.
• Dhrupad vs Khayal — dhrupad is austere and rhythm-bound with little room for improvisation; khayal is flexible and ornamented.
Also asked from this topic: the form that is NOT Hindustani but Carnatic (varnam); the three gharanas of thumri (Banaras, Patiala and Lucknow); the two tempos of khayal (vilambit and drut).

SSC Stenographer 2026 – 11 September 2026 Shift 1 · Hindustani music (ragas, gharanas)

Q8. Which vocal form gained prominence in the 18th century and is recognized for its flexibility, allowing for more improvisation and ornamentation, and serving as the most popular classical vocal style today?

(a) Khayal
(b) Thumri
(c) Tappa
(d) Dhrupad

Answer & solution

Answer: (a) Khayal

Answer: Option 1 — Khayal
Khayal takes its name from a Persian-Arabic word meaning imagination, and that is its defining quality — it leaves the singer free to improvise and ornament.
It rose to dominance in the 18th century and is the most widely sung Hindustani classical form today.
Revision note — Khayal
• Its origin is traced to Amir Khusrau (13th–14th century).
• It was brought to prominence in the 18th century at the court of Muhammad Shah 'Rangile' by Niyamat Khan (Sadarang) and Firoz Khan (Adarang).
• A khayal is sung in two tempos: bada khayal in slow vilambit laya and chhota khayal in fast drut laya.
• Its composition has two parts, sthayi and antara, elaborated through alap, behlava, taan, boltaan and sargam.
• Ornaments typical of khayal are murki, khatka and meend — the very devices dhrupad avoids.
• Main khayal gharanas: Gwalior (the oldest), Agra, Kirana, Jaipur-Atrauli, Patiala and Rampur-Sahaswan.
• A fixed composition in Hindustani music is a bandish; its Carnatic counterpart is the kriti.
• Khayal displaced dhrupad as the leading form precisely because of this freedom to improvise.
Do not mix these up
• Khayal vs Dhrupad — khayal is flexible and ornamented and dominates the concert stage today; dhrupad is older, austere and bound to a fixed rhythmic frame.
• Gwalior vs Jaipur-Atrauli gharana — Gwalior is the oldest khayal gharana; Jaipur-Atrauli, of Shruti Sadolikar, is known for rare ragas and intricate bandishes.
Also asked from this topic: the literal meaning of khayal (imagination or reflective thought); the style whose two varieties are vilambit and drut (khayal); the gharana of Shruti Sadolikar (Jaipur-Atrauli).

SSC Stenographer 2026 – 11 September 2026 Shift 1 · Hindustani music (ragas, gharanas)

Q9. Which of the following pairs correctly describes a core element or form in Indian classical music?

(a) Bandish : Rhythmic improvisation during a performance
(b) Dhrupad : One of the oldest and most austere forms of Hindustani classical music
(c) Alap : A fast-paced section introducing the rhythmic cycle of a raga
(d) Tarana : A purely instrumental composition performed without any lyrics

Answer & solution

Answer: (b) Dhrupad : One of the oldest and most austere forms of Hindustani classical music

Answer: Option 2 — Dhrupad : One of the oldest and most austere forms of Hindustani classical music
Dhrupad is the oldest surviving form of Hindustani vocal music — grave, austere and devotional, opened by a long alap and carried by a strong rhythmic pulse.
Revision note — Forms and elements of Hindustani classical music
• Dhrupad has 2 main parts — the alap (nom-tom) and the dhrupad proper — and the composition itself falls into 4 sections: sthayi, antara, sanchari, abhog.
• Khayal, from a Persian-Arabic word meaning imagination or reflective thought, overtook dhrupad in the 18th century and is today the leading Hindustani vocal form, built on improvisation.
• Alap is the slow, unmetred opening that unfolds the raga note by note without any tala — it is neither fast nor a rhythmic cycle.
• Bandish is the fixed, composed piece set to a particular raga and tala; its Carnatic counterpart is the kriti.
• Tarana is a vocal form sung at a fast tempo on meaningless syllables such as tanana and dere na — vocal, not instrumental.
• Lighter, semi-classical forms are thumri, dadra and tappa; the great Dhrupad gharanas, Darbhanga and Bettiah, both belong to Bihar.
• Teentaal, the commonest tala, has 16 matras in four vibhags; the sam falls on matra 1 and the khali on matra 9.
Do not mix these up
• Alap vs bandish — the alap is free and unmetred; the bandish is the composed piece bound to a tala.
• Tarana vs tillana — tarana is the Hindustani form sung on syllables; tillana is its Carnatic counterpart.
• Dhrupad vs khayal — both are Hindustani vocal forms, but dhrupad is older and austere while khayal is built on improvisation.
Also asked from this topic: the vocal form with a sombre mood stressing rhythm (Dhrupad); its parts (2 and 4); the state of the Darbhanga gharana (Bihar).

SSC Stenographer 2026 – 11 September 2026 Shift 2 · Folk music and songs by state

Q10. How do Bhopa and Bhopa-Bhopi songs function as a unique oral tradition of ritualistic storytelling in Rajasthan, and what distinguishes their performance style from other folk music genres in the region?

(a) By relying primarily on written scripts and formal theatrical staging
(b) By combining music, narration, and visual aids (such as painted scrolls) to narrate epic tales of local deities and heroes in a ritual context, performed by a duo where the Bhopa sings and the Bhopi assists, thus blending devotion, entertainment, and community memory
(c) By focusing solely on dance without any narrative or musical components
(d) By performing exclusively at urban music festivals without any ritual significance

Answer & solution

Answer: (b) By combining music, narration, and visual aids (such as painted scrolls) to narrate epic tales of local deities and heroes in a ritual context, performed by a duo where the Bhopa sings and the Bhopi assists, thus blending devotion, entertainment, and community memory

Answer: Option 2 — By combining music, narration, and visual aids (such as painted scrolls) to narrate epic tales of local deities and heroes in a ritual context, performed by a duo where the Bhopa sings and the Bhopi assists, thus blending devotion, entertainment, and community memory
The Bhopa is a priest-singer who performs the epic of a folk deity in front of a painted scroll, the Phad, which serves as a portable temple.
His wife, the Bhopi, holds a lamp to light the part of the scroll being sung and joins in the refrain — the performance is a ritual, not a stage show.
Revision note — Bhopa, Phad and the folk epics of Rajasthan
• The Bhopas are hereditary priest-singers of the Nayak (Bhil) community; the best-known epics they sing are Pabuji ki Phad and Devnarayan ki Phad.
• Pabuji is a 14th-century Rathore folk hero worshipped by camel-herders; Devnarayan is a Gurjar hero-deity; the Devnarayan Phad is the larger scroll (about 9 m × 1.5 m).
• The Bhopa plays the ravanhatta, a bowed string instrument with a coconut-shell resonator, while singing and dancing before the scroll.
• The Phad scroll is painted on cloth by the Joshi family of Shahpura (Bhilwara); a worn scroll is retired by immersion in a lake, never thrown away.
• Performances run through the night at the request of a family that wants the deity's blessing, so the songs preserve community memory as well as devotion.
• Other Rajasthani folk-music traditions: Manganiyar and Langa (Jaisalmer–Barmer, court and patron songs), Maand, Panihari and Kalbelia (snake-charmer community, UNESCO 2010).
Do not mix these up
• Bhopa vs Manganiyar — the Bhopa is a ritual priest-singer of a folk deity with a scroll; the Manganiyars and Langas are hereditary professional musicians of patrons.
• Phad vs Pichwai — Phad is the Bhopa's narrative scroll from Bhilwara; Pichwai is the temple hanging of Nathdwara behind the image of Shrinathji.
Also asked from this topic: the state to which the Bhopa folk music belongs (Rajasthan); the state associated with Phad painting (Rajasthan).

SSC Stenographer 2026 – 11 September 2026 Shift 2 · Devotional and semi-classical song forms

Q11. In the context of Assam's cultural landscape, how do Zikir and Zari music traditions uniquely contribute to the region's religious pluralism and syncretism?

(a) By strictly adhering to orthodox Islamic musical practices without incorporating local elements
(b) By blending Assamese linguistic and musical styles with Islamic devotional themes, fostering communal harmony and reflecting Assam's inclusive spiritual heritage
(c) By rejecting all forms of indigenous Assamese instruments in favor of imported Middle Eastern instruments exclusively
(d) By being confined only to mosque rituals without any public or cultural presence

Answer & solution

Answer: (b) By blending Assamese linguistic and musical styles with Islamic devotional themes, fostering communal harmony and reflecting Assam's inclusive spiritual heritage

Answer: Option 2 — By blending Assamese linguistic and musical styles with Islamic devotional themes, fostering communal harmony and reflecting Assam's inclusive spiritual heritage
Zikir and Zari are Islamic devotional songs composed in Assamese, set to the rhythms and instruments of Assamese folk music.
They were written to reach ordinary Assamese villagers, Hindu and Muslim alike, and preach the oneness of God and of humanity — hence their place in Assam's syncretic tradition.
Revision note — Zikir, Zari and Ajan Fakir
• Composed by Ajan Fakir (Shah Miran), a 17th-century Sufi saint who came from Baghdad and settled at Saraguri Chapori in Sivasagar district; his dargah is a shrine visited by people of all faiths.
• Zikir (from Arabic dhikr, "remembrance") are songs in praise of God and the Prophet; Zari (from Persian, "weeping") are laments recalling the tragedy of Karbala.
• Ajan Fakir was a contemporary and friend of the Ahom court; the songs borrow the style of Srimanta Sankardeva's Borgeet and use the khol, taal and dotara of Assamese folk music.
• The songs are performed in Assamese, sung in chorus with clapping, at mosques, festivals and community gatherings — a public, not a private, tradition.
• Assam's other great song forms: Bihu geet, Borgeet (Sankardeva and Madhavdeva), Bon geet, Biyanaam (wedding songs) and Nichukoni geet (lullabies).
• The same syncretism is seen in Sankardeva's Ekasarana Dharma and the Satra institutions, which drew followers from every community.
Do not mix these up
• Zikir vs Zari — Zikir is a song of remembrance and praise; Zari is a song of mourning for Karbala.
• Zikir vs Borgeet — Zikir is the Islamic devotional song of Ajan Fakir; Borgeet is the Vaishnava devotional song of Sankardeva and Madhavdeva; the Zikir borrows the Borgeet's style.
Also asked from this topic: the state where the folk music tradition Zikir is popular (Assam); the Assamese song that is a lullaby (Nichukoni geet); the state of Bihu geet (Assam).

SSC Stenographer 2026 – 11 September 2026 Shift 2 · Folk music and songs by state

Q12. Which of the following statements best captures the core socio-cultural function of Villuppattu within Tamil Nadu's folk music tradition?

(a) It serves primarily as a courtly entertainment form associated with royal patrons.
(b) It promotes classical raga-based compositions through highly technical improvisation.
(c) It functions as a medium of narrative storytelling, often used to spread social, moral, and religious messages in rural communities.
(d) It is a solo dance-based form performed during agricultural harvests with no lyrical component.

Answer & solution

Answer: (c) It functions as a medium of narrative storytelling, often used to spread social, moral, and religious messages in rural communities.

Answer: Option 3 — It functions as a medium of narrative storytelling, often used to spread social, moral, and religious messages in rural communities.
Villuppattu, the "bow song", is sung storytelling: a lead singer narrates a tale in verse and prose while a chorus answers and keeps time on a bow strung with bells.
Because it holds a village audience all night, it has long been used to carry religious stories and, in modern times, social messages such as literacy, health and family-planning campaigns.
Revision note — Villuppattu and the folk arts of Tamil Nadu
• Belongs to the southern districts — Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi and Kanyakumari — and is also found in neighbouring Kerala; it is usually performed at village temple festivals.
• The main instrument is a villu (bow) about 2 m long, fixed on a clay pot (kudam) and struck with sticks; the udukkai (hourglass drum), kudam and cymbals accompany.
• The lead singer (the Pulavar or annavi) tells stories of village deities such as Sudalai Madan and Isakki Amman, as well as episodes from the epics; the chorus interjects with "aama" (yes).
• The form was popularised on radio and stage by Subbu Arumugam, who received the Padma Shri for it; governments have used it for awareness campaigns.
• Other Tamil folk performing arts: Therukoothu (street theatre), Karagattam (pot dance for Mariamman), Mayilattam (peacock dance for Murugan), Oyilattam, Kavadi Attam and Bommalattam (puppetry).
Do not mix these up
• Villuppattu vs Therukoothu — both are all-night village performances; Villuppattu is sung narration around a bow, Therukoothu is acted street theatre in costume.
• Villuppattu vs Burra Katha — the same idea of narrative song, but Burra Katha is the Telugu tradition of Andhra Pradesh, with a tambura instead of a bow.
Also asked from this topic: the state of the night-time street theatre Theru Koothu (Tamil Nadu); the deity before whose image Karakattam is performed (Goddess Mariamman).

SSC Stenographer 2026 – 11 September 2026 Shift 2 · Carnatic music

Q13. Which raga system forms the foundation of Carnatic compositions in the Andhra school, as codified in the 17th century by Venkatamakhin?

(a) Janaka Raga Paddhati
(b) Ashta Raga Melas
(c) Mela Karta System
(d) Nava Rasa Scheme

Answer & solution

Answer: (c) Mela Karta System

Answer: Option 3 — Mela Karta System
Venkatamakhin set out the scheme of 72 melakarta (parent) ragas in his Sanskrit treatise Chaturdandi Prakashika (c. 1660).
Every Carnatic raga is either a melakarta itself or a janya (derived) raga born from one of the 72.
Revision note — The melakarta scheme of Carnatic music
• Venkatamakhin (17th century), son of the scholar Govinda Dikshita, worked at the Nayak court of Thanjavur; his Chaturdandi Prakashika laid down the 72 melakartas.
• A melakarta is a sampurna raga — all seven swaras in both ascent (arohana) and descent (avarohana); a janya raga drops or twists some of them.
• The 72 are grouped into 12 chakras of 6 ragas each; the first 36 use shuddha madhyama and the next 36 use prati madhyama.
• The present names (Kanakangi, Ratnangi … Rasikapriya) come from Govindacharya's Sangraha Chudamani (18th century), which also fixed the Katapayadi numbering.
• The earlier treatise Swaramela Kalanidhi (1550) by Ramamatya of the Vijayanagara court had used only about 20 melas.
• The Hindustani parallel is the 10 thaats classified by V. N. Bhatkhande in the early 20th century.
• The Carnatic Trinity — Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar, Shyama Shastri (18th–19th century) — composed within the melakarta framework.
• Muthuswami Dikshitar followed Venkatamakhin's own (asampurna) version of the scheme.
Do not mix these up
• Melakarta (janaka) vs janya — the melakarta is the parent scale with all seven notes; the janya is derived from it and may omit notes.
• 72 melakartas vs 10 thaats — melakartas belong to Carnatic music, thaats to Hindustani music.
Also asked from this topic: the number of melakarta ragas (72); who gave the 72-mela scheme (Venkatamakhi, Chaturdandi Prakashika); the author of Swaramela-kalanidhi (Ramamatya).

SSC Stenographer 2026 – 10 September 2026 Shift 2 · Carnatic music

Q14. Who is revered as the "Pitamaha of Karnataka Sangeeta" (Grandfather of Carnatic Music) for systematizing its pedagogy and devotional compositions?

(a) Tyagaraja
(b) Annamacharya
(c) Purandara Dasa
(d) Basavanna

Answer & solution

Answer: (c) Purandara Dasa

Answer: Option 3 — Purandara Dasa
Purandara Dasa (1484–1564) is called the Pitamaha — grandfather or father — of Carnatic music because he built its teaching system.
He graded the beginner's lessons into sarale varase, janta varase and alankaras, the sequence still taught first today.
Revision note — Carnatic music and its makers
• Purandara Dasa composed thousands of kirtanas and devaranamas in Kannada, adopted raga Mayamalavagaula as the beginner's scale, and was a saint of the Haridasa movement of Karnataka.
• The Trinity of Carnatic music is Tyagaraja (1767–1847), Muthuswami Dikshitar (1775–1835) and Shyama Shastri (1762–1827); all three raised the kriti to its highest form.
• Tyagaraja composed the five Pancharatna Kritis, sung every year at the Tyagaraja Aradhana at Thiruvaiyaru.
• Annamacharya (1408–1503) of Tirupati wrote about 32,000 sankirtanas in Telugu praising Lord Venkateswara.
• The 72-melakarta scheme of parent scales was given by Venkatamakhi in the 17th-century Chaturdandi Prakashika.
• The earlier treatise Swaramela-kalanidhi (1550 CE) was written by Ramamatya, a scholar of the Vijayanagara court.
• Basavanna (12th century) was not a musician of this line — he was the Lingayat social reformer of Karnataka known for vachana literature.
Do not mix these up
• Purandara Dasa vs the Carnatic Trinity — Purandara Dasa is the Pitamaha who created the teaching method; the Trinity of Tyagaraja, Dikshitar and Shyama Shastri came three centuries later.
• Kriti vs bandish — the kriti is the fixed composition of Carnatic music; its Hindustani counterpart is the bandish.
Also asked from this topic: the year of Purandaradasa's advent (1484); who codified the method of Carnatic music (Purandara Dasa); the song form of the Haridasa movement (Devara Nama); the composer of the Pancharatna Kritis (Tyagaraja).

SSC Stenographer 2026 – 9 September 2026 Shift 1 · Folk music and songs by state

Q15. In what ways do Manganiyar and Langas musical traditions reflect the complex interplay of social hierarchy, patronage, and cultural transmission in Rajasthan’s folk music landscape?

(a) By being independent of any patronage system and performed solely in public festivals
(b) By historically relying on the patronage of Rajput and Muslim elites, these communities preserved and transmitted a rich repertoire of songs praising rulers, deities, and local legends, thus blending diverse cultural influences and sustaining their social identity through music
(c) By exclusively performing classical Hindustani music without any folk elements
(d) By rejecting all traditional instruments and focusing only on vocal performances

Answer & solution

Answer: (b) By historically relying on the patronage of Rajput and Muslim elites, these communities preserved and transmitted a rich repertoire of songs praising rulers, deities, and local legends, thus blending diverse cultural influences and sustaining their social identity through music

Answer: Option 2 — Historical reliance on Rajput and Muslim patronage, through which these communities preserved and transmitted songs of rulers, deities and local legends
The jajman, or hereditary patron, is the whole basis of both traditions.
The repertoire survived because it was sung at the patron's births, weddings and festivals, generation after generation.
Revision note — Manganiyars and Langas of western Rajasthan
• Both are hereditary professional musician communities of the Thar belt — Jaisalmer, Barmer and Jodhpur — with kin across the border in Sindh.
• Both are Muslim by faith, yet the Manganiyars sing to Hindu deities such as Krishna and Ramdevji. This is the textbook case of syncretic folk practice.
• Their patrons are the jajmans. The Manganiyars' jajmans were largely Rajput and Hindu households; the Langas' were mostly Sindhi-Sipahi Muslim patrons.
• Signature instruments — Manganiyar: the kamaicha, a bowed instrument with a round mango-wood resonator covered in goatskin, with khartal and dholak.
• Langa: the sindhi sarangi, a bowed instrument with many sympathetic strings, with satara / algoza and murli.
• Transmission is oral and hereditary, father to son, with no written notation. Their modern stage is the Rajasthan International Folk Festival (RIFF) at Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur.
Do not mix these up
• Manganiyar vs Langa — the kamaicha marks the Manganiyar, the sindhi sarangi the Langa, and their patron communities differ as well.
• Jajmani patronage vs stage performance — the tradition was sustained by hereditary patrons attached to families, not by ticketed public concerts.
Also asked from this topic: the instrument central to the Manganiyar tradition (kamaicha); the bowed Rajasthani-Sindhi instrument with sympathetic strings (Sindhi Sarangi).

SSC Stenographer 2026 – 9 September 2026 Shift 1 · Carnatic music

Q16. The padams of Kshetrayya are known for which of the following features?

(a) Purely devotional language
(b) Use of abstract philosophical ideas
(c) Sringara rasa with Nayika-Nayaka bhava
(d) Exclusive usage of Sanskrit

Answer & solution

Answer: (c) Sringara rasa with Nayika-Nayaka bhava

Answer: Option 3 — Sringara rasa with Nayika-Nayaka bhava
Kshetrayya's padams are love-lyrics in the sringara mode, sung in the voice of the nayika to her nayaka.
That heroine-hero framing is the idiom of madhura bhakti, where longing for God is set as human love.
Revision note — Kshetrayya and the padam
• Kshetrayya, also written Kshetragna, was a 17th-century Telugu composer from Muvvapuri (Movva) in Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh, close to Kuchipudi village.
• His mudra, the signature carried in every composition, is Muvva Gopala — Krishna of Muvva, who is the nayaka of the padams.
• A padam is a slow, vilamba kala lyric. Its unhurried tempo is exactly what makes it the classic vehicle for abhinaya in Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi.
• He composed in colloquial Telugu, not Sanskrit. Tradition credits him with thousands of padams, of which a few hundred survive.
• In the Bharatanatyam margam the padam sits in the abhinaya half after the varnam. Alarippu, meaning to adorn with flowers, opens the margam and the tillana closes it.
• Kuchipudi takes its name from Kuchipudi village in Krishna district and owes its dance-drama form to Siddhendra Yogi; its best-known item is the Tarangam on the rim of a brass plate.
Do not mix these up
• Kshetrayya vs Annamacharya — Annamacharya (1408 to 1503) of Tirupati wrote about 32,000 sankirtanas on Lord Venkateswara; Kshetrayya wrote padams on Muvva Gopala in the sringara mode.
• Padam vs javali — both are abhinaya pieces on love, but the padam is slow and devotional while the javali is fast and frankly secular.
Also asked from this topic: the theme of the padam in a Bharatanatyam margam (love and divine affection); the meaning of Alarippu (to adorn with flowers); the saint behind Kuchipudi (Siddhendra Yogi).

SSC Stenographer 2026 – 9 September 2026 Shift 1 · Indian classical music - overview and traditions

Q17. Which are the two principal traditions of Indian classical music?

(a) Hindustani and Western
(b) Carnatic and Hindustani
(c) Odissi and Rabindra Sangeet
(d) Gharana and Folk

Answer & solution

Answer: (b) Carnatic and Hindustani

Answer: Option 2 — Carnatic and Hindustani
Indian classical music has exactly two principal traditions — Hindustani in the North and Carnatic in the South.
Both grew from the same root and share the raga–tala framework.
Revision note — The two streams of Indian classical music
• Both traditions trace their origin to the Samaveda, and both are built on raga (melody) and tala (rhythm cycle).
• Hindustani — North India; shaped by Persian and Mughal contact; organised into gharanas (Gwalior, Kirana, Agra, Jaipur-Atrauli); instruments sitar, sarod, tabla, santoor.
• Carnatic — South India; composition-bound, the kriti being the main concert form; instruments veena, mridangam, ghatam, violin.
• Purandara Dasa is called the Father of Carnatic music; the Carnatic Trinity are Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Shyama Shastri.
• Venkatamakhi gave the 72-melakarta scheme in the 17th-century Chaturdandi Prakashika; Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande classified Hindustani ragas into 10 thaats.
• Sharangadeva's Sangita Ratnakara (13th century, Yadava court at Devagiri) is the last great text common to both, written just before the two streams parted.
Do not mix these up
• Bandish vs kriti — the fixed composition is called a bandish in Hindustani and a kriti in Carnatic.
• Gharana vs tradition — a gharana is a stylistic lineage inside Hindustani music, not a third tradition.
• Odissi vs Odissi music — Odissi is primarily a classical dance of Odisha; the two classical music systems remain only Hindustani and Carnatic.
Also asked from this topic: the author of Sangeet Ratnakara (Sharangadeva); the structured Hindustani composition (bandish); the main Carnatic concert form (kriti);
who gave the 72-melakarta scheme (Venkatamakhi).

SSC Stenographer 2026 – 9 September 2026 Shift 2 · Musical instruments and exponents

Q18. Which wind instrument is used in Nongkrem dance?

(a) Been
(b) Tangmuri
(c) Pungi
(d) Shehnai

Answer & solution

Answer: (b) Tangmuri

Answer: Option 2 — Tangmuri
The tangmuri is the reed wind instrument of the Khasi people, played with the ksing drums at the Nongkrem dance of Meghalaya.
Revision note — Nongkrem dance of Meghalaya
• Ka Pomblang Nongkrem is a five-day harvest thanksgiving dance of the Khasi tribe, held at Smit, seat of the Syiem of Khyrim, near Shillong.
• It honours the goddess Ka Blei Synshar; the goat sacrifice, pomblang, gives the festival its name.
• Unmarried girls dance in the centre in gold and silver ornaments, while men circle them with a sword in the right hand and a white yak-hair whisk in the left.
• Instruments used — the tangmuri (wind), the ksing padiah and ksing shynrang drums, and the duitara (string).
• Other dances of Meghalaya — Shad Suk Mynsiem, the spring Dance of the Joyful Heart of the Khasis, and Shad Pliang, the plate dance.
• Wangala, the hundred-drums harvest festival, and Behdienkhlam belong to the Garos and the Jaintias respectively.
Do not mix these up
• Tangmuri vs pungi (been) — the tangmuri is the Khasi reed pipe of Meghalaya; the pungi, also called been, is the snake charmer's gourd pipe of north India.
• Nongkrem vs Wangala — Nongkrem belongs to the Khasis, Wangala to the Garos.
Also asked from this topic: the state of the Nongkrem dance (Meghalaya); the community of Ka Shad Suk Mynsiem (Khasi); the state of Shad Pliang (Meghalaya).

SSC Stenographer 2026 – 9 September 2026 Shift 2 · Hindustani music (ragas, gharanas)

Q19. Which of the following vocal forms is characterized by its emphasis on the intricate development of a single raga, often with a slow, elaborate alaap followed by compositions set to complex talas?

(a) Thumri
(b) Dhrupad
(c) Tappa
(d) Khayal

Answer & solution

Answer: (b) Dhrupad

Answer: Option 2 — Dhrupad
Dhrupad is the oldest and most austere Hindustani vocal form.
A long, unhurried alap in nom-tom syllables develops one raga in full, and only then comes the composition, set to weighty talas such as Chautal (12 beats) and Dhamar (14 beats).
Thumri and tappa are light, romantic forms that move freely between ragas, so neither fits.
Revision note — Hindustani vocal forms
• Dhrupad: the oldest surviving form, grave and devotional, sung in Sanskrit and Braj Bhasha, accompanied by the pakhawaj and the tanpura.
• Its patron was Raja Man Singh Tomar of Gwalior and Tansen its greatest exponent.
• In structure dhrupad has 2 parts — alap and dhrupad proper — and the composition has 4 parts: sthayi, antara, sanchari, abhog.
• Khayal (Persian-Arabic for imagination) later replaced dhrupad as the dominant form and allows free improvisation.
• Khayal is sung as bada khayal in vilambit (slow) laya and chhota khayal in drut (fast) laya.
• Amir Khusrau is traditionally credited with the origin of khayal and Sultan Hussain Sharqi of Jaunpur with its development.
• Thumri: a light romantic form of Lucknow and Banaras, usually on Radha-Krishna themes, valuing bhav over strict grammar — Rasoolan Bai, Begum Akhtar, Girija Devi.
• Tappa: a fast form of quick, knotty phrases, grown from the songs of the camel drivers of Punjab and refined by Shori Miyan.
• Dhamar is sung in Dhamar tala on Holi themes; Tarana uses meaningless syllables; a Bandish is the fixed composition of a khayal, the Carnatic equivalent being the kriti.
• Living dhrupad gharanas: Darbhanga and Bettiah in Bihar, and the Dagar tradition.
Do not mix these up
• Dhrupad vs khayal — both develop a raga in depth, but dhrupad is austere, devotional and pakhawaj-accompanied, while khayal is ornamental, improvisatory and tabla-accompanied.
• Thumri vs tappa — both are light forms, but thumri is slow and expressive while tappa is fast with rapid rolling phrases.
Also asked from this topic: the form with a 'sombre atmosphere' stressing rhythm (Dhrupad, SSC CGL 2025); the style of which vilambit and drut are varieties (Khayal, RRB NTPC GL 2025).

SSC Stenographer 2026 – 9 September 2026 Shift 2 · Musical instruments and exponents

Q20. Which category of musical instruments does the Pakhawaj primarily belong to?

(a) Aerophone
(b) Idiophone
(c) Membranophone
(d) Chordophone

Answer & solution

Answer: (c) Membranophone

Answer: Option 3 — Membranophone
The pakhawaj is a barrel-shaped two-headed drum whose sound comes from a stretched skin (membrane), so it is a membranophone.
In the classical Indian scheme this is the Avanaddha Vadya group.
Revision note — Classification of Indian musical instruments
• The ancient classification, given in Bharata's Natyashastra, has four groups: Tata, Sushira, Avanaddha and Ghana.
• Tata Vadya — chordophones (string): sitar, sarod, veena, santoor, sarangi, violin, tanpura.
• Sushira Vadya — aerophones (wind): flute (bansuri), shehnai, nadaswaram, harmonium, conch, pungi.
• Avanaddha Vadya — membranophones (skin percussion): tabla, pakhawaj, mridangam, dholak, dhol, nagara, khol.
• Ghana Vadya — idiophones (solid, self-sounding): manjira, jhanjh, ghatam, morsing, jaltarang, ghungroo.
• The pakhawaj is regarded as the predecessor of the tabla, said to have been made by splitting it into two drums.
• It accompanies dhrupad and the Jaipur gharana of Kathak, and is played with flat, full-palm strokes for a deep resonant tone.
Do not mix these up
• Membranophone vs idiophone — in a membranophone a stretched skin vibrates (tabla, pakhawaj); in an idiophone the solid body itself vibrates (manjira, ghatam), with no skin at all.
• Pakhawaj vs mridangam — both are barrel drums, but the pakhawaj belongs to Hindustani music and the mridangam to Carnatic music.
Also asked from this topic: the group of Indian instruments known as membranophones (Avanaddha Vadya, SSC MTS 2026); the instrument regarded as the tabla's predecessor (Pakhawaj, RRB NTPC UG 2026).

SSC Stenographer 2026 – 9 September 2026 Shift 2 · Indian classical music - overview and traditions

Q21. Which of the following pairs correctly describes a fundamental aspect of Indian classical music?

(a) Raga : The system of rhythmic cycles in a composition
(b) Tala : A specific melodic structure or mode
(c) Hindustani Music : Developed under significant Turko-Persian cultural influence
(d) Carnatic Music : Primarily characterized by strict improvisation without pre-composed elements

Answer & solution

Answer: (c) Hindustani Music : Developed under significant Turko-Persian cultural influence

Answer: Option 3 — Hindustani Music : Developed under significant Turko-Persian cultural influence
Hindustani music took shape in the north under the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal courts, absorbing Turko-Persian forms, instruments and patronage.
Carnatic music in the south stayed closer to the older tradition.
Revision note — Indian classical music
• Raga is the melodic framework — a chosen set of swaras with fixed rules of ascent (aroha) and descent (avaroha); tala is the rhythmic cycle of beats (matras).
• Teentaal has 16 matras in four vibhags of four; the sam falls on matra 1 and the khali on matra 9.
• Ragas are classified by the number of notes used — Audav (5), Shadav (6) and Sampoorna (7).
• Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande (1860–1936) devised the modern Hindustani notation, wrote Kramik Pustak Maalika and grouped ragas into 10 thaats.
• Venkatamakhi gave the 72-melakarta scheme of Carnatic music in the 17th-century Chaturdandi Prakashika.
• The fixed composition is called a bandish in Hindustani music and a kriti in Carnatic music; a Carnatic concert opens with a varnam and closes with a tillana.
• Amir Khusrau of the Delhi Sultanate is traditionally credited with the khayal and qawwali — the clearest mark of the Turko-Persian layer.
Do not mix these up
• Raga vs tala — raga is melody, tala is rhythm. Options 1 and 2 of this question simply swap the two.
• Bandish vs kriti — the same idea of a fixed composition, Hindustani and Carnatic respectively.
• Hindustani vs Carnatic — Hindustani leans on improvisation within the raga; Carnatic is built around pre-composed kritis, so calling it purely improvised is wrong.
Also asked from this topic: the term for a fixed Hindustani composition (bandish); the matra on which khali falls in Teentaal (9th); the jaati of a six-note raga (Shadav); the 10 thaats (Bhatkhande).

RRB NTPC UG CBT-1 2025-26 – 20 June 2026 Shift 1 · Carnatic music

Q22. Who is credited with codifying the method of Carnatic music?

(a) Purandara Dasa
(b) Gopala Dasa
(c) Jagannatha Dasa
(d) Kanaka Dasa

Answer & solution

Answer: (a) Purandara Dasa

Carnatic Music Codification
Purandara Dasa (1484-1564)is known as the
'Father of Carnatic Music'.
He systematized the teaching method by introducing:
• Basic exercises (Sarale Varase)
• Graded lessons (Janta Varase, Alankaras)
• Structured curriculum for beginners
His contributions formed the foundation of modern
Carnatic music pedagogy.
Answer: Option 1 → Purandara Dasa

RRB NTPC UG CBT-1 2025-26 – 19 June 2026 Shift 1 · Folk music and songs by state

Q23. Which of the following folk music styles belongs to Sikkim?

(a) Baul
(b) Bihu songs
(c) Lavani
(d) Lepcha

Answer & solution

Answer: (d) Lepcha

Topic: Folk Music of Indian States
Baul→ Folk music of West Bengal and Bangladesh
Bihu songs→ Folk music of Assam
Lavani→ Folk music of Maharashtra
Lepcha→ Folk music of Sikkim (indigenous tribe)
Lepcha people are native to Sikkim and their traditional music is a major folk style of the state.
Answer: Option 4 → Lepcha

RRB NTPC UG CBT-1 2025-26 – 19 June 2026 Shift 2 · Musical instruments and exponents

Q24. Which of the following is the primary association of the Ektara, a folk musical instrument?

(a) Court dances of Tamil Nadu
(b) Folk and devotional string music
(c) Martial arts performances in Chhau dance
(d) Temple rituals in Odisha

Answer & solution

Answer: (b) Folk and devotional string music

Ektara - Folk Musical Instrument
TheEktarais a one-stringed folk instrument widely used across India.
Primary Association:
• Used by wandering minstrels (Bauls of Bengal)
• Accompanies folk songs and devotional music
• Popular in Bhakti and Sufi traditions
Not associated with court dances, martial arts, or specific temple rituals.
Answer: Option 2 → Folk and devotional string music

RRB NTPC UG CBT-1 2025-26 – 19 June 2026 Shift 3 · Folk music and songs by state

Q25. Baryi and Nyioga are folk music forms from which of the following states?

(a) Tripura
(b) Manipur
(c) Arunachal Pradesh
(d) Mizoram

Answer & solution

Answer: (c) Arunachal Pradesh

Topic: Folk Music of Northeast India
Baryi and Nyiogaare traditional folk music forms ofArunachal Pradesh.
These are indigenous musical traditions practiced by tribal communities of the state.
Arunachal Pradesh has rich cultural diversity with various folk music and dance forms.
Answer: Option 3 → Arunachal Pradesh

RRB NTPC UG CBT-1 2025-26 – 19 June 2026 Shift 3 · Carnatic music

Q26. Who among the following is NOT associated with Carnatic music?

(a) Nithyasree Mahadevan
(b) Vijayalakshmy Subramaniam
(c) DK Pattammal
(d) Ravi Shankar

Answer & solution

Answer: (d) Ravi Shankar

Topic:Indian Classical Music
Carnatic Music(South Indian classical):
• Nithyasree Mahadevan - renowned vocalist
• Vijayalakshmy Subramaniam - Carnatic vocalist
• DK Pattammal - legendary Carnatic singer
Ravi Shankar- sitar maestro, associated with
Hindustani music(North Indian classical)
Answer: Option 4 → Ravi Shankar

RRB NTPC UG CBT-1 2025-26 – 18 June 2026 Shift 1 · Musical instruments and exponents

Q27. Who is known for popularising the Santoor, an Indian classical instrument, globally?

(a) Pandit Shivkumar Sharma
(b) Pandit Ravi Shankar
(c) Ustad Amjad Ali Khan
(d) Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia

Answer & solution

Answer: (a) Pandit Shivkumar Sharma

Topic: Indian Classical Music & Instruments
Santooris a stringed percussion instrument from Kashmir.
Pandit Shivkumar Sharma(1938-2022) pioneered Santoor in classical music.
He transformed it from folk to classical instrument globally.
Other artists: Ravi Shankar (Sitar), Amjad Ali Khan (Sarod), Hariprasad Chaurasia (Flute).
Answer: Option 1 → Pandit Shivkumar Sharma

RRB NTPC UG CBT-1 2025-26 – 18 June 2026 Shift 1 · Indian classical music - overview and traditions

Q28. Which of the following traditions are the two major streams of Indian classical music?

(a) Tribal Folk and Bhakti
(b) Hindustani and Western Classical
(c) Hindustani and Carnatic
(d) Carnatic and Rajasthani Folk

Answer & solution

Answer: (c) Hindustani and Carnatic

Topic:Indian Classical Music Traditions
Two Major Streams:
1.Hindustani- North Indian classical music
2.Carnatic- South Indian classical music
Both evolved from ancient Vedic traditions and share common roots but developed distinct styles over centuries.
Answer: Option 3 → Hindustani and Carnatic

RRB NTPC UG CBT-1 2025-26 – 18 June 2026 Shift 3 · Folk music and songs by state

Q29. In which region of Gujarat are Duha, Sorathaa, Chaand, Belaads, etc. traditionally performed in folk music?

(a) Kutch
(b) Saurashtra
(c) Central Gujarat
(d) North Gujarat

Answer & solution

Answer: (b) Saurashtra

Topic: Gujarat Folk Music Traditions
Saurashtra Regionis known for its rich folk music heritage.
Traditional Forms:
• Duha - Devotional couplets
• Sorathaa - Folk poetry form
• Chaand - Lyrical compositions
• Belaads - Traditional ballads
These are characteristic folk music forms ofSaurashtra.
Answer: Option 2 → Saurashtra

RRB NTPC UG CBT-1 2025-26 – 18 June 2026 Shift 3 · Musical instruments and exponents

Q30. Ustad Amjad Ali Khan is world-renowned for playing which of the following instruments?

(a) Violin
(b) Sarod
(c) Santoor
(d) Bansuri

Answer & solution

Answer: (b) Sarod

Ustad Amjad Ali Khan
He is a legendary Indian classical musician.
Famous for playingSarod, a stringed instrument.
Belongs to the Bangash lineage of sarod players.
Recipient of Padma Vibhushan and other prestigious awards.
Answer: Option 2 → Sarod

RRB NTPC UG CBT-1 2025-26 – 17 June 2026 Shift 1 · Hindustani music (ragas, gharanas)

Q31. What is the term used for the first matra in Hindustani music’s tala system?

(a) Khali
(b) Sam
(c) Tali
(d) Laya

Answer & solution

Answer: (b) Sam

Topic:Hindustani Classical Music - Tala System
Samis the first and most important beat (matra) in a tala cycle.
It marks the beginning and end point of the rhythmic cycle.
Other terms:Tali(clap),Khali(wave),Laya(tempo).
Answer: Option 2 → Sam

RRB NTPC UG CBT-1 2025-26 – 17 June 2026 Shift 3 · Carnatic music

Q32. The term 'Kriti' in Carnatic music refers to:

(a) a compositional lyric form
(b) a type of musical ornamentation
(c) a rhythmic pattern
(d) a melodic scale in music

Answer & solution

Answer: (a) a compositional lyric form

Topic: Carnatic Music - Kriti
Kritiis the most important compositional form in Carnatic music.
It is a structured lyrical composition with three sections:
• Pallavi (refrain)
• Anupallavi (second verse)
• Charanam (final verse)
Composed by great composers like Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar.
Answer: Option 1 → a compositional lyric form

RRB NTPC UG CBT-1 2025-26 – 16 June 2026 Shift 2 · Musical instruments and exponents

Q33. Which of the following traditional Indian percussion instruments is regarded as the predecessor of the modern Tabla?

(a) Pakhawaj
(b) Thavil
(c) Dhol
(d) Kanjira

Answer & solution

Answer: (a) Pakhawaj

Topic: Indian Classical Music Instruments
Pakhawajis a barrel-shaped two-headed drum used in Hindustani classical music.
Historical evolution: Pakhawaj was split into two parts during Mughal era to create the modern Tabla.
The right head (dayan) and left head (bayan) of Pakhawaj became separate drums in Tabla.
Other options: Thavil (South Indian), Dhol (folk), Kanjira (frame drum) - not related to Tabla's origin.
Answer: Option 1 → Pakhawaj

RRB NTPC UG CBT-1 2025-26 – 16 June 2026 Shift 3 · Musical instruments and exponents

Q34. Ravi Shankar is famous for his expertise in playing which classical music instrument?

(a) Flute
(b) Tabla
(c) Sarod
(d) Sitar

Answer & solution

Answer: (d) Sitar

Ravi Shankar - Classical Music Legend
Pandit Ravi Shankar (1920-2012) was a world-renowned
Indian classical musician and composer.
He was a virtuosoSitarplayer who popularized
Indian classical music globally.
He collaborated with The Beatles and other Western artists,
bringing the sitar to international prominence.
Answer: Option 4 → Sitar

RRB NTPC UG CBT-1 2025-26 – 15 June 2026 Shift 2 · Musical instruments and exponents

Q35. Ustad Bismillah Khan was most closely associated with which musical instrument?

(a) Sarod
(b) Shehnai
(c) Tabla
(d) Sitar

Answer & solution

Answer: (b) Shehnai

Ustad Bismillah Khan - Musical Instrument
Ustad Bismillah Khan was a legendary Indian musician.
He popularized theShehnaias a classical instrument.
ReceivedBharat Ratnain 2001 for his contribution.
Famous for playing Shehnai at Red Fort on Independence Day 1947.
Answer: Option 2 → Shehnai

RRB NTPC UG CBT-1 2025-26 – 15 June 2026 Shift 3 · Hindustani music (ragas, gharanas)

Q36. The Banarasi, Patiala and Lucknow Gharanas are associated with which of the following musical styles?

(a) Chaiti
(b) Tappa
(c) Kajari
(d) Thumri

Answer & solution

Answer: (d) Thumri

Topic: Indian Classical Music - Gharanas
Thumriis a semi-classical vocal form expressing romantic and devotional themes.
Major Thumri Gharanas:
•Banaras Gharana- Known for Bol-Banav style
•Patiala Gharana- Blend of classical and light music
•Lucknow Gharana- Bol-Bant style, lyrical expression
Other options: Chaiti (folk), Tappa (fast tempo classical), Kajari (monsoon folk)
Answer: Option 4 → Thumri

RRB NTPC UG CBT-1 2025-26 – 14 June 2026 Shift 1 · Devotional and semi-classical song forms

Q37. Which of the following compositions in Hindustani music is especially associated with Sufi devotional music?

(a) Tappa
(b) Dhrupad
(c) Qawwali
(d) Tarana

Answer & solution

Answer: (c) Qawwali

Topic: Hindustani Music Forms
Qawwaliis a form of Sufi devotional music that originated in the Indian subcontinent.
It is performed at Sufi shrines (dargahs) to express devotion to Allah and Sufi saints.
Famous Qawwali singers: Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Sabri Brothers.
Other forms:Tappa (folk-based), Dhrupad (classical devotional), Tarana (rhythmic syllables).
Answer: Option 3 → Qawwali

RRB NTPC UG CBT-1 2025-26 – 14 June 2026 Shift 3 · Musical instruments and exponents

Q38. Select the correct match of the musician with their musical instrument.

(a) Ravi Shankar – Bansuri
(b) Zakir Hussain – Sitar
(c) Shiv Kumar Sharma – Sarod
(d) Bismillah Khan – Shehnai

Answer & solution

Answer: (d) Bismillah Khan – Shehnai

Famous Indian Musicians & Instruments:
Ravi Shankar →Sitar(not Bansuri)
Zakir Hussain →Tabla(not Sitar)
Shiv Kumar Sharma →Santoor(not Sarod)
Bismillah Khan →Shehnai✓
Bismillah Khan was a legendary Shehnai maestro, Bharat Ratna awardee.
Answer: Option 4 → Bismillah Khan – Shehnai

RRB NTPC UG CBT-1 2025-26 – 13 June 2026 Shift 3 · Hindustani music (ragas, gharanas)

Q39. Which of the following is NOT a style of Hindustani classical music?

(a) Varnam
(b) Khyal
(c) Dhrupad
(d) Tappa

Answer & solution

Answer: (a) Varnam

Hindustani Classical Music Styles
Khyal:Most popular vocal form in Hindustani music.
Dhrupad:Oldest and most serious form of Hindustani vocal.
Tappa:Fast-paced vocal style with intricate patterns.
Varnam:Belongs toCarnatic music(South Indian classical).
It is a composition used for practice and concerts in Carnatic tradition.
Answer: Option 1 → Varnam

RRB NTPC UG CBT-1 2025-26 – 13 June 2026 Shift 3 · Musical instruments and exponents

Q40. Which of the following is a percussion instrument commonly used in Indian classical music?

(a) Flute
(b) Mridangam
(c) Santoor
(d) Veena

Answer & solution

Answer: (b) Mridangam

Topic: Indian Classical Music Instruments
Percussion instrumentsare played by striking/beating.
Mridangam:Double-sided barrel drum, struck with hands.
Used in Carnatic music (South Indian classical).
Flute → Wind instrument (blown)
Santoor → String instrument (struck with mallets, but classified as string)
Veena → String instrument (plucked)
Answer: Option 2 → Mridangam

SSC GD 2026 – 30 May 2026 Shift 3 · Musical instruments and exponents

Q41. Which musical instrument is most commonly used in Bhangra music?

(a) Tabla
(b) Dhol
(c) Sitar
(d) Violin

Answer & solution

Answer: (b) Dhol

Correct Answer: Dhol (Option 2)
The Dhol is the most prominent and widely used instrument in Bhangra music and dance. It is a large, double-headed barrel drum beaten with two sticks. The energetic and rhythmic beats of the Dhol set the pace for Bhangra performances, which originated in Punjab.
Why others are wrong:
- Tabla : Primarily used in Hindustani classical music; not the defining instrument of Bhangra.
- Sitar: A stringed instrument associated with classical music, not Bhangra.
- Violin: A Western instrument; not traditionally associated with Bhangra music.

SSC GD 2026 – 27 May 2026 Shift 2 · Musical instruments and exponents

Q42. What type of musical instruments are ' Silyen ' or ' Bubzal ' used in Ladakh?

(a) Cymbals
(b) Drum
(c) Flute
(d) Bell

Answer & solution

Answer: (a) Cymbals

Correct Answer: Cymbals — Option (a)
Silyen (Sil-Yen) and Bubzal are traditional cymbal instruments used in Ladakh. About Silyen and Bubzal : Silyen : Traditional cymbals used in Ladakhi Buddhist music and ceremonies; They produce a crashing, ringing sound when struck together; Used in Buddhist monasteries (gompas) during rituals and prayers; Bubzal : Another form of cymbals used in Ladakhi traditional music; Both instruments are percussion instruments of the cymbal family; Cultural context in Ladakh: Ladakh has a rich tradition of Buddhist music; Musical instruments in Ladakh's Buddhist ceremonies include: Dungchen (long horns/trumpets), Gyaling (oboe-like wind instrument), Rnga / Damaru (drums), Rol- mo / Silyen (cymbals), Drilbu (hand bell), Kangling (thigh-bone trumpet); The cymbals ( rol-mo , sil -yen) are essential in Buddhist ceremonies, monastery festivals (cham dance), and traditional performances like Losar (Ladakhi New Year) and Hemis Festival; About cymbals: Cymbals ( झांझ ) are percussion instruments — two circular metal plates struck together; Produce a resonant, crashing sound; Used in orchestras, bands, and religious ceremonies worldwide; In Indian classical music, similar instruments include Manjira (small cymbals) and Jhanja ; About Hornbill Festival vs Ladakh: Unlike Nagaland's Hornbill Festival, Ladakh's major cultural festivals include Hemis Festival and Ladakh Festival where these instruments are prominently used.
Option (b) Drum — Incorrect: Silyen and Bubzal are NOT drums; they are cymbals ( झांझ ) — circular metal plates struck together; drums used in Ladakhi tradition include the Rnga or Damaru ; while drums are also part of Ladakhi musical tradition, Silyen and Bubzal specifically refer to cymbal instruments.
Option (c) Flute — Incorrect: Silyen and Bubzal are NOT flutes; they are cymbals — percussion instruments made of metal plates; wind instruments (flute-type) in Ladakhi tradition include the Gyaling (a double-reed wind instrument similar to an oboe); Silyen and Bubzal produce sound through the percussion of metal plates, making them cymbals.
Option (d) Bell — Incorrect: Silyen and Bubzal are NOT bells; bells (called Drilbu in Tibetan Buddhist tradition) are single instruments shaken or rung; cymbals ( Silyen / Bubzal ) are a pair of metal discs struck together; while both are percussion instruments used in Buddhist ceremonies in Ladakh, they are distinctly different — Silyen / Bubzal are cymbals, not bells.

SSC GD 2026 – 26 May 2026 Shift 1 · Hindustani music (ragas, gharanas)

Q43. Who is the author of the treatise 'Raga Tarangini'?

(a) Pt. Ahobala
(b) Pt. Sharngadeva
(c) Pt. Lochan
(d) Pt. Bhatkhande

Answer & solution

Answer: (c) Pt. Lochan

Correct Answer: Pt. Lochan — Option (c)
Pt. Lochan (Lochana Kavi) is the author of the treatise 'Raga Tarangini.' About Raga Tarangini: Author: Pt. Lochan (also called Lochana Kavi); 'Raga Tarangini' is an important classical treatise on Indian (Hindustani) music; It deals with ragas, their characteristics, and performance rules; Written in the medieval period; It is an important reference text for understanding the historical development of Hindustani classical music; About Pt. Lochan: Lochana Kavi was a medieval scholar of music theory; He compiled the Raga Tarangini describing the characteristics of various ragas; About other classical music treatises: Sangit Ratnakara (by Pt. Sharngadeva, 13th century): One of the most comprehensive and authoritative texts on Indian classical music; covers both Hindustani and Carnatic traditions; deals with nada, sruti , svara , grama, murchhana , tana, alankar , raga, and instruments; Pt. Sharngadeva lived in the court of King Singhana of the Yadava dynasty in Devgiri ; Sangit Parijata (by Pt. Ahobala, 17th century): Treatise on North Indian classical music; Kramik Pustak Malika (by Pt. Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande, early 20th century): Systematized Hindustani classical music into 10 thaats ; Bhatkhande also wrote 'Hindustani Sangeet Paddhati '; Swara Mela Kalanidhi: South Indian music treatise by Ramamatya (16th century).
Option (a) Pt. Ahobala — Incorrect: Pt. Ahobala (17th century) wrote 'Sangit Parijata' — NOT Raga Tarangini; his work is an important treatise on Hindustani classical music of the 17th century.
Option (b) Pt. Sharngadeva — Incorrect: Pt. Sharngadeva (13th century) wrote 'Sangit Ratnakara' — one of the most important and comprehensive texts on Indian classical music; he did NOT write Raga Tarangini. The candidate selected this incorrect option.
Option (d) Pt. Bhatkhande — Incorrect: Pt. Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande (1860-1936) wrote ' Kramik Pustak Malika' and 'Hindustani Sangeet Paddhati ' — he systematized Hindustani classical music into 10 thaats ; he did NOT write Raga Tarangini, which was authored by Pt. Lochan.

SSC GD 2026 – 26 May 2026 Shift 3 · Musical instruments and exponents

Q44. Which traditional Rajasthani musical instrument is a long bronze trumpet made in two parts with a funnel-shaped mouth?

(a) Turhi
(b) Timki
(c) Sarod
(d) Santoor

Answer & solution

Answer: (a) Turhi

Correct Answer: Turhi — Option (a)
Turhi ( तुरही ) is the traditional Rajasthani musical instrument described — a long bronze trumpet made in two parts with a funnel-shaped mouth. About Turhi : Type: Wind instrument (aerophone) — a brass/bronze trumpet; Construction: Long, made in two separable parts for portability; Mouth: Funnel-shaped (wide bell/flare at the end); Material: Bronze (Kansa — an alloy of copper and tin); Played by: Lips vibrating at the mouthpiece while air is blown through; Sound: Loud, powerful, ceremonial sound; Used for: Royal ceremonial occasions in Rajasthan, religious festivals, processions, weddings, royal durbar occasions; Historical use: Used in royal courts of Rajputana to announce the arrival of royalty; Sounded during battle charges and royal ceremonies; About other Rajasthani instruments: Shehnai: A double-reed woodwind instrument (oboe-type); Pung/Nagara: Large kettledrums; Dhol : Double-headed cylindrical drum; Algoza : Double flute played simultaneously; Morchang (Jew's harp): Small metal instrument played with mouth and finger; Rawanhattha : Bowed string instrument, claimed to be oldest such instrument; About other options: Timki : A small earthen pot-drum used in folk music; Sarod: A North Indian classical string instrument (plucked) — NOT a Rajasthani trumpet; Santoor: A 100-string hammered dulcimer associated with Kashmiri classical music — NOT a Rajasthani trumpet.
Option (b) Timki — Incorrect: Timki is a small earthen pot-drum (membranophone) — it is a percussion instrument played with hands; it is NOT a long bronze trumpet with a funnel-shaped mouth; the correct answer is Turhi .
Option (c) Sarod — Incorrect: The Sarod is a North Indian classical string instrument — it is a plucked instrument with a metal fingerboard and goat-skin resonating membrane; it has no resemblance to a bronze trumpet; it is associated with Hindustani classical music, not a Rajasthani ceremonial trumpet. The candidate selected this incorrect option.
Option (d) Santoor — Incorrect: The Santoor is a 100-string hammered dulcimer (chordophone) associated with Kashmiri folk and classical music; it is played with wooden mallets striking strings over a trapezoidal body; it is NOT a Rajasthani bronze trumpet; Turhi is the correct answer.

SSC GD 2026 – 25 May 2026 Shift 1 · Musical instruments and exponents

Q45. Which of the following is an indigenous wind instrument, also known as ' Nayanam '?

(a) Gogona
(b) Timki
(c) Harmonium
(d) Nadaswaram

Answer & solution

Answer: (d) Nadaswaram

Correct Answer: Nadaswaram — Option (d)
Nadaswaram (also known as Nayanam or Nagaswaram) is an indigenous wind instrument of South India. About Nadaswaram : Also known as: Nagaswaram, Nayanam , Nathaswaram ; Type: Double-reed aerophone (wind instrument); Origin: South India, particularly Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Kerala; It is one of the loudest non-brass acoustic instruments in the world; Made from a special hardwood ( aacha maram ) and has a conical bore; Typically about 60-75 cm long; Played in pairs — one as the main instrument and another (called ' thavil ' accompaniment); Traditionally: Nadaswaram is considered sacred and is played at Hindu temple ceremonies, weddings, and festivals; Often called a 'Mangala Vadyam ' (auspicious instrument); Famous Nadaswaram artists: Sheik Chinna Moulana, T.N. Rajarattinam Pillai; The name ' Nayanam ' or 'Nagaswaram' comes from 'Naga' (serpent — as it coils like a serpent in its curved form) + 'Swaram' (musical note); About other options: Gogona : A jaw harp (mouth harp) from Assam — plucked string instrument held between the teeth; Timki : A small drum/percussion instrument from folk traditions; Harmonium: A keyboard instrument (not indigenous — introduced from the West, adapted in India).
Option (a) Gogona — Incorrect: Gogona is a traditional jaw harp (Jew's harp) from Assam — it is a mouth-resonated plucked string instrument, NOT a wind instrument known as ' Nayanam '; Nadaswaram is the instrument called Nayanam .
Option (b) Timki — Incorrect: Timki is a small traditional drum (percussion instrument) from Rajasthan/North India — it is NOT a wind instrument and is not called ' Nayanam '; Nadaswaram is the correct answer.
Option (c) Harmonium — Incorrect: The Harmonium is a keyboard wind instrument (air is pushed through metal reeds by bellows) — but it is NOT an indigenous Indian instrument (it was introduced by Western missionaries); and it is not known as ' Nayanam '; Nadaswaram is the indigenous wind instrument called Nayanam .

SSC GD 2026 – 25 May 2026 Shift 1 · Musical instruments and exponents

Q46. 'Toor', a cylindrical musical instrument made of clay with leather surfaces on both sides, is a type of _____.

(a) Harmonium
(b) Dhol
(c) Cymbal ( Jhanjh )
(d) Guitar

Answer & solution

Answer: (b) Dhol

Correct Answer: Dhol — Option (b)
'Toor' is a traditional cylindrical clay drum with leather on both sides — making it a type of Dhol (membranophone/percussion instrument). About Toor: 'Toor' is a traditional folk percussion instrument; It is made of clay (terracotta) in a cylindrical shape; Both sides are covered with leather/animal skin (membrane); Played by striking with hands; It is classified as a membranophone (instrument that produces sound through a vibrating membrane/skin); A Dhol is broadly defined as a cylindrical double-headed drum — hence Toor is a type of Dhol ; Classification of musical instruments (Hornbostel-Sachs): Membranophones: Instruments with vibrating membranes (drums) — Dhol , Tabla , Mridangam, Dholak, Toor; Idiophones: Instruments that vibrate as a whole — cymbals ( Jhanjh ), bells, maracas; Chordophones: String instruments — guitar, sitar, veena, violin; Aerophones: Wind instruments — harmonium, flute, nadaswaram , shehnai; Electrophones: Electronic instruments; Indian drums ( Dhol family): Dhol (cylindrical, double-headed, used in Punjab/North India), Dholak (smaller, double-headed), Mridangam (South India, classical), Tabla (pair of drums, Hindustani classical), Nagara/ Naqqara (kettle drum), Toor (Rajasthan/folk tradition).
Option (a) Harmonium — Incorrect: Harmonium is a keyboard aerophone (wind instrument) — it produces sound through air pushed through metal reeds; it is not a percussion instrument and does not have leather membranes; 'Toor' is a membrane drum (type of Dhol ).
Option (c) Cymbal ( Jhanjh ) — Incorrect: Cymbals ( Jhanjh ) are idiophones — circular metal plates struck together to produce sound; they do NOT have leather membranes or clay bodies; 'Toor' is a clay drum with leather membranes (type of Dhol ). The candidate selected this incorrect option.
Option (d) Guitar — Incorrect: Guitar is a chordophone (string instrument) — it produces sound through vibrating strings; it has no leather membrane or clay body; 'Toor' is a clay membrane drum (a type of Dhol ).

SSC GD 2026 – 25 May 2026 Shift 2 · Devotional and semi-classical song forms

Q47. ' Sufiana Kalam', a classical music style that uses its own ragas known as muqam , is associated with _____.

(a) Kashmir
(b) Kerala
(c) Telangana
(d) West Bengal

Answer & solution

Answer: (a) Kashmir

Correct Answer: Kashmir — Option (a)
' Sufiana Kalam' is a classical Sufi music tradition associated with Kashmir. About Sufiana Kalam: Also spelled: Sufiana Kalaam , Sufiana Kalam; Origin: Kashmir Valley, Jammu and Kashmir; Type: Classical Sufi devotional music; ' Sufiana ' means 'of or relating to Sufism' (Islamic mysticism); 'Kalam' means 'word/speech' — referring to the devotional poetry sung in this tradition; Unique feature: It uses its own ragas called 'Maqam' ( Muqam ) — these are not the same as Hindustani classical ragas; The Maqam system has 6 main Maqams (modes/ragas) unique to Sufiana Kalam; Language: Persian and Kashmiri; Instruments used: Santoor (100-string struck dulcimer — most prominently), Sitar, Tabla , Wasul (a string instrument); Famous exponent: Ustad Mohammad Yaqoob Mashroo (renowned Sufiana Kalam artist from Kashmir); Cultural significance: Sufiana Kalam represents a unique synthesis of Persian Sufi poetry with the melodic traditions of the Kashmir Valley; It is a centuries-old tradition that flourished under the patronage of Kashmir's rulers; It has been performed in 'Mehfils' (musical gatherings) in Kashmir for generations; UNESCO recognition: Sufiana Kalam has been recognized as part of Kashmir's intangible cultural heritage.
Option (b) Kerala — Incorrect: Kerala is not associated with Sufiana Kalam; Kerala's classical music tradition includes Carnatic music, Sopana Sangeetham (temple music), and folk forms like Thiruvathirakali songs; Sufiana Kalam is specifically from Kashmir.
Option (c) Telangana — Incorrect: Telangana is associated with Carnatic classical music, Perini dance, and folk traditions like Lambadi — not with Sufiana Kalam; this Sufi classical music form is exclusively from the Kashmir Valley. The candidate selected this incorrect option.
Option (d) West Bengal — Incorrect: West Bengal is famous for Baul music, Rabindra Sangeet (Tagore's songs), and Kirtan — not Sufiana Kalam; the Sufiana Kalam tradition with its unique Maqam ragas is specific to Kashmir.

SSC GD 2026 – 25 May 2026 Shift 3 · Folk music and songs by state

Q48. The ' Khudad ' folk songs are traditionally associated with which Indian state?

(a) Rajasthan
(b) Assam
(c) Karnataka
(d) Uttarakhand

Answer & solution

Answer: (d) Uttarakhand

Correct Answer: Uttarakhand — Option (d)
The ' Khudad ' ( खुदेड़ ) folk songs are traditionally associated with Uttarakhand. About Khudad Folk Songs: Khudad ( खुदेड़ ) are traditional folk songs of Uttarakhand, particularly associated with the Kumaoni culture/region; These songs are typically sung during religious festivals, seasonal celebrations, and community gatherings; They are an important part of Uttarakhand's rich intangible cultural heritage; Linguistic roots: In Kumaoni , ' khudad ' or ' khudaad ' relates to a style of community folk singing; Performed by: Women and men in communal settings; Traditional folk music of Uttarakhand includes various genres: Jhora, Chanchari, Baira, Hurkiya Bol, Choliya songs, Mangal songs, Khudad , and Jagar (shamanic singing); About Uttarakhand's cultural heritage: Uttarakhand (formed November 9, 2000) is known as ' Devbhoomi ' (Land of Gods); Capital: Dehradun (temporary), Gairsain (summer/official); Famous folk dances: Choliya , Langvir Nritya, Jhora, Chanchari; Famous folk instruments: Dhol , Damau, Turri, Ransingha , Hurka; Classical Uttarakhand singing forms: Jagar (worship songs), Nyoli (songs of separation), Bairagi songs.
Option (a) Rajasthan — Incorrect: Rajasthan has its own rich folk music traditions ( Maand , Padharo Mhare Des, Gorbandh , Kesariya Balam) — ' Khudad ' folk songs are not from Rajasthan; they are associated with Uttarakhand's Kumaoni culture.
Option (b) Assam — Incorrect: Assam has its own folk music traditions (Bihu songs, Goalparia lokgeeti , Bhortal Nritya) — ' Khudad ' folk songs are not from Assam; they belong to the Uttarakhand folk music tradition.
Option (c) Karnataka — Incorrect: Karnataka has folk music traditions like Janapada Geete, Veeragase , Dollu Kunitha — ' Khudad ' folk songs are not associated with Karnataka; they are traditional folk songs of Uttarakhand.

SSC GD 2026 – 25 May 2026 Shift 3 · Musical instruments and exponents

Q49. ' Lemlaawi ', a musical instrument belonging to the jaw harp family, is a traditional musical instrument of which state?

(a) Telangana
(b) Mizoram
(c) Gujarat
(d) Karnataka

Answer & solution

Answer: (b) Mizoram

Correct Answer: Mizoram — Option (b)
Lemlaawi is a traditional jaw harp instrument associated with Mizoram. About Lemlaawi : Also known as: Lemlawi , Lam-Laawi; Type: Jaw harp (Jew's harp) — a mouth-resonated plucked instrument; Region: Mizoram, Northeast India; Played by: The Mizo people of Mizoram; How it's played: The instrument is held between the teeth or lips; a metal or bamboo tongue is plucked to produce sound; the player's oral cavity acts as a resonance chamber; Changing the mouth shape and breathing modulates the pitch; About Jaw Harps in India: The jaw harp is one of the most ancient instruments found across many cultures; Different names in India: Gogona (Assam), Morsing/ Morchang (Rajasthan/South India), Lemlaawi (Mizoram), Chang (Manipur/Northeast); About Mizoram's traditional music: Mizoram has a rich tradition of folk music; Traditional instruments: Khuang (drum), Dar (gong), Rawchher (flute), Tumphit (bamboo flute), Lemlaawi (jaw harp); Mizo music is characterized by choral singing and ensemble performances; Dance and music are integral to Mizo cultural celebrations like Chapchar Kut (spring festival), Mim Kut, and Pawl Kut.
Option (a) Telangana — Incorrect: Telangana's traditional instruments include Dappu (drum), Kinnera (string instrument), and Pambai (wind instrument) — Lemlaawi is not associated with Telangana; it is a traditional jaw harp of Mizoram.
Option (c) Gujarat — Incorrect: Gujarat's traditional folk instruments include Ravanahatha , Ektaro , Jhanjh , Nagara — the Lemlaawi jaw harp is not a Gujarati instrument; it belongs to the folk music tradition of Mizoram in Northeast India.
Option (d) Karnataka — Incorrect: Karnataka's traditional instruments include the Yakshagana percussion set (Chande, Maddale ), Kambi Thamburi, Dotara — Lemlaawi is not a Karnataka instrument; it is specifically a traditional jaw harp of Mizoram.

SSC GD 2026 – 22 May 2026 Shift 2 · Musical instruments and exponents

Q50. In 1875, Dwarkanath Ghosh designed his version of the Indian hand-pumped _____ in Calcutta.

(a) Tabla
(b) Guitar
(c) Bansuri (Flute)
(d) Harmonium

Answer & solution

Answer: (d) Harmonium

Correct Answer: Harmonium — Option (d)
In 1875, Dwarkanath Ghosh designed the Indian version of the hand-pumped Harmonium in Calcutta. About the Harmonium in India: The harmonium is a keyboard instrument that produces sound by pushing air through metal reeds; The Western harmonium (foot-pumped/pedal-operated) was introduced to India by Christian missionaries in the early 19th century; Indian adaptation: Dwarkanath Ghosh (also spelled Dwarkanath Ghosh or Dwarkadas Ghosh) redesigned/adapted the Western harmonium to create the hand-pumped version in Calcutta in 1875; The Indian hand-pumped harmonium: The bellows (air pump) are operated by one hand while the other hand plays the keyboard — making it possible for a single Indian musician to play and pump simultaneously; This made it far more practical for Indian classical and semi-classical music performances; Significance in Indian music: The Indian harmonium became ubiquitous in Indian classical (Hindustani), devotional (bhajan, kirtan), ghazal, thumri, and popular music; It was embraced by virtually all genres of North Indian music; Initially, All India Radio (AIR) banned the harmonium (in 1940) due to its tempered Western scale not fitting Indian microtones — the ban was lifted in 1971; Famous harmonium players: Tulsidas Borkar, Govindrao Tembe, Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar accompaniment; The harmonium remains one of the most widely used instruments in Indian music today.
Option (a) Tabla — Incorrect: The Tabla is an ancient Indian percussion instrument (double drum) with a long history predating 1875 — it was NOT designed by Dwarkanath Ghosh in 1875; Tabla's origins are traced to the splitting of the Pakhawaj (mridangam-like drum), possibly by Amir Khusrow or developed gradually over centuries.
Option (b) Guitar — Incorrect: The Guitar is a Western stringed instrument — Dwarkanath Ghosh is not associated with designing any version of the guitar; he is specifically known for designing the Indian hand-pumped harmonium in Calcutta in 1875.
Option (c) Bansuri (Flute) — Incorrect: The Bansuri is an ancient Indian bamboo flute with origins going back thousands of years (associated with Lord Krishna) — it was not 'designed' by Dwarkanath Ghosh in 1875; Ghosh's contribution was the Indian hand-pumped harmonium. The candidate selected this incorrect option.

SSC GD 2026 – 22 May 2026 Shift 2 · Musical instruments and exponents

Q51. Who is known as the 'God of Ghatam' for popularizing the clay pot musical instrument 'Ghatam'?

(a) Bhimsen Joshi
(b) T.H. Vinayakram
(c) Pandit Shivkumar Sharma
(d) T.M. Krishna

Answer & solution

Answer: (b) T.H. Vinayakram

Correct Answer: T.H. Vinayakram — Option (b)
T.H. Vinayakram is known as the 'God of Ghatam' for his extraordinary skill and contribution to popularizing the Ghatam. About T.H. Vinayakram : Full name: Thiruvarur Bakthavathsalam Vinayakram; Born: 1942 in Thiruvarur , Tamil Nadu; He is a Carnatic percussionist who mastered the Ghatam — a clay pot percussion instrument; Awarded the Padma Bhushan (India's third highest civilian honour ) in 2012; International fame: He gained worldwide recognition through his collaboration with world music icon John McLaughlin's band Shakti (which fused jazz with Indian classical music) in the 1970s-80s; About the Ghatam: A large clay pot/earthen pot (typically terracotta) used as a percussion instrument in Carnatic music; The musician strikes it with fingers, palms, and the heel of the hand to produce various tones; The pitch can be altered by pressing the pot against the abdomen; The opening of the pot is pointed away from the performer and sometimes used as a resonating chamber; Other performers: Vikku Vinayakram (T.H. Vinayakram's son) is also a renowned Ghatam artist; About other options: Bhimsen Joshi (Pandit Bhimsen Joshi): Legendary Hindustani vocalist, Bharat Ratna awardee — not a Ghatam player; Pandit Shivkumar Sharma: Legendary Santoor maestro, popularized the Santoor in classical music — not associated with Ghatam; T.M. Krishna: Renowned Carnatic vocalist — vocalist, not a Ghatam player.
Option (a) Bhimsen Joshi — Incorrect: Pandit Bhimsen Joshi was one of India's greatest Hindustani classical vocalists (Kirana Gharana), known for his Khayal performances and bhajans — he is not associated with the Ghatam; T.H. Vinayakram is the 'God of Ghatam'.
Option (c) Pandit Shivkumar Sharma — Incorrect: Pandit Shivkumar Sharma (1938-2022) was the maestro who popularized the Santoor (a Kashmiri string instrument) in Indian classical music — he is not associated with the Ghatam; T.H. Vinayakram is known as the 'God of Ghatam'.
Option (d) T.M. Krishna — Incorrect: T.M. Krishna ( Thodur Madabusi Krishna) is a celebrated Carnatic vocalist known for his boundary-crossing approach to classical music and advocacy for making music accessible — he is a vocalist, not a Ghatam percussionist; T.H. Vinayakram is the 'God of Ghatam'.

SSC GD 2026 – 21 May 2026 Shift 1 · Folk music and songs by state

Q52. Which folk songs are sung in Chhattisgarh to welcome the arrival of spring?

(a) Rai
(b) Phag (Fag)
(c) Kavini
(d) Kolatam

Answer & solution

Answer: (b) Phag (Fag)

Correct Answer: Phag (Fag) — Option (b)
Phag (also called Fag) folk songs are sung in Chhattisgarh to welcome the arrival of spring (Vasant Ritu). Key facts about Phag : ' Phag ' (or Phaag ) songs are folk songs associated with the season of spring and the festival of Holi; In Chhattisgarh, phag songs are sung during Holi and the spring season to celebrate the arrival of flowers, new leaves, and warmth; The songs are full of joy, color, and festivity — expressing the exuberance of spring; Musical style: Phag songs are typically sung in groups, often with men and women singing separately or together; Instruments: Accompanied by traditional instruments like dholak, mandar, and harmonium; Themes: Love, nature, colors of Holi, joy of spring; Similar traditions: Phag songs exist in other states too (Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh) but they are distinctively associated with Chhattisgarh's spring celebration; Regional significance: Chhattisgarh has a rich tradition of folk music including Pandwani , Rai, and Phag .
Option (a) Rai — Incorrect: Rai is also a folk dance/music tradition from Chhattisgarh/Bundelkhand (and is associated with the Bedia community), but it is NOT specifically associated with the arrival of spring — Phag (Fag) is the folk song tradition specifically for welcoming spring in Chhattisgarh.
Option (c) Kavini — Incorrect: Kavini is a term more associated with Tamil/South Indian poetic tradition; it is NOT a Chhattisgarh folk song tradition associated with the spring season.
Option (d) Kolatam — Incorrect: Kolatam (also known as Kolannalu or Kolattam ) is a stick dance/folk tradition from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana (not Chhattisgarh); it is performed during festivals but is not specifically associated with welcoming spring in Chhattisgarh. The candidate selected this incorrect option.

SSC GD 2026 – 21 May 2026 Shift 1 · Folk music and songs by state

Q53. The 'Gajan' folk songs depicting dialogues between deities are traditionally associated with which Indian state?

(a) Maharashtra
(b) Punjab
(c) Nagaland
(d) West Bengal

Answer & solution

Answer: (d) West Bengal

Correct Answer: West Bengal — Option (d)
The 'Gajan' folk songs and festival depicting dialogues between deities are traditionally associated with West Bengal. Key facts about Gajan: Gajan is a Hindu festival celebrated primarily in rural West Bengal (and parts of Odisha and Bangladesh); It is dedicated to deities Shiva (Mahadeva), Neel (a form of Shiva), and Dharmaraj; The festival involves religious performances including songs and dramatic enactments depicting dialogues between deities; Timing: Gajan is celebrated in the Bengali month of Chaitra (usually March-April), just before the Bengali New Year (Poila Baisakh); Features: Devotees called 'sannyasis' or 'bhaktas' observe fasts, perform rituals, and enact scenes from mythology; they undergo various austerities including fire-walking, skewering, and swinging from hooks as acts of devotion; Folk songs and performances: Gajan songs describe stories of Shiva, his interactions with other deities, and mythological narratives; These are performed in village squares and temple courtyards; Significance: Gajan marks the end of the agricultural year and is deeply embedded in Bengal's rural cultural identity.
Option (a) Maharashtra — Incorrect: Gajan is NOT associated with Maharashtra; Maharashtra's folk traditions include Lavani, Tamasha, Povada , and Gondhal — none of which are Gajan; Gajan is specifically a West Bengal folk festival. The candidate selected this incorrect option.
Option (b) Punjab — Incorrect: Gajan is not associated with Punjab; Punjab's folk traditions include Bhangra, Giddha , and Boliyan ; Gajan is a specific folk festival and musical tradition of West Bengal.
Option (c) Nagaland — Incorrect: Nagaland's folk traditions are those of the Naga tribes (Hornbill Festival, war dances, Rengma Naga folk songs, etc.); Gajan is not associated with Nagaland — it is a West Bengali folk tradition.

SSC GD 2026 – 21 May 2026 Shift 2 · Hindustani music (ragas, gharanas)

Q54. In which Indian city is the ' Harballabh Sangeet Mela' celebrated?

(a) Gwalior
(b) Bhopal
(c) Jalandhar
(d) Varanasi

Answer & solution

Answer: (c) Jalandhar

Correct Answer: Jalandhar — Option (c)
The Harballabh Sangeet Mela ( Harballabh Sangeet Sammelan) is celebrated in Jalandhar, Punjab. Key facts about Harballabh Sangeet Mela: It is one of the oldest ongoing classical music festivals in India and possibly in the world; Named after: Sant Harballabh (Swami Harballabh), a 19th-century saint and musician who was a devotee of Goddess Devi (Shakti); Venue: Held at the Devi Talab Mandir (Devi Talab Temple) complex in Jalandhar, Punjab; Timing: Traditionally held in December (around December 23-25) every year; Duration: Typically a 3-day festival; Music tradition: Focuses on Hindustani classical music — vocalists and instrumentalists perform throughout the day and night; Notable feature: No payment is given to performers — they participate purely as an act of devotion (seva) to the Goddess; History: The festival has been held continuously for over 150 years (started in the mid-19th century); Significance: It attracts some of the finest classical musicians from across India.
Option (a) Gwalior — Incorrect: Gwalior is famous for its own music heritage — the Gwalior Gharana (one of the oldest schools of Hindustani classical music) and the Tansen Sangeet Samaroh (held in Gwalior at the tomb of Tansen, the legendary musician at Akbar's court) — but NOT the Harballabh Sangeet Mela; that is held in Jalandhar. The candidate selected this incorrect option.
Option (b) Bhopal — Incorrect: Bhopal hosts various cultural festivals but is not the city where the Harballabh Sangeet Mela is held; the Harballabh festival is in Jalandhar, Punjab.
Option (d) Varanasi — Incorrect: Varanasi (Banaras) is a major center of classical music ( Benaras Gharana) and hosts festivals like the Sankat Mochan Sangeet Samaroh — but the Harballabh Sangeet Mela specifically is held in Jalandhar, Punjab, not Varanasi.

SSC GD 2026 – 21 May 2026 Shift 3 · Musical instruments and exponents

Q55. The traditional Mizo musical instrument 'Tingtang' is known as the Mizo version of which instrument?

(a) Flute
(b) Drum
(c) Guitar
(d) Cymbal

Answer & solution

Answer: (c) Guitar

Correct Answer: Guitar — Option (c)
The traditional Mizo musical instrument 'Tingtang' is known as the Mizo version of the Guitar. About Tingtang: The Tingtang is a traditional stringed instrument of the Mizo people of Mizoram (a state in Northeast India); It is essentially the indigenous Mizo equivalent of a guitar — a plucked stringed instrument; Construction: Traditionally made from bamboo and other locally available materials; has strings that are plucked to produce music; Musical tradition of Mizoram: Mizo music has a rich tradition with various traditional instruments: Tingtang (guitar equivalent — plucked strings), Darkhuang (gong), Bengbung (drum), Khuang (drum), Phenglawng (flute), Hnahtum (mouth organ); Cultural significance: The Tingtang reflects the creative ingenuity of the Mizo people in adapting traditional musical forms; it is used in folk songs, community celebrations, and cultural events; About Mizoram: Located in Northeast India; the Mizo people are primarily of Tibeto-Burman origin; known for their musical traditions, literacy (one of highest literacy rates in India), and vibrant folk culture; Capital: Aizawl.
Option (a) Flute — Incorrect: The Mizo version of the flute is called ' Phenglawng ' (a bamboo flute) — not Tingtang; the Tingtang is the Mizo version of the guitar (plucked stringed instrument).
Option (b) Drum — Incorrect: The Mizo drums are called ' Khuang ' and ' Bengbung ' — not Tingtang; Tingtang is a plucked stringed instrument equivalent to the guitar, not a drum.
Option (d) Cymbal — Incorrect: The Mizo cymbal/gong equivalent is called ' Darkhuang ' — not Tingtang; Tingtang is specifically the Mizo version of the guitar (a plucked stringed instrument).

SSC GD 2026 – 20 May 2026 Shift 2 · Musical instruments and exponents

Q56. Which musical instrument is usually used during Gidda performance?

(a) Tabla
(b) Dhol
(c) Harmonium
(d) Sarangi

Answer & solution

Answer: (b) Dhol

Correct Answer: Dhol — Option (b)
Gidda (also spelled Giddha ) is a vibrant and colourful folk dance of Punjab, traditionally performed by women during festivals and celebrations like Teej , Vaisakhi, and Teeyan . The Dhol (a large, double-headed barrel drum played with sticks) is the primary musical instrument used during Gidda performances. The rhythm of the Dhol sets the beat for the energetic dance moves. Gidda performances also feature Boliyaan — short, witty, and often humorous folk couplets that are sung and clapped to during the dance. The dance involves synchronized hand movements, clapping, spinning, and lively footwork. Gidda is the female counterpart of Bhangra, the popular folk dance of Punjabi men.
Option (a) Tabla — Incorrect: The Tabla is a pair of hand drums primarily used in Hindustani classical music, light classical music, and some folk traditions; it is not the primary instrument for Gidda, which uses the Dhol .
Option (c) Harmonium — Incorrect: The Harmonium is a keyboard instrument that provides melodic accompaniment in devotional music, ghazals, and some folk styles; it is not the primary accompanying instrument for the Gidda dance.
Option (d) Sarangi — Incorrect: The Sarangi is a bowed string instrument used mainly in Hindustani classical music and some folk traditions of Rajasthan; it is not the instrument associated with Gidda — the Dhol is the correct answer.

SSC GD 2026 – 20 May 2026 Shift 2 · Musical instruments and exponents

Q57. The wind instrument 'Kali' used in Assam is considered a more developed version of which instrument?

(a) Jhanjh (Cymbals)
(b) Shehnai
(c) Dhoom (Drum)
(d) Guitar

Answer & solution

Answer: (b) Shehnai

Correct Answer: Shehnai — Option (b)
The 'Kali' is a traditional wind ( sushir ) instrument used in Assam and is considered a more developed version of the Shehnai. The Shehnai is a classical Indian wind instrument — a double-reed woodwind that produces a distinctive, vibrant sound. It is widely used in auspicious occasions, temple music, and classical performances. The 'Kali' in Assamese music tradition evolved from the Shehnai with adaptations suited to the local cultural context. Assam has a rich tradition of folk and classical musical instruments: The Pepa (a horn-based wind instrument) is another famous Assamese wind instrument; The Gogona (a jaw harp), Khol (a drum), and Taal (cymbals) are other traditional instruments; The Borgeet (devotional songs of Shankardev ) tradition uses various wind and percussion instruments. The relationship between 'Kali' and Shehnai reflects the evolution of wind instruments across Indian musical traditions.
Option (a) Jhanjh (Cymbals) — Incorrect: Jhanjh are percussion instruments (metal cymbals struck together); they are not wind instruments and are not related to the 'Kali'. The 'Kali' is a wind instrument descended from the Shehnai.
Option (c) Dhoom (Drum) — Incorrect: A drum is a percussion instrument, not a wind instrument; the 'Kali' (Kali) is a wind instrument and its origin/development is traced to the Shehnai, not drums.
Option (d) Guitar — Incorrect: The guitar is a string (chordophone) instrument of Western origin; it has no connection to the traditional Assamese wind instrument 'Kali', which is considered a more developed version of the Shehnai.

SSC GD 2026 – 19 May 2026 Shift 1 · Folk music and songs by state

Q58. 'Chakri' traditional music is related to _____.

(a) Karnataka
(b) Telangana
(c) Madhya Pradesh
(d) Jammu and Kashmir

Answer & solution

Answer: (d) Jammu and Kashmir

Correct Answer: Jammu and Kashmir — Option (d)
Chakri is a traditional folk music genre of Jammu and Kashmir, particularly popular among the Gujjar, Bakerwal , and Pahari communities of the region. Chakri music is characterized by melodic folk songs accompanied by traditional instruments such as the rubab , sarangi, tumbaknari (earthen drum), and harmonium. The songs typically revolve around themes of love, nature, separation, devotion, and the landscape of Kashmir. Chakri is performed at cultural gatherings, weddings, and festivals. It is part of the rich musical heritage of Jammu & Kashmir and has been recognized as an important intangible cultural heritage of the region.
Option (a) Karnataka — Incorrect: Karnataka is known for classical Carnatic music traditions, Yakshagana (folk theatre), and Dollu Kunitha (drum dance); Chakri music is not associated with Karnataka.
Option (b) Telangana — Incorrect: Telangana has its own folk music traditions including Perini, Oggu Katha, and Lambadi folk songs; Chakri is the folk music of Jammu and Kashmir.
Option (c) Madhya Pradesh — Incorrect: Madhya Pradesh is associated with folk music forms like Rai, Karma, and Pandwani ; the Chakri tradition belongs to Jammu and Kashmir.

SSC GD 2026 – 19 May 2026 Shift 3 · Folk music and songs by state

Q59. Which Indian region is known for its Baul singing tradition?

(a) Gujarat
(b) Tamil Nadu
(c) Bengal
(d) Punjab

Answer & solution

Answer: (c) Bengal

Correct Answer: Bengal — Option (c)
Baul is a syncretic religious sect and unique tradition of folk music and wandering minstrelsy that originated and flourished in Bengal (West Bengal, India, and Bangladesh). The Bauls are a group of mystic minstrels who sing devotional folk songs called 'Baul gaan ', blending elements of Hinduism (Vaishnavism), Sufism, and Tantric Buddhism. They typically wear saffron robes, play the ektara (one-stringed instrument) and duggi (a small drum), and travel from village to village singing spiritual songs about the quest for the divine. UNESCO recognized the Baul tradition as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008. Rabindranath Tagore was greatly influenced by Baul music, which in turn influenced many of his compositions.
Option (a) Gujarat — Incorrect: Gujarat is known for its folk music traditions like Garba and Dandiya Raas; the Baul singing tradition is specific to Bengal, not Gujarat.
Option (b) Tamil Nadu — Incorrect: Tamil Nadu is known for its classical Carnatic music, Bharatanatyam, and folk traditions like Koothu and Kolattam ; the Baul tradition belongs to Bengal.
Option (d) Punjab — Incorrect: Punjab is known for Bhangra, Giddha , and folk music forms like Dhol and Tumbi; the Baul mystic folk music tradition is exclusive to the Bengal region.

SSC GD 2026 – 19 May 2026 Shift 3 · Hindustani music (ragas, gharanas)

Q60. Which Thaat is associated with Raag Yaman in Hindustani classical music?

(a) Kafi
(b) Bilawal
(c) Kalyan
(d) Bhairav

Answer & solution

Answer: (c) Kalyan

Correct Answer: Kalyan — Option (c)
Raag Yaman belongs to the Kalyan Thaat in Hindustani classical music. The Kalyan Thaat is characterised by the use of all seven Shuddha (natural) notes except for the Teevra (sharp) Madhyam (Ma#) instead of the Shuddha Madhyam. Raag Yaman (also known as Raag Yaman Kalyan or Emaan) is an evening raag performed in the first quarter of the night. Its distinctive feature is the use of the Teevra Madhyam (sharp fourth), which gives it its characteristic mellifluous and pleasing sound. Other famous raags in the Kalyan Thaat include Bhupali, Kedar, and Hameer. Raag Yaman is considered one of the most important and popular raags in Hindustani classical music.
Option (a) Kafi — Incorrect: The Kafi Thaat uses Komal Gandhar and Komal Nishad; Raag Yaman belongs to the Kalyan Thaat , not Kafi.
Option (b) Bilawal — Incorrect: The Bilawal Thaat uses all Shuddha (natural) notes including Shuddha Madhyam; Raag Yaman uses Teevra Madhyam and belongs to the Kalyan Thaat .
Option (d) Bhairav — Incorrect: The Bhairav Thaat uses Komal Re and Komal Dha; Raag Yaman with its Teevra Madhyam belongs to the Kalyan Thaat , not Bhairav.

SSC GD 2026 – 9 May 2026 Shift 1 · Folk music and songs by state

Q61. The traditional folk song form ' Hurkiya Baul' belongs to which Indian state?

(a) Bihar
(b) Mizoram
(c) Uttarakhand
(d) West Bengal

Answer & solution

Answer: (c) Uttarakhand

Correct Answer: Uttarakhand — Option (c)
Hurkiya Baul is a traditional folk song form from Uttarakhand, specifically associated with the Kumaon region. It is performed by folk singers (called Hurkiya ) who accompany themselves on the Hurki — a small, traditional double-headed drum (also called Hurak or Hurka). The Hurkiya singer traditionally performs these folk songs at social, religious, and agricultural gatherings to narrate stories from mythology, local legends, and everyday life. This oral tradition has been an important part of Kumaoni cultural heritage for centuries.
Option (a) Bihar — Incorrect: Bihar has its own rich folk music traditions (such as Sohar, Birha , Jat-Jatin) but Hurkiya Baul is not a Bihar folk form.
Option (b) Mizoram — Incorrect: Mizoram has its own folk music traditions associated with Mizo culture; Hurkiya Baul belongs to Uttarakhand (Kumaon region).
Option (d) West Bengal — Incorrect: West Bengal has its famous Baul music tradition (mystic minstrels), but ' Hurkiya Baul' from Uttarakhand is a different folk tradition from the Kumaon region, unrelated to West Bengal's Baul.

SSC GD 2026 – 9 May 2026 Shift 3 · Musical instruments and exponents

Q62. Which of the following traditional stringed instruments found in various parts of North India provides the basic 'shruti' or ' swara ' (drone) to the performer?

(a) Tanpura
(b) Khartal
(c) Pavo
(d) Pakhawaj

Answer & solution

Answer: (a) Tanpura

Correct Answer: Tanpura — Option (a)
The Tanpura (also spelled Tambura or Tanpuri) is a traditional long-necked, plucked stringed instrument widely used across India — especially in North Indian (Hindustani) classical music. It does not play melody or rhythm but provides a continuous harmonic drone that sets the tonal foundation (basic shruti or swara ) for a musical performance. A Tanpura typically has 4–6 strings, all tuned to specific notes (usually the root note 'Sa' and its fifth 'Pa' or fourth 'Ma'). Both vocalists and instrumentalists use the Tanpura as an accompaniment to establish the tonal base during performances.
Option (b) Khartal — Incorrect: Khartal is a traditional percussion instrument (wooden clappers) used in devotional music (bhajans, kirtans) — it is not a stringed instrument and does not provide shruti/drone.
Option (c) Pavo — Incorrect: Pavo (or Pavai) is a traditional flute-like instrument from Gujarat; it is a wind instrument, not a stringed drone instrument like the Tanpura.
Option (d) Pakhawaj — Incorrect: Pakhawaj is a traditional barrel-shaped double-headed percussion (drum) instrument used in Dhrupad music; it is not a stringed instrument and does not provide shruti/drone.

SSC GD 2026 – 8 May 2026 Shift 2 · Musical instruments and exponents

Q63. Which of the following is a solid musical instrument, shaped like
a clay pot and found in Kashmir?

(a) Noot
(b) Kasale
(c) Esraj
(d) Pepa

Answer & solution

Answer: (a) Noot

Correct Answer: Noot — Option (a)
Noot (also spelled 'Nout') is a traditional solid percussion instrument from Kashmir. It is shaped like a clay pot (earthen pot/ gharha ) made from smooth clay and is an idiophone — it produces sound by being struck. The Noot is used in traditional Kashmiri folk music and cultural performances, particularly in the Sufi and folk music traditions of the Kashmir Valley.
Option (b) Kasale — Incorrect: Kasale is not the clay-pot-shaped instrument from Kashmir described in the question.
Option (c) Esraj — Incorrect: Esraj is a bowed string instrument popular in Bengal and parts of North India; it is not a clay-pot-shaped percussion instrument from Kashmir.
Option (d) Pepa — Incorrect: Pepa is a wind instrument (horn) made from buffalo horn, traditionally associated with Assam and the Bihu festival; it is not from Kashmir.

RRB NTPC UG CBT-1 2025-26 – 8 May 2026 Shift 1 · Hindustani music (ragas, gharanas)

Q64. In the context of Indian classical music, the term "Khayal" literally signifies which of the following?

(a) A melodic framework
(b) A structured rhythmic pattern
(c) Imagination or reflective thought
(d) An expression of devotional sentiment

Answer & solution

Answer: (c) Imagination or reflective thought

Topic: Indian Classical Music – Khayal
Khayalis a major vocal form in Hindustani classical music.
The term'Khayal'is derived from Persian/Arabic word meaning'imagination'or'thought'.
It emphasizes creative improvisation and imaginative exploration of ragas.
Developed during Mughal period, allows greater freedom than Dhrupad.
Answer: Option 3 → Imagination or reflective thought

SSC GD 2026 – 7 May 2026 Shift 1 · Folk music and songs by state

Q65. Zeliang and Li are folk songs of which Indian state?

(a) Sikkim
(b) Nagaland
(c) Arunachal Pradesh
(d) Assam

Answer & solution

Answer: (b) Nagaland

Correct Answer: Nagaland — Option (b)
Zeliang and Li are folk songs of Nagaland. Zeliang refers to both a tribal community (the Zeliang Naga tribe) and their folk music tradition in Nagaland. 'Li' is a folk song genre of the Ao Naga tribe of Nagaland, sung during festivals and community gatherings. Nagaland is known for its rich tribal music tradition, with each of its 16+ tribes having distinct folk music styles. The Hornbill Festival of Nagaland showcases these diverse musical traditions.
Option (a) Sikkim — Incorrect: Sikkim's folk music is influenced by Lepcha, Bhutia, and Nepali traditions; Zeliang and Li are Nagaland-specific.
Option (c) Arunachal Pradesh — Incorrect: Arunachal Pradesh has its own tribal music traditions, but Zeliang and Li are specifically associated with Nagaland.
Option (d) Assam — Incorrect: Assam has its own folk music traditions like Bihu songs; Zeliang and Li belong to Nagaland.

SSC GD 2026 – 7 May 2026 Shift 3 · Carnatic music

Q66. Who is the author of ' Swaramela-kalanidhi '?

(a) Matanga
(b) Sharngadeva
(c) Haripal
(d) Ramamatya

Answer & solution

Answer: (d) Ramamatya

Correct Answer: Ramamatya — Option (d)
Swaramela-kalanidhi ( स्वरमेलकलानिधि ) — 'The Treasury of the Science of the Scale' — was written by Ramamatya in 1550 CE. It is a significant 16th-century Sanskrit treatise on South Indian classical (Carnatic) music, particularly on the theory of musical scales (melas) and ragas. Ramamatya was a scholar in the court of a Vijayanagara king in Karnataka. His work systematized the classification of ragas based on their parent scales (melas), which later influenced the 72-melakarta scheme developed by Venkatamakhi in the 17th century.
Option (a) Matanga — Incorrect: Matanga authored 'Brihaddeshi' (9th century CE), an important ancient musicological text discussing raga and other music concepts; not Swaramela-kalanidhi .
Option (b) Sharngadeva — Incorrect: Sharngadeva authored 'Sangita Ratnakara' (13th century CE), one of the most comprehensive treatises on Indian classical music; not Swaramela-kalanidhi .
Option (c) Haripal — Incorrect: Haripal authored 'Sangita Sudhakara', another medieval music treatise; he did not write Swaramela-kalanidhi .

RRB NTPC UG CBT-1 2025-26 – 7 May 2026 Shift 2 · Indian classical music - overview and traditions

Q67. Which of the following musical genres was considered formal and divine in ancient India?

(a) Dhrupad
(b) Prabandh
(c) Gandharva
(d) Gana

Answer & solution

Answer: (c) Gandharva

Topic: Ancient Indian Music
Gandharva Sangeetwas considered the most formal and divine form of music in ancient India.
It was associated with celestial beings (Gandharvas) and performed in temples and royal courts.
Mentioned in ancient texts like Natyashastra and Vedas as sacred music.
Dhrupad came later (medieval period), Prabandh was a classical form, Gana means singing in general.
Answer: Option 3 → Gandharva

SSC GD 2026 – 5 May 2026 Shift 1 · Musical instruments and exponents

Q68. Which instruments are commonly played in Gaur (Gour) dance?

(a) Dhol , Harmonium and Manjira
(b) Sitar and Tabla
(c) Flute and Mridangam
(d) Dholak and Shehnai

Answer & solution

Answer: (a) Dhol , Harmonium and Manjira

Correct Answer: Dhol , Harmonium and Manjira — Option (a)
Gaur dance is a folk dance form of the Gond tribe of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, performed during festivals and celebrations. The traditional instruments commonly played during Gaur dance include the Dhol (a large double-headed drum), Harmonium, and Manjira (small hand cymbals). These instruments provide the energetic rhythm that characterizes this tribal dance form.
Option (b) Sitar and Tabla — Incorrect: Sitar and Tabla are classical Hindustani music instruments, not associated with the tribal Gaur folk dance.
Option (c) Flute and Mridangam — Incorrect: The Mridangam is primarily associated with Carnatic music in South India; these are not the instruments used in Gaur dance.
Option (d) Dholak and Shehnai — Incorrect: While Dholak and Shehnai are used in various folk traditions, they are not the primary instruments of Gaur dance.

SSC GD 2026 – 5 May 2026 Shift 1 · Musical instruments and exponents

Q69. According to Natyashastra, into how many categories are musical instruments classified?

(a) 3
(b) 4
(c) 5
(d) 6

Answer & solution

Answer: (b) 4

Correct Answer: 4 — Option (b)
The Natyashastra, the ancient Indian treatise on performing arts written by Bharata Muni (approximately 2nd century BCE to 2nd century CE), classifies musical instruments ( vadya ) into four categories: (1) Tata Vadya — stringed instruments (like veena, sitar); (2) Avanaddha Vadya — percussion/membrane instruments (like tabla , mridangam); (3) Sushira Vadya — wind/blown instruments (like flute, shehnai); (4) Ghana Vadya — solid/idiophone instruments (like manjira , ghatam).
Option (a) 3 — Incorrect: The Natyashastra classifies musical instruments into 4 categories, not 3.
Option (c) 5 — Incorrect: The traditional Indian classification has 4 categories, not 5 (though some modern systems add a 5th category for electronic instruments).
Option (d) 6 — Incorrect: There are 4 categories in the Natyashastra classification, not 6.

SSC GD 2026 – 4 May 2026 Shift 1 · Folk music and songs by state

Q70. Which of the following is a key characteristic of Bhangra music?

(a) Soft and melodic tunes
(b) Fast and energetic beats
(c) Complex rhythms with slow tempos
(d) Instrumental Music only

Answer & solution

Answer: (b) Fast and energetic beats

Correct Answer: Fast and energetic beats — Option (b)
Bhangra is a lively and vibrant folk music and dance form originating from the Punjab region. It is characterized by fast, energetic beats driven primarily by the dhol (a large barrel drum). Bhangra music is traditionally performed during the harvest festival of Baisakhi and is known for its upbeat, high-energy rhythm.
Option (a) Soft and melodic tunes — Incorrect: Bhangra is the opposite — loud, energetic, and rhythmic.
Option (c) Complex rhythms with slow tempos — Incorrect: While Bhangra rhythms can be complex, the tempo is fast, not slow.
Option (d) Instrumental Music only — Incorrect: Bhangra includes both vocal singing ( boliyan ) and instrumental music.

SSC GD 2026 – 30 April 2026 Shift 1 · Folk music and songs by state

Q71. Mand, a semi-classical folk style, originated from which state?

(a) Gujarat
(b) Rajasthan
(c) Haryana
(d) Madhya Pradesh

Answer & solution

Answer: (b) Rajasthan

Correct Answer: Rajasthan — Option (b)
Mand is a semi-classical folk music style that originated from Rajasthan. Key facts about Mand: Nature: Mand occupies a unique position between classical and folk music — it uses classical ragas but is expressed with the emotional and cultural character of Rajasthani folk tradition; Origin: It evolved in the royal courts ( darbars ) of Rajasthan, particularly in cities like Jaipur, Bikaner, and Jodhpur; Style characteristics: Mand is known for its romantic themes, leisurely tempo, and lyrical depth; songs are often about the beauty of the desert, longing, and love; Famous songs: ' Kesariya Balam' is perhaps the most iconic Mand song, associated with the greeting of guests and lovers; Famous performers: Alkaji (Alka Yagnik's inspiration), Gavri Devi of Barmer, and various traditional Manganiars and Langas sing Mand; Language: Usually sung in Rajasthani dialects (Marwari, Dhundhari); Cultural context: Mand was traditionally sung in the royal courts and on auspicious occasions like weddings; Connection to classical music: Mand is also the name of a Rajasthani raga that is incorporated into Hindustani classical music.
Option (a) Gujarat — Incorrect: Mand is not a folk style from Gujarat; Gujarat's folk music traditions include Garba, Bhavai , and Dayro; Mand is specifically a semi-classical folk style associated with the royal courts and folk culture of Rajasthan.
Option (c) Haryana — Incorrect: Mand is not from Haryana; Haryana's folk music traditions include Ragini, Saang , and various folk songs related to harvesting; Mand is specifically from Rajasthan.
Option (d) Madhya Pradesh — Incorrect: Mand is not from Madhya Pradesh; MP has its own rich folk music traditions including Pandwani , Rai, and various tribal music forms; Mand is specifically a semi-classical folk style originating from Rajasthan.

SSC GD 2026 – 30 April 2026 Shift 3 · Folk music and songs by state

Q72. What is the main medium of transmission in Indian folk and tribal music?

(a) Written notation
(b) Audio recordings
(c) Guru-Shishya tradition
(d) Oral tradition

Answer & solution

Answer: (d) Oral tradition

Correct Answer: Oral tradition — Option (d)
Indian folk and tribal music has been transmitted primarily through oral tradition — passed down from generation to generation by word of mouth, through performance, and by direct participation in community events, festivals, and rituals. Unlike classical music (which uses the Guru-Shishya tradition in a formal learning setting), folk and tribal music is informal and community-based.
Option (a) Written notation — Incorrect: Folk and tribal communities have historically not used written musical notation.
Option (b) Audio recordings — Incorrect: Audio recordings are a modern tool and not the traditional medium of transmission.
Option (c) Guru-Shishya tradition — Incorrect: This formal teacher-student system is more characteristic of classical (Hindustani and Carnatic) music, not folk or tribal music.

SSC GD 2026 – 29 April 2026 Shift 2 · Hindustani music (ragas, gharanas)

Q73. Why is the Raga Tarangini considered highly important in Hindustani music history?

(a) It uses only southern ragas
(b) It introduces tabla and harmonium
(c) It uses many raga names still in use today
(d) It rejects traditional Indian theories

Answer & solution

Answer: (c) It uses many raga names still in use today

Correct Answer: It uses many raga names still in use today — Option (c)
The Raga Tarangini (also written as Ragatarangini ) is an important medieval treatise on Indian classical music, authored by Locana Kavi (believed to have been composed around the 14th-15th century). It is considered highly important in Hindustani music history primarily because it documents and uses many raga names that are still in use today in Hindustani (North Indian) classical music. Significance of Raga Tarangini: It provides detailed descriptions of numerous ragas with their characteristics, moods (rasas), and appropriate times of performance; Many raga names and classifications mentioned in the text have survived into the modern Hindustani music tradition; The text bridges ancient music theory with medieval and modern Hindustani practice; It is an invaluable historical record of the evolution of raga nomenclature and classification in Indian classical music.
Option (a) It uses only southern ragas — Incorrect: The Raga Tarangini does not exclusively use southern (Carnatic) ragas; it is a text relevant to the Hindustani (North Indian) classical music tradition and documents ragas from both traditions, making it important for the history of Indian music broadly.
Option (b) It introduces tabla and harmonium — Incorrect: The tabla and harmonium are instruments that became prominent in Hindustani music much later; the Raga Tarangini's historical importance lies in its documentation of raga names and theory, not in introducing specific instruments.
Option (d) It rejects traditional Indian theories — Incorrect: The Raga Tarangini does not reject traditional Indian music theories; on the contrary, it is valued precisely because it upholds and documents traditional raga theory and nomenclature in a way that connects ancient and modern practice.

SSC GD 2026 – 28 April 2026 Shift 1 · Musical instruments and exponents

Q74. Which musical instrument is usually played with the Tippani dance?

(a) Dhol and Manjira (small cymbals)
(b) Tabla and Harmonium
(c) Flute and Veena
(d) Sitar and Sarangi

Answer & solution

Answer: (a) Dhol and Manjira (small cymbals)

Correct Answer: Dhol and Manjira (small cymbals) — Option (a)
Tippani is a vibrant folk dance originating from the Saurashtra region of Gujarat. It is traditionally performed by women workers (originally construction labourers ) who use a tippani — a long wooden stick with an iron tip — to pound the ground rhythmically. The dance is performed to the beats of Dhol (a large double-headed barrel drum) and Manjira (small hand cymbals also called kartal ). The rhythmic pounding of the tippani on the ground creates a unique percussion sound, complemented by the Dhol and Manjira. The dance is energetic and reflects the hardworking spirit of women from the Saurashtra region. Tippani dance has been recognised as part of Gujarat's rich folk heritage.
Option (b) Tabla and Harmonium — Incorrect: Tabla and harmonium are primarily associated with classical music, bhajan, ghazal, and certain folk styles; they are not the traditional accompanying instruments for Tippani dance.
Option (c) Flute and Veena — Incorrect: Flute and Veena are classical Indian instruments associated with performances like Carnatic music and temple music traditions; they do not accompany the Tippani folk dance.
Option (d) Sitar and Sarangi — Incorrect: Sitar and Sarangi are classical Hindustani music instruments; they are not associated with the folk tradition of Tippani dance from Gujarat's Saurashtra region.

SSC GD 2026 – 28 April 2026 Shift 3 · Indian classical music - overview and traditions

Q75. According to historical observation, what elements need to be understood first to study the history of Indian music?

(a) Human civilization and language
(b) Human development and technical skills
(c) Human origin and elements like sound ( dhwani ), notes ( swara ) and rhythm ( laya )
(d) Development of musical instruments and dance

Answer & solution

Answer: (c) Human origin and elements like sound ( dhwani ), notes ( swara ) and rhythm ( laya )

Correct Answer: Human origin and elements like sound ( dhwani ), notes ( swara ) and rhythm ( laya ) — Option (c)
According to historical and musicological observations, to study the history of Indian music, one must first understand human origin and the fundamental elements of music — particularly sound ( dhwani ), notes ( swara ), and rhythm ( laya ). Indian classical music theory holds that music originated with human beings' natural capacity to produce and respond to sound. The ancient texts like Natyashastra (by Bharatamuni ) and Sangitaratnakara trace the origin of music to the natural sounds produced by living beings. The three fundamental elements — dhwani (sound/vibration), swara (musical note/pitch), and laya (rhythm/tempo) — form the foundational building blocks upon which the entire edifice of Indian music theory and practice is constructed. Without understanding these primordial elements, studying the historical evolution of Indian music is incomplete.
Option (a) Human civilization and language — Incorrect: While civilization and language are broadly related to cultural development, the specific foundational elements for studying the history of Indian music are the musical elements of sound, notes, and rhythm — not language per se.
Option (b) Human development and technical skills — Incorrect: Technical skills are more relevant to the later development of musical instruments and performance techniques; the foundational understanding for studying Indian music history begins with human origin and the basic musical elements of dhwani , swara , and laya .
Option (d) Development of musical instruments and dance — Incorrect: Musical instruments and dance are products of the evolution of music; they come after the fundamental elements of sound, notes, and rhythm are understood — these come later in the study, not first.

RRB NTPC GL CBT-1 2025-26 – 27 March 2026 Shift 1 · Musical instruments and exponents

Q76. Ms. N. Rajam, who was announced as the Padma Vibhushan awardee in the Padma Awards 2026 for her outstanding contribution to Indian art and culture, is primarily associated with which of the following musical instruments?

(a) Sitar
(b) Flute
(c) Sarod
(d) Violin

Answer & solution

Answer: (d) Violin

Topic: Padma Awards 2026 - Art & Culture
Ms. N. Rajamis a renowned Hindustani classical musician and violinist.
She is a pioneer in adapting theviolinto Indian classical music.
She received thePadma Vibhushan 2026for her exceptional contribution to Indian art and culture through violin.
Answer: Option 4 → Violin

RRB NTPC GL CBT-1 2025-26 – 27 March 2026 Shift 2 · Folk music and songs by state

Q77. Which of the following folk songs is specifically associated with Haryana?

(a) Mand
(b) Ragini
(c) Bhatiali
(d) Gulraj

Answer & solution

Answer: (b) Ragini

Folk Songs of Different Regions:
Mand→ Rajasthan (traditional folk music)
Ragini→ Haryana (popular folk song form)
Bhatiali→ Bengal (boatmen's song)
Gulraj→ Not a recognized folk form
Answer: Option 2 → Ragini

RRB NTPC GL CBT-1 2025-26 – 27 March 2026 Shift 3 · Musical instruments and exponents

Q78. Which of the following is a compound wind instrument due to its use of two tubes for different functions?

(a) Magudi
(b) Kombu
(c) Conch
(d) Clarinet

Answer & solution

Answer: (a) Magudi

Topic: Indian Musical Instruments
Magudiis a traditional South Indian wind instrument.
It is acompound wind instrumentconsisting of two tubes:
• One tube acts as themelody pipe(with finger holes)
• Second tube acts as thedrone pipe(continuous sound)
This dual-tube design makes it unique among wind instruments.
Other options:
Kombu - Single tube brass instrument
Conch - Single shell instrument
Clarinet - Single tube with reed
Answer: Option 1 → Magudi

RRB NTPC GL CBT-1 2025-26 – 27 March 2026 Shift 3 · Musical instruments and exponents

Q79. Which instrument is classified as both a percussion and 'tal-giving' instrument?

(a) Sarod
(b) Flute
(c) Santoor
(d) Tabla

Answer & solution

Answer: (d) Tabla

Instrument Classification
Percussion instruments produce sound by being struck, shaken, or scraped.
Tal (Tala)refers to rhythmic patterns in Indian classical music.
Tablais a pair of hand drums (dayan and bayan) struck with fingers and palms.
It provides both percussion sound and maintains thetala/rhythm cyclein performances.
Sarod and Santoor are string instruments; Flute is a wind instrument.
Answer: Option 4 → Tabla

RRB NTPC GL CBT-1 2025-26 – 24 March 2026 Shift 1 · Devotional and semi-classical song forms

Q80. Which classical Indian music form is primarily performed in temples as part of devotional worship, especially in Kerala?

(a) Khayal
(b) Dhrupad
(c) Thumri
(d) Sopana Sangeetham

Answer & solution

Answer: (d) Sopana Sangeetham

Topic: Classical Indian Music Forms
Sopana Sangeethamis a classical music form of Kerala performed on the steps (sopana) of temples during devotional worship.
It is characterized by slow tempo and devotional lyrics, primarily associated with temple rituals.
Other Options:
Khayal, Dhrupad, Thumri → Hindustani classical forms, not temple-specific to Kerala.
Answer: Option 4 → Sopana Sangeetham

RRB NTPC GL CBT-1 2025-26 – 22 March 2026 Shift 3 · Musical instruments and exponents

Q81. In which Indian state is the percussion instrument Davandi primarily found?

(a) Odisha
(b) Kerala
(c) Punjab
(d) Tamil Nadu

Answer & solution

Answer: (d) Tamil Nadu

Topic: Indian Musical Instruments
Davandiis a traditional percussion instrument.
It is primarily found and used inTamil Nadu.
The instrument is part of Tamil folk music traditions.
Answer: Option 4 → Tamil Nadu

RRB NTPC GL CBT-1 2025-26 – 19 March 2026 Shift 2 · Folk music and songs by state

Q82. Laman, in which a group of girls sing a stanza and a group of boys reply in the song which continues for hours, is a popular folk music of which state?

(a) Himachal Pradesh
(b) Rajasthan
(c) Haryana
(d) Gujarat

Answer & solution

Answer: (a) Himachal Pradesh

Topic: Folk Music of India
Lamanis a traditional folk music form ofHimachal Pradesh.
Key Features:
• Group of girls sing a stanza
• Group of boys reply in response
• This call-and-response pattern continues for hours
It is a popular form of entertainment in Himachal Pradesh during festivals and social gatherings.
Answer: Option 1 → Himachal Pradesh

RRB NTPC GL CBT-1 2025-26 – 19 March 2026 Shift 3 · Musical instruments and exponents

Q83. Ghana Vadya or idiophone instruments are those non-drum percussion musical instruments that do not require any tuning. _________ is an example of a Ghana Vadya .

(a) Pungi
(b) Shehnai
(c) Ghatam
(d) Sarangi

Answer & solution

Answer: (c) Ghatam

Ghana Vadya (Idiophone Instruments)
Definition: Non-drum percussion instruments that produce sound by vibrating themselves without strings, membranes, or air columns.
Key characteristic:Do not require tuning
Analysis of options:
Pungi→ Wind instrument (aerophone)
Shehnai→ Wind instrument (aerophone)
Ghatam→ Clay pot percussion (idiophone) ✓
Sarangi→ String instrument (chordophone)
Ghatam is a clay pot struck with hands, producing sound through its own vibration.
Answer: Option 3 → Ghatam

RRB NTPC GL CBT-1 2025-26 – 18 March 2026 Shift 1 · Folk music and songs by state

Q84. Folk songs of Haryana are commonly known by which of the following names?

(a) Raganis
(b) Bhand
(c) Baul
(d) Bihu

Answer & solution

Answer: (a) Raganis

Folk Songs of Haryana
Haryana's traditional folk songs are calledRaganiorRaganis.
These are narrative ballads sung in local dialects, often depicting heroic tales, love stories, and social themes.
Other Options:
Bhand → Folk theatre form of Kashmir
Baul → Mystic minstrels of Bengal
Bihu → Folk songs and dance of Assam
Answer: Option 1 → Raganis

RRB NTPC GL CBT-1 2025-26 – 18 March 2026 Shift 1 · Folk music and songs by state

Q85. Which folk music form of Uttar Pradesh is traditionally sung during the monsoon season by women?

(a) Bhatiali
(b) Maang
(c) Kajri
(d) Lavani

Answer & solution

Answer: (c) Kajri

Kajriis a semi-classical folk music form of Uttar Pradesh.
Traditionally sung by women duringmonsoon season (Sawan).
Celebrates the arrival of rains and expresses joy of the season.
Other options: Bhatiali (Bengal), Maang (Rajasthan), Lavani (Maharashtra).
Answer: Option 3 → Kajri

RRB NTPC GL CBT-1 2025-26 – 18 March 2026 Shift 3 · Indian classical music - overview and traditions

Q86. Which of the following is a similarity between Hindustani and Carnatic music systems?

(a) Rejection of Shruti concept
(b) Foundation on Raga and Tala
(c) Exclusive focus on instrumental music
(d) Use of identical compositions

Answer & solution

Answer: (b) Foundation on Raga and Tala

Hindustani Music:North Indian classical tradition
Carnatic Music:South Indian classical tradition
Common Foundation:
Both systems based onRaga(melodic framework)
Both systems based onTala(rhythmic cycle)
Key Points:
• Both accept Shruti concept (22 microtones)
• Both include vocal and instrumental forms
• Compositions differ in style and structure
Answer: Option 2 → Foundation on Raga and Tala

RRB NTPC GL CBT-1 2025-26 – 17 March 2026 Shift 2 · Carnatic music

Q87. Who among the following is famous for composing kritis known for their contemplative nature and emphasis on capturing the essence of the raga through a slow, richly ornamented style?

(a) Kum arswami Kutti
(b) Ramanuja Srinivasani
(c) Mutthuswami Dikshitar
(d) Thyagaraja Iyengar

Answer & solution

Answer: (c) Mutthuswami Dikshitar

Mutthuswami Dikshitar (1775-1835)was one of the Trinity of Carnatic music.
His kritis are known for:
• Contemplative and meditative nature
• Slow tempo (vilambita kala)
• Rich ornamentation and gamakas
• Emphasis on capturing raga essence
• Sanskrit lyrics with devotional depth
He composed around 500 kritis in praise of various deities.
Answer: Option 3 → Mutthuswami Dikshitar

RRB NTPC GL CBT-1 2025-26 – 17 March 2026 Shift 2 · Folk music and songs by state

Q88. Match the following Folk Songs with their Origin States.
Folk Song Origin State
1. Panihari a. West Bengal
2. Khongjom Parba b. Rajasthan
3. Wanawan c. Jammu and Kashmir
4. Baul d. Manipur

(a) 1-a, 2-d, 3-b, 4-c
(b) 1-b, 2-d, 3-c, 4-a
(c) 1-c, 2-d, 3-b, 4-a
(d) 1-d, 2-a, 3-c, 4-b

Answer & solution

Answer: (b) 1-b, 2-d, 3-c, 4-a

Folk Songs and Their Origin States:
1. Panihari → Rajasthan (b)
Traditional folk song about women fetching water.
2. Khongjom Parba → Manipur (d)
Ballad commemorating the 1891 Anglo-Manipur War.
3. Wanawan → Jammu and Kashmir (c)
Traditional wedding folk song of Kashmir.
4. Baul → West Bengal (a)
Mystical folk music tradition of Bengal.
Answer: Option 2 → 1-b, 2-d, 3-c, 4-a

RRB NTPC GL CBT-1 2025-26 – 16 March 2026 Shift 3 · Musical instruments and exponents

Q89. Who among the following is known for his collaboration with international artists and is/was a renowned tabla maestro?

(a) Zakir Hussain
(b) Sajjad Hussain
(c) Hari Prasad Chaurasia
(d) EM Subramaniam

Answer & solution

Answer: (a) Zakir Hussain

Ustad Zakir Hussain (1951–2024) was the world's most renowned tabla maestro.
He was celebrated for extensive collaboration with international artists.
Key Facts:
• Son of the legendary Ustad Alla Rakha ( tabla maestro).
• Collaborated with Ravi Shankar, John McLaughlin (Shakti band), Mickey Hart.
• Founded Moment Records; recipient of Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan.
• Grammy Award winner; known globally as the 'Ambassador of Indian Classical Music'.
Why NOT others:
• Hariprasad Chaurasia → legendary bansuri (flute) player.
• Sajjad Hussain → different musician.
Answer: Option 1 → Zakir Hussain

RRB Technician Grade III 2025-26 – 10 March 2026 Shift 2 · Musicians and singers

Q90. Which of the following renowned Indian musicians performed at the Red Fort on the occasion of India’s independence in 1947?

(a) Ustad Bismillah Khan
(b) Pandit Ravi Shankar
(c) Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia
(d) Pandit Bhimsen Joshi

Answer & solution

Answer: (a) Ustad Bismillah Khan

The musician who performed at the Red Fort during India's independence in 1947 was Ustad Bismillah Khan.
He is famous for playing the shehnai and is regarded as a cultural icon.
Pandit Ravi Shankar, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, and Pandit Bhimsen Joshi are also renowned musicians but were not the ones who performed at that event.
Therefore, the correct answer is Ustad Bismillah Khan.

RRB Technician Grade III 2025-26 – 9 March 2026 Shift 1 · Musical instruments and exponents

Q91. Which of the following classical music instruments did Ustad Bismillah Khan mostly popularise?

(a) Shehnai
(b) Sitar
(c) Veena
(d) Tabla

Answer & solution

Answer: (a) Shehnai

Ustad Bismillah Khan is famous for popularising the Shehnai.
He brought this classical wind instrument to the concert stage nationally and internationally.
He is regarded as the greatest Shehnai player in Indian classical music.
Hence, the correct answer is Shehnai.

RRB Technician Grade III 2025-26 – 6 March 2026 Shift 2 · Musical instruments and exponents

Q92. Which instrument is described as a hand drum used by tribal communities in the hilly areas of Tripura and Meghalaya?

(a) Dama
(b) Dhak
(c) Chyabrung
(d) Davandi

Answer & solution

Answer: (a) Dama

The instrument described is 'Dama'.
It is a hand drum traditionally used by tribal communities in the hilly areas of Tripura and Meghalaya.
Other options are distinct instruments linked with different regions or communities.
Hence, the correct answer is Dama.
Final answer: Option 1

RRB Technician Grade III 2025-26 – 6 March 2026 Shift 3 · Carnatic music

Q93. Who among the following is NOT part of the Trinity of Carnatic Music?

(a) Swathi Thirunal
(b) Tyagaraja
(c) Muthuswami Dikshitar
(d) Shyama Shastri

Answer & solution

Answer: (a) Swathi Thirunal

The Trinity of Carnatic Music consists of three great composers: Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar, and Shyama Shastri.
Swathi Thirunal, although a significant composer, is not part of this Trinity.
Hence, the correct answer is Swathi Thirunal.

SSC MTS 2025 – 20 February 2026 Shift 2 · Musical instruments and exponents

Q94. Which of the following is a Tat Vadya ?

(a) Painjani
(b) Nageri
(c) Karna
(d) Ektara

Answer & solution

Answer: (d) Ektara

Correct Answer: Ektara (Option 4)
In Indian classical music, musical instruments are classified into four categories based on the Natya Shastra: Tata Vadya (stringed), Sushir Vadya (wind), Avanaddha Vadya (percussion), and Ghana Vadya (solid/idiophone).
Ektara is a Tat Vadya (stringed instrument) — it is a single-stringed plucked instrument used by wandering saints and folk musicians.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 – Painjani are ankle bells — a Ghana Vadya (percussion/idiophone).
Option 2 – Nageri is a type of drum — an Avanaddha Vadya (membranophone).
Option 3 – Karna is a wind instrument (a type of horn/trumpet) — a Sushir Vadya.

SSC MTS 2025 – 20 February 2026 Shift 2 · Musical instruments and exponents

Q95. Which of the following is a Sushir Vadya?

(a) Dimdi
(b) Santoor
(c) Jhanja
(d) Gagana

Answer & solution

Answer: (d) Gagana

Correct Answer: Gagana (Option 4)
Sushir Vadya refers to wind instruments (aerophones) in the Indian musical instrument classification system.
Gagana (also spelled Gogona ) is a traditional mouth organ/jaw harp from Assam, classified as a Sushir Vadya. Sound is produced by air vibration through the instrument held in the mouth.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 – Dimdi is a small drum from Maharashtra — an Avanaddha Vadya (membranophone/percussion).
Option 2 – Santoor is a stringed instrument played with light mallets — a Tat Vadya or sometimes classified as Ghana Vadya .
Option 3 – Jhanja (cymbals) is a Ghana Vadya (idiophone/struck percussion instrument).

RRB JE CBT-1 2025-26 – 20 February 2026 · Carnatic music

Q96. The Alapana in Carnatic music is equivalent to which part in Hindustani music?

(a) Alap
(b) Taan
(c) Sargam
(d) Bandish

Answer & solution

Answer: (a) Alap

The Alapana in Carnatic music is an improvisational introduction to the raga.
It establishes the mood and explores the notes of the raga without rhythm.
In Hindustani music, the equivalent part is called Alap.
Alap serves the same purpose of gradually developing the raga without rhythmic accompaniment.
Thus, the Alapana corresponds to the Alap in Hindustani music.
Final answer: Option 1

RRB JE CBT-1 2025-26 – 20 February 2026 · Musical instruments and exponents

Q97. Which of the following is a musical instrument that consists of a set of glass, metal or clay bowls, each having varying levels of water?

(a) Sarod
(b) Jaltarang
(c) Sitar
(d) Shehnai

Answer & solution

Answer: (b) Jaltarang

The musical instrument consisting of a set of glass, metal or clay bowls filled with varying water levels is called Jaltarang .
Each bowl produces a different musical note depending on the water level.
Sarod, Sitar, and Shehnai are string or wind instruments, not involving water bowls.
Hence, the correct answer is Jaltarang .

SSC MTS 2025 – 19 February 2026 Shift 1 · Folk music and songs by state

Q98. 'Neuleu' songs are performed with music in which Indian state?

(a) Assam
(b) Nagaland
(c) Karnataka
(d) Uttarakhand

Answer & solution

Answer: (b) Nagaland

The correct answer is option 2.
Neuleu (also known as Neuleu songs) is a traditional folk music tradition of Nagaland, associated with the Ao Naga tribe. These songs are performed during community gatherings and festivals, accompanied by traditional musical instruments, reflecting the rich oral tradition and cultural heritage of the Naga people.
Option 1 is incorrect: Assam's folk music traditions include Bihu songs, Borgeets, and Zikir; Neuleu is not associated with Assam.
Option 3 is incorrect: Karnataka's folk music includes Janapada Geete and Dollu Kunitha; Neuleu is not associated with Karnataka.
Option 4 is incorrect: Uttarakhand's folk music includes Jhora, Chhopati, and Barada Nati; Neuleu is not associated with Uttarakhand.

SSC MTS 2025 – 19 February 2026 Shift 1 · Musical instruments and exponents

Q99. Which of the following is a Ghan Vadya?

(a) Das-kathi
(b) Naal
(c) Jantar
(d) Magudi

Answer & solution

Answer: (a) Das-kathi

The correct answer is option 1.
In the Indian classification of musical instruments (Sangeet Vadya), there are four categories:
1. Ghana Vadya (idiophones) — solid, self-sounding instruments struck together or hit.
2. Avanaddha Vadya (membranophones) — drums covered with skin.
3. Tata Vadya (chordophones) — stringed instruments.
4. Sushira Vadya (aerophones) — wind instruments.
Das-kathi are wooden clappers/sticks beaten together — a classic Ghana Vadya (idiophone).
Option 2 is incorrect: Naal is a type of drum (membranophone) — it belongs to the Avanaddha Vadya category.
Option 3 is incorrect: Jantar is a stringed instrument — it belongs to the Tata Vadya category.
Option 4 is incorrect: Magudi (pungi/been) is a wind instrument — it belongs to the Sushira Vadya category.

SSC MTS 2025 – 19 February 2026 Shift 2 · Hindustani music (ragas, gharanas)

Q100. The legendary classical vocalist Kesarbai Kerkar was associated with which Gharana?

(a) Patiala Gharana
(b) Kirana Gharana
(c) Banaras Gharana
(d) Jaipur-Atrauli Gharana

Answer & solution

Answer: (d) Jaipur-Atrauli Gharana

The correct answer is option 4.
Kesarbai Kerkar (1892–1977) was one of the most celebrated Hindustani classical vocalists of the 20th century and was associated with the Jaipur-Atrauli Gharana. She was a disciple of Ustad Alladiya Khan. Her voice was so distinctive and powerful that a recording of her singing was included in the Voyager Golden Record sent to space in 1977.
Option 1 is incorrect: Patiala Gharana is known for vocalists like Bade Ghulam Ali Khan; Kesarbai Kerkar was not associated with it.
Option 2 is incorrect: Kirana Gharana is associated with vocalists like Ustad Abdul Karim Khan and Pt. Bhimsen Joshi; not Kesarbai Kerkar.
Option 3 is incorrect: Banaras Gharana is associated with Thumri and Dadra styles; Kesarbai Kerkar belonged to the Jaipur-Atrauli Gharana.

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Q1. Which of the following statements about Melakarta Ragas in Carnatic music is/are correct?Statement 1: There are 72 Melakarta ragas, which are parent scales.Statement 2: All Melakarta ragas are derived from Janya ragas.

Q2. How does Bihu music embody both the agrarian lifestyle and cultural identity of Assam through its thematic content and instrumentation?

Q3. How do Barahmasa songs of Himachal Pradesh represent a unique convergence of seasonal cycles, emotional expression, and oral tradition, especially in the context of women's folk culture?

Q4. What is the common musical trait in Andhra-based Carnatic compositions that distinguishes them from Tamil counterparts?

Q5. Which of the following aspects best distinguishes the Birha folk music tradition of Uttar Pradesh from other regional folk styles like Kajri and Chaiti?

Q6. How does Maand music of Rajasthan serve as a cultural bridge between folk traditions and classical Indian music, and what features distinguish it from purely folk or classical forms?

Q7. Originating from Punjab and often sung by camel riders, which vocal form is known for its fast, intricate taans and rapid changes in melodic phrases, making it distinct from other Hindustani classical genres?

Q8. Which vocal form gained prominence in the 18th century and is recognized for its flexibility, allowing for more improvisation and ornamentation, and serving as the most popular classical vocal style today?

Q9. Which of the following pairs correctly describes a core element or form in Indian classical music?

Q10. How do Bhopa and Bhopa-Bhopi songs function as a unique oral tradition of ritualistic storytelling in Rajasthan, and what distinguishes their performance style from other folk music genres in the region?

Q11. In the context of Assam's cultural landscape, how do Zikir and Zari music traditions uniquely contribute to the region's religious pluralism and syncretism?

Q12. Which of the following statements best captures the core socio-cultural function of Villuppattu within Tamil Nadu's folk music tradition?

Q13. Which raga system forms the foundation of Carnatic compositions in the Andhra school, as codified in the 17th century by Venkatamakhin?

Q14. Who is revered as the "Pitamaha of Karnataka Sangeeta" (Grandfather of Carnatic Music) for systematizing its pedagogy and devotional compositions?

Q15. In what ways do Manganiyar and Langas musical traditions reflect the complex interplay of social hierarchy, patronage, and cultural transmission in Rajasthan’s folk music landscape?

Q16. The padams of Kshetrayya are known for which of the following features?

Q17. Which are the two principal traditions of Indian classical music?

Q18. Which wind instrument is used in Nongkrem dance?

Q19. Which of the following vocal forms is characterized by its emphasis on the intricate development of a single raga, often with a slow, elaborate alaap followed by compositions set to complex talas?

Q20. Which category of musical instruments does the Pakhawaj primarily belong to?

Q21. Which of the following pairs correctly describes a fundamental aspect of Indian classical music?

Q22. Who is credited with codifying the method of Carnatic music?

Q23. Which of the following folk music styles belongs to Sikkim?

Q24. Which of the following is the primary association of the Ektara, a folk musical instrument?

Q25. Baryi and Nyioga are folk music forms from which of the following states?

Q26. Who among the following is NOT associated with Carnatic music?

Q27. Who is known for popularising the Santoor, an Indian classical instrument, globally?

Q28. Which of the following traditions are the two major streams of Indian classical music?

Q29. In which region of Gujarat are Duha, Sorathaa, Chaand, Belaads, etc. traditionally performed in folk music?

Q30. Ustad Amjad Ali Khan is world-renowned for playing which of the following instruments?

Q31. What is the term used for the first matra in Hindustani music’s tala system?

Q32. The term 'Kriti' in Carnatic music refers to:

Q33. Which of the following traditional Indian percussion instruments is regarded as the predecessor of the modern Tabla?

Q34. Ravi Shankar is famous for his expertise in playing which classical music instrument?

Q35. Ustad Bismillah Khan was most closely associated with which musical instrument?

Q36. The Banarasi, Patiala and Lucknow Gharanas are associated with which of the following musical styles?

Q37. Which of the following compositions in Hindustani music is especially associated with Sufi devotional music?

Q38. Select the correct match of the musician with their musical instrument.

Q39. Which of the following is NOT a style of Hindustani classical music?

Q40. Which of the following is a percussion instrument commonly used in Indian classical music?

Q41. Which musical instrument is most commonly used in Bhangra music?

Q42. What type of musical instruments are ' Silyen ' or ' Bubzal ' used in Ladakh?

Q43. Who is the author of the treatise 'Raga Tarangini'?

Q44. Which traditional Rajasthani musical instrument is a long bronze trumpet made in two parts with a funnel-shaped mouth?

Q45. Which of the following is an indigenous wind instrument, also known as ' Nayanam '?

Q46. 'Toor', a cylindrical musical instrument made of clay with leather surfaces on both sides, is a type of _____.

Q47. ' Sufiana Kalam', a classical music style that uses its own ragas known as muqam , is associated with _____.

Q48. The ' Khudad ' folk songs are traditionally associated with which Indian state?

Q49. ' Lemlaawi ', a musical instrument belonging to the jaw harp family, is a traditional musical instrument of which state?

Q50. In 1875, Dwarkanath Ghosh designed his version of the Indian hand-pumped _____ in Calcutta.

Q51. Who is known as the 'God of Ghatam' for popularizing the clay pot musical instrument 'Ghatam'?

Q52. Which folk songs are sung in Chhattisgarh to welcome the arrival of spring?

Q53. The 'Gajan' folk songs depicting dialogues between deities are traditionally associated with which Indian state?

Q54. In which Indian city is the ' Harballabh Sangeet Mela' celebrated?

Q55. The traditional Mizo musical instrument 'Tingtang' is known as the Mizo version of which instrument?

Q56. Which musical instrument is usually used during Gidda performance?

Q57. The wind instrument 'Kali' used in Assam is considered a more developed version of which instrument?

Q58. 'Chakri' traditional music is related to _____.

Q59. Which Indian region is known for its Baul singing tradition?

Q60. Which Thaat is associated with Raag Yaman in Hindustani classical music?

Q61. The traditional folk song form ' Hurkiya Baul' belongs to which Indian state?

Q62. Which of the following traditional stringed instruments found in various parts of North India provides the basic 'shruti' or ' swara ' (drone) to the performer?

Q63. Which of the following is a solid musical instrument, shaped likea clay pot and found in Kashmir?

Q64. In the context of Indian classical music, the term "Khayal" literally signifies which of the following?

Q65. Zeliang and Li are folk songs of which Indian state?

Q66. Who is the author of ' Swaramela-kalanidhi '?

Q67. Which of the following musical genres was considered formal and divine in ancient India?

Q68. Which instruments are commonly played in Gaur (Gour) dance?

Q69. According to Natyashastra, into how many categories are musical instruments classified?

Q70. Which of the following is a key characteristic of Bhangra music?

Q71. Mand, a semi-classical folk style, originated from which state?

Q72. What is the main medium of transmission in Indian folk and tribal music?

Q73. Why is the Raga Tarangini considered highly important in Hindustani music history?

Q74. Which musical instrument is usually played with the Tippani dance?

Q75. According to historical observation, what elements need to be understood first to study the history of Indian music?

Q76. Ms. N. Rajam, who was announced as the Padma Vibhushan awardee in the Padma Awards 2026 for her outstanding contribution to Indian art and culture, is primarily associated with which of the following musical instruments?

Q77. Which of the following folk songs is specifically associated with Haryana?

Q78. Which of the following is a compound wind instrument due to its use of two tubes for different functions?

Q79. Which instrument is classified as both a percussion and 'tal-giving' instrument?

Q80. Which classical Indian music form is primarily performed in temples as part of devotional worship, especially in Kerala?

Q1. Which of the following statements about Melakarta Ragas in Carnatic music is/are correct?
Statement 1: There are 72 Melakarta ragas, which are parent scales.
Statement 2: All Melakarta ragas are derived from Janya ragas.

Q63. Which of the following is a solid musical instrument, shaped like
a clay pot and found in Kashmir?

Q88. Match the following Folk Songs with their Origin States.
Folk Song Origin State
1. Panihari a. West Bengal
2. Khongjom Parba b. Rajasthan
3. Wanawan c. Jammu and Kashmir
4. Baul d. Manipur