DharmaQuiz: Hindu

Showing posts with label Hindu. Show all posts

Friday, November 18, 2016

Ancient and Medieval Indian Coins

#DharmaQuiz Session 369: 18-Nov-2016

#DharmaQuiz 2236: This was a gold coin from 14th century south India. King in the pose of Hanuman. Which empire? Ans: Vijayanagara Empire, Bukka Raya I, Gold pagoda, 1344-1377.

DQ 2236. Pic from coinindia.com

Fastest three answers: @viveksurat, Telugutalli and @Aks9009Pa

#DharmaQuiz 2237: This is a golden coin from 800+ years ago in North India. A foreign invader continued the Goddess Lakshmi coins. Who? Ans: The coin is an issue of Muhammad bin Sam, more generally known as Muhammad of Ghor.

DQ 2237. Pic from coinindia.com

Fastest three answers: @viveksurat, ‏@simuntweets and @VedantIndia

#DharmaQuiz 2238: These are 1500 year old coins from a mighty empire that ruled most of Indian subcontinent then. Which dynasty?
Ans: Gupta dynasty.

DQ 2238. Pic from coin-competition.eu

Fastest three answers: @Telugutalli @viveksurat and @vermaaakash10

#DharmaQuiz 2239: Silver coin having "Jagadamba Prasanna" was minted to commemorate coronation of a great Indian King of 17th century. Who?
Ans: Chhatrapati Shivaji.

DQ 2239. Pic from www.thehindu.com

Fastest three answers: @ShefVaidya, @rohit24r and ‏@viveksurat.

#DharmaQuiz 2240: Hanuman image one paisa coin from central India. 1888 CE (1945 VS). Name that princely state of British India.
Ans: Ratlam

DQ 2240. Pic from blogspot.com

Fastest three answers: @viveksurat, @simuntweets and @ImpatientMonk

Have a good weekend!

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Temples in India that are more than 1000 years old

#DharmaQuiz Session 364: 7-June-2016

#DharmaQuiz 2211: Where is this 1300 year stone temple? A grand yearly dance festival is conducted there now.

DQ 2211: Pic - wiki

Ans: Mahabalipuram or Mammalapuram, Tamil Nadu.

#DharmaQuiz 2212: This Hindu temple is at a height of 11,755 ft above sea level. At least 1200 year old. Name it.

DQ 2212: Pic - Wiki

Ans: Kedarnath Shiva temple, Uttarakhand.

#DharmaQuiz 2213: There is a 2000 year old Brahma temple (rebuilt in 14th century) on this lake bank. Name the lake.

DQ 2213 - Pic 1. From sacredsites.com

DQ 2213 Pic 2. Source - pushkarroyalsafaricamp.com

Ans: Pushkar lake, Rajasthan.

#DharmaQuiz 2214: This is a fabulous 1200 to 1400 year old Hindu + Jain temple complex in 4 caves. Where is it?

DQ 2214. Pic: incredible-india.sanjeevnitv.com

Ans: Badami, Karnataka.

{Final,open till 10 PM}: #DharmaQuiz 2215: This is a 1000 year old temple complex for Harihara. 180 ft tall main temple! Name it.

DQ 2215. Pic: Wiki

Ans: Lingaraj temple, Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

Scores were not finalized properly tonight. Will do properly during the next quiz. Thanks for the great response today!

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Hindu Samskaras Involving a Child.

#DharmaQuiz Session 356: 1-Mar-2016

#DharmaQuiz 2171: What's the Sanskrit word for feeding the baby, its very first solid food in life?
#Samskara Ans: Anna Prashana

DQ 2171. Pic - blogspot

#DharmaQuiz 2172: What's the name of this Samskara, wherein the baby gets hair cut for the first time? Ans: Chudakarma.

DQ 2172. Pic: ronakgandhi.com

#DharmaQuiz 2173: What's the Sanskrit word for this Samskara, wherein the baby's ear is pierced in a ritual way. Ans: Karnavedha.

DQ 2173. Pic; staticflickr.com

#DharmaQuiz 2174: What's the Sanskrit name for naming of a baby? It's prescribed for 11th or 12th day after birth.Ans: Namakarana

DQ 2174. Pic: himalayanacademy.com

#DharmaQuiz 2175: What's the Sanskrit name for making the child write the first letter of his/her life? Ans: Vidyarambham.

DQ 2175. Pic: bharathividyapeetha.org

Scores for session 356:
Did not collect due to time constraints. Sorry.
The response was great. Thanks!

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Folk dances and festivals for women of India

#DharmaQuiz Session 352: 12-Jan-2016

#DharmaQuiz 2151: Women of which state of India celebrate this festival predominantly?
Ans: Telangana - Bonalu.

DQ 2151. Pic: thehindu.com

#DharmaQuiz 2152: Girls and Ladies of which state of India celebrate this swing festival predominantly?
Ans: Odisha - Raja Parba.

DQ 2152: From orissadiary.com

#DharmaQuiz 2153: Women of which state of India perform this beautiful dance routine?
Ans: Asom - Bihu.

DQ 2153. Pic: demotix.com

#DharmaQuiz 2154: Women of which state of India do this rhythmic dance? Ans: Keralam - Onam.

DQ 2154. Pic: snydle.com

#DharmaQuiz 2155: In which Indian state is this special dance being performed by women? Ans: Karnataka - Kodava Ummathat dance.

DQ 2155. Pic: thehindu.com

Many confuse the last one to somewhere from Himalayas!

Scores for session 352:

@sridhar_savitha : 5
@IdamRashtray : 5
@Simuntweets : 5

@ksunjai : 3
@RAMESH4184 : 3
@ugramveeram123 : 3
@ddalmatti : 3
@shivaparv : 3

@TheJanamejaya : 2
@reindheer8 : 2
@TheLingraj : 2
@KanakMakwana : 2
@shonith2 : 2
@KSVSUBRAMANIAN : 2
@parthhas : 2
@arunrush : 2
@jayasankariz : 2

@rajkarsewak : 1
@band318 : 1
@PappuRobot : 1
@bhushan_tweets : 1
@rajubusa : 1
@mavanthoor : 1
@PriyaPippi : 1
@Remesh2015 : 1
@sguru22 : 1
@ShyamSundarRath : 1
@Mamdhata : 1
@PBnrg : 1
@pramodthap : 1
@ksunjai : 1
@sahirgp : 1
@IyerMira : 1
@bimal_pr : 1
@Venky1971 : 1
@Aneesh_chandrA : 1
@chilakalakartik : 1
@lakshman_POMA : 1
@DiAltoK10 : 1
@LJhegade : 1
@kiranjankalar : 1
@mailparam : 1
@prashanthmaiya : 1
@Rasraj : 1
@joethim : 1
@ajithashetty : 1
@shreyasbdwaj : 1
@ShambuNashipudi : 1
@emsreenu : 1
@v4viraj : 1
@yelvee : 1
@samba3thy : 1
@rkvk2001a : 1
@vinaygoel15 : 1
@rkvk2001 : 1
@IndiafirstVM : 1
@Reddy_7304 : 1
@rsborar : 1
@hegdeamh : 1
@su_smile4u : 1
@VaibhavTweeeter : 1
@Pputhige : 1
@naveenha : 1
@t_anupam : 1
@PrathamNayak : 1
@veraghavan : 1
@berneyab : 1

Thanks for taking interest to participate and enrich your Dharmic civilizational knowledge.

Friday, October 9, 2015

Hindu temples of North East India

#DharmaQuiz Session 345: 09-Oct-2015

#DharmaQuiz 2111: The famous Kamakhya temple of Guwahati, Asom, is over which hill? Ans: Nilachal.

#DharmaQuiz 2112: The famous Basistha temple outside Guwahati, is in which forest reserve, famous for elephants? Ans: Garbhanga reserve forest.

DQ 2112: Pic: Wiki

#DharmaQuiz 2113: There's a Maha Bhairab temple from Mahabharata times in the North East of India with ~5 ft tall Linga. Where? Ans: Tezpur, Asom.

DQ 2113. Pic: holymahabhairab.in

DQ 2113, pic 2. Pic from Wiki

#DharmaQuiz 2114: This Shiva temple in Brahmaputra, on the smallest inhabited riverine island in the world. Name it. Ans: Umananda temple.

DQ 2114. Pic 1 (from holidify)

DQ 2114: Pic 2 (from ignca.nic.in)

#DharmaQuiz 2115: One North East Indian state is named after this Devi temple. Which state? Ans: Tripura, named after Tripura Sundari temple of Udaipur.

DQ 2115. Pic: Wiki

Scores for session 345:

@karthikjana : 5
@Appu_Chikku : 5

‏@mamtan14 : 4

@VkPriyanka : 2

@bulletguru : 1
@alok_bhatt : 1
‏@sujata_subhasis : 1
@Winnie11Pooh : 1
‏@Sanjay2Agarwal : 1
@AjoyChatterjee : 1
@sndoreswamy : 1
@dharmikumar : 1
@HalderSitavra : 1
@adiscover : 1
@gaonliya_aapa : 1
@Sandeepkhaitan : 1
@ratlamisev : 1
@bibekdebroy : 1
@Richanjgd : 1
@RAMESH4184 : 1
‏@keshavaram : 1
@sidsen77 : 1
@Myselfkp : 1

Try to visit these magnificent temples in the North East!

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Non Hindu Sanskrit scholars

#DharmaQuiz Session 341: 5-Aug-2015

#DharmaQuiz 2091: Which Mughal prince completed the translation of 50 Hindu Upanishads from their original Sanskrit into Persian in 1657? Ans: Dara Shikoh.

#DharmaQuiz 2092: Which German born 19th century Sanskrit scholar wrote "Sacred Books of the East", a 50 volume set of English translations? Ans: Max Muller.

#DharmaQuiz 2093: Which 19 century England born Sanskrit scholar is best known for Rig Veda translation to English? He studied Sayanacharya. Ans: Ralph TH Griffith

#DharmaQuiz 2094: 2300 years ago this Greek Ambassador to India wrote "Indica". Probably the 1st westerner to document India for west. Who? Ans: Megasthanes.

#DharmaQuiz 2095: A Persian scholar studied science in Sanskrit and wrote Kitab tarikh al-Hind 1000 years ago. Who? Ans: Ahmad al-Biruni.

Scores for session 340:

@IndiafirstVM : 5

@PrachinVaani : 4
@Rickshaw_wala : 4

@aham1857 : 3
@SnookyBangalore : 3
‏@dhpavan : 3
@deshi_mangoman : 3

@prashu46 : 2
@KumaraVaani : 2
@psudo : 2

‏@madimpex1973 : 1
@vasenvy : 1
@vmguruprasath : 1
‏@shivaparv : 1
@sourabhtaletiya : 1
@lathaksjgd : 1
@venksaiyan : 1
@manish_nadir : 1
‏@AjaxNgp : 1
@DivmeterPsycho : 1
@vamshi_in : 1
@raghavsapient : 1
@ShubhaPatil9 : 1
@ImInAntariksh : 1

Good to see interest in Indology scholar quiz.

Friday, July 31, 2015

18th and 19th century Hindu Gurus

#DharmaQuiz Session 340: 31-Jul-2015

#GuruPurnima special:

#DharmaQuiz 2086: Name this famous Guru from 18th century Dilli, whose birth name was Ranjit Singh. Ans: Sant Charandas.

DQ 2086. Pic - wiki

#DharmaQuiz 2087: Name this 18th century Guru, born in Ayodhya. He adopted Vishishtadvaita & started Uddhav Sampraday. Ans: Ramanand Swami.

DQ 2087. Pic: Wiki

#DharmaQuiz 2088: If you have read the famous Autobiography of Yogi, you would know this 19th century Guru. Name him.Ans: Mahavatar Babaji.

DQ 2088. Pic: Wiki

#DharmaQuiz 2089: Name this 19th & 20th century Guru whose contribution to caste discrimination removal is legendary. Ans: Narayana Guru.

DQ 2089. Pic: Wiki

#DharmaQuiz 2090: Name this 19th century Guru, who was termed as avatar of Sri Chaitanya. Ans: Vijay Krishna Gosvami.

Thanks for participating today!

Friday, April 17, 2015

Cow in Hindu Culture.

#DharmaQuiz Session 328: 17-Apr-2015

#DharmaQuiz 2025: Name the cow that emerged from Samudra Manthan. Ans: Kamadhenu.

DQ 2025: Pic -Wiki

#DharmaQuiz 2026: Which Bhagawan's name in India literally means "Protector of Cows" in Sanskrit? Ans:
Gopala - Krishna.

#DharmaQuiz 2027: Name the Jain Tirthankara who is identified uniquely using bull as his symbol. Ans: Rishabha or Adinatha.

DQ: 2027. Pic - herenow4u.net

#DharmaQuiz 2028: Name this son of Anusuya, who is worshiped as a great Guru, who is seen often with an adorable cow. Ans: Dattatreya.

DQ 2028. Pic - giri.in

Question 2029 skipped. 2025 was duplicate, so making up for that.

#DharmaQuiz 2030: Vedas term cow as: Aghnya (not to be killed), Ahi (not be slaughtered) & Aditi. Aditi means what? Ans: Aditi = the one that ought not to be cut into pieces. Aditi has other meanings, but in this cow context, this is the meaning.

Scores for session 328.

@sankarbe : 5
@karthikjana : 5
@UKKishor : 5

@IdamRashtray : 4
@RAMESH4184 : 4
@pramod_klr : 4
@stormylook : 4

@rahul_sane : 3
@Simuntweets : 3
@SnookyBangalore : 3
@tweeteringuise : 3

@nandaakumar : 2
@seenu_d : 2
@VJayVM : 2
@rahultri1977 : 2
‏@mhveer_ : 2
‏@airwindcrazywal : 2
@praveenbp21aug : 2
@PoonamV_ : 2
@mhveer_ : 2
@anantyalagi : 2
@dhpavan : 2
@Sridhar_Salem : 2
@rinku3009 : 2

@Aamchigele : 2
@ChauhanUpendra : 2

@sharma__sanjay : 1
@nrpurvi : 1
@tradetoday99 : 1
@gururaj_as : 1
@hiriyal : 1
@timmapuramreddy : 1
@JagannathAjnabi : 1
@Monique_essence : 1
@demonhawk007 : 1
@bohrapankaj : 1
@drarora_gaurav : 1
@Adroit_A : 1
@SonalShriv : 1
@vinodsharma1834 : 1
@ys_sadalagi : 1
@tweeteringuise : 1
@SarojKarnataka : 1
@Patriot84032974 : 1
@RahulRBhasme : 1
@deva1956 : 1
@WyndTalkr : 1
@IndiafirstVM : 1
@ahmednkhan : 1
@UshaSudarshan27 : 1
@avaneeshraju : 1
@Panchjanyaa : 1
@nitintp : 1
@siddhu2498 :1
@khatvanga : 1
@luvdheart : 1
@JakaasJig : 1
@rajeshkupadhyay : 1
@itsapollo13 : 1
@ganeshmahnar : 1
@bhavikdwivedi : 1
@praveenbp21aug : 1
@avramesh : 1
@HarishankarSY : 1
@nikhil__13 : 1
@UghraNarasimha : 1
@dwimidhaM : 1
@AmiSri : 1
@sriram20 : 1
@kiran_en25 : 1
@Jitenderbharati : 1
@kum_1_09 : 1
@kagitapus : 1
@magaxiom : 1
@GreatHeretic : 1
@puneethsamani : 1

Today it was a great turn out. Thanks for showing interest in go-mata related quiz.

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Bhagavad Gita and Sanskrit.

#DharmaQuiz Session 326: 31-Mar-2015

#DharmaQuiz 2016: Who translated Bhagavad Gita into English first? Ans: Sir Charles Wilkin.

#DharmaQuiz 2017: In whose ashrama did Dushyanta meet Shakuntala? Ans: Kanva maharshi.

#DharmaQuiz 2018: What was Satya Harishchandra's wife's name? Ans: Chandramati.

#DharmaQuiz 2019: Mahabharata is the "the longest poem ever written" with 18,00,000 words. How many shlokas or verses approximately? Ans: Approximately 1,00,000.

#DharmaQuiz 2020: If you read Hindu Puranas, Maharshi Suta's name comes often. In which ashrama did he live in? Ans: Naimisharanya

Scores for session 326:
Did not score. Sorry. Next time will do that.

Friday, February 27, 2015

Hinduism in Vietnam

#DharmaQuiz Session 320: 27-Feb-2015

#DharmaQuiz 1986: A 4000 year old Vishnu statue was discovered in Vietnam recently.
Next to which major river? Ans: Mekong. (Ma Ganga, some say)

DQ 1986

Read more: http://www.speakingtree.in/spiritual-blogs/seekers/mysticism/4-000-year-old-vishnu-statue-discovered-in-vietnam

#DharmaQuiz 1987: Champa Kingdom in Vietnam was a famous Hindu kingdom 1600 years ago. Name any one Champa King. Ans: Bhadravarman, who ruled from 349-361CE. Others are Shambhuvarman, Vijayavarman and Simhavarman.

DQ 1987

Read more: http://indiafacts.co.in/forgotten-hindus-vietnams-champa-kingdom/

#DharmaQuiz 1988: Champa Hindu kingdom of Vietnam had 5 parts.
Indrapura, Amaravati, Vijaya, Kauthara (Nha Trang). Name the 5th one.
Ans: Panduranga is known today simply as Phan.

#DharmaQuiz 1989: Apart from the Champa Kingdom of Cham Hindus, another Hindu kingdom was in Vietnam 1900 years ago. Name it. Ans: Funan.

{Final,Open till 10.00PM} #DharmaQuiz 1990: Identify this Hindu deity from Vietnam. It's at My Son temple complex. Ans: Lord Shiva.

DQ 1990

Scores for session 320 were not counted. Will do it next time.

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Hindu temples of Jammu & Kashmir, and Jharkhand.

DharmaQuiz Session 311: 23-Dec-2014

#DharmaQuiz 1941: Over which mountain is the precious Vaishno Devi temple situated in Jammu and Kashmir? Ans: Trikuta.

DQ 1941: Pic from makemytrip

#DharmaQuiz 1942: There's a famous Devi temple 20 KM east of Srinagar in Jammu & Kashmir. Mentioned in Kalhana's Rajtarangini. Name it. Ans: Kheer Bhavani temple.

#DharmaQuiz 1943: There's a hill overlooking Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir. Has Jagadamba Sharika temple. Name the hill. Ans: Hari Parbat.

DQ 1943: Pic from travelersguideindia

#DharmaQuiz 1944: This 325 year old Hindu temple was restored in 2008 in the state of Jharkhand. Name the temple. Ans: Jagannath temple, Ranchi.

DQ 1944: Pic from panoramio

#DharmaQuiz 1945: Only one of the 12 sacred Jyotir Lingas, is in the eastern part of India. Where is it? Ans: Baidyanath, Jharkhand.

Scores for session 311:

@surnell : 5
@RakeshChouhan : 5

@TheArvindDhar : 4

@stormylook : 3
@bezubaan : 3
@DrShobha : 3

@rahulbagati : 2
@pradeepsingh83 : 2
@NaMo__Bhakt : 2
@chitrabharadwaj : 2
@mamtakejriwal75 : 2

@rathinikesh : 1
@shailu_CA : 1
‏@SameerTandon1 : 1
@sudhirapai : 1
@rgopalv : 1
@NilimaNilimas : 1
@jodhra63 : 1
@arunrush : 1
@pramodthap : 1
‏@ko_ji2000 : 1
‏@mrsnrao : 1
@devyanidilli : 1
@PoonamV_ : 1
@keshavaram : 1
@KakRajender : 1
‏@RRamgovind : 1
@TORUKH_MAKTO : 1
@anityakr : 1
@prasca : 1
@ganeshmahnar : 1
@sharnarthi90 : 1
@Krish9995 : 1
@AgentSaffron : 1
@KakRajender : 1
@Nationalistweet : 1

Learn more about temples from these two states, that were in news today.

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Theme: Hindu marriages

DharmaQuiz Session 309: 09-Dec-2014

#DharmaQuiz 1931: When sage Dattatreya met King Yadu in a forest, how many Gurus did he say he had? (Earth, Water, Air, Elephant, Ocean....) Ans: 24
Read the full list here: http://hinduism.about.com/od/gurussaints/fl/The-24-Gurus-in-Nature.htm

(Only this one not directly linked to marriages)

#DharmaQuiz 1932: How many types of marriages did Manu describe in the "Manava Dharma Shastra"? Ans: 8
See this: http://hinduism.about.com/od/matrimonial1/a/typesofmarriage.htm

#DharmaQuiz 1933: In a traditional Hindu marriage, how many blessings do the couple get going around the fire? ("May this couple be...") Ans: Seven.
Read all the 7 steps of Saptapadi: http://hinduism.about.com/od/matrimonial1/a/7blessings.htm

#DharmaQuiz 1934: In a typical Hindu marriage, does Kanya Daana happen before or after Pani grahana? Ans: Before.

Read: http://hinduism.about.com/od/matrimonial1/a/wedding_rituals.htm

{Final,Open till 10.00PM} #DharmaQuiz 1935: There's a step in many Hindu marriages- Laja homah. What material is put in fire by bride there? Ans: Puffed Rice.

Again, read: http://hinduism.about.com/od/matrimonial1/a/wedding_rituals.htm

Scores for session 309:

‏@shibu_kt : 5
‏@Telugutalli : 5
@durgaramdas : 5

@bashbangalore : 4
‏@rajeshrajput1 : 4
@Mamdhata : 4

‏@jigmpatel : 3
@Simuntweets : 3
@Gopalee67 : 3
‏@stormylook : 3

@LutyensMalala : 2
‏@arunrush : 2
@DrDNYKrishna : 2

‏@anandrk77 : 1
‏@monisha_yadav : 1
@RAMESH4184 : 1
@ArjKadya : 1
@sudhica84 : 1
@keshavhosahalli : 1
@shantheshkulur : 1
@aasare1 : 1
@Kaivalyapad : 1
‏@sdpandya8 : 1
@sandeepkuppur : 1
@AnithaNadsal : 1

See you next week.

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Rebuilding of destroyed ancient Hindu temples.

DharmaQuiz Session 308: 02-Dec-2014

#DharmaQuiz 1926: Name this Dalit Hindu was laid the 1st foundation stone of Ram Janmabhumi temple on Nov 10, 1989. Ans: Kameshwar Choupal

DQ 1926

#DharmaQuiz 1927: Which Prez said this? "Somnath temple signifies that power of reconstruction is always greater than power of destruction". Ans: Babu Rajendra Prasad.

#DharmaQuiz 1928: Kashi Vishwanath temple was rebuilt (after destruction by Aurangzeb) in 1780 CE, by a Maratha queen. Name the brave lady. Ans: Ahalya bai Holkar, Queen of Indore.

#DharmaQuiz 1929: Krishna Janmasthan / Kesava Deo Temple rebuilt in 1965 long after Aurangzeb's destruction. Which industrialist rebuilt it? Ans: Jugal Kishore Birla of Birla group decided to take the leading role to fulfill the wishes of Malviyaji and formed a private trust in 1951 to which the rights of land were later transferred. Jaidayal Dalmia of Dalmia Group was another leading personality, who took untiring efforts and the temple was finally constructed over the site.

More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kesava_Deo_Temple#Present_Temple

{Final,Open till 10.00PM} #DharmaQuiz 1930: Name Sikh King who donated Kohinoor diamond to a Hindu temple that was plundered 18 times before. Ans: Maharajah Ranjit Singh to Odisha's Puri Jagannath temple. But the Kohinoor never made it to the temple for other reasons, and later British stole it.

Scores for session 308:

‏@vipulgupta1976 : 5

‏@Simuntweets : 4
@stormylook : 4
‏@rajeshrajput1 : 4

@Telugutalli : 3

@kirtweetz : 2
@AbhinavAhinav : 2
@girish_joshig : 2
@ankushraj29 : 2
@ksjha_ngp : 2

@ravideli : 1
@ravisonkusare : 1
‏@nirbhaavuka : 1
@debakanta87 : 1
@drarora_gaurav : 1
@AjitsinhJagirda : 1
‏@JpackJack : 1
@sanjayagrawal : 1
@psxyz : 1
‏@naonome : 1
‏@arunrush : 1
‏@mithlm88 : 1
@ashujoshi27 : 1
‏@sailezz : 1
@ambuj_patel : 1
@tresfool : 1
@vkdwivedi21 : 1
@mrsnrao : 1
@DeepeshLakhera : 1

Respect for the brave souls who have helped reclaim some of the damaged temples.

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Theme: Hindu Dharma in Nepal

DharmaQuiz Session 307: 25-Nov-2014

#DharmaQuiz 1921: Pashupatinath temple in Nepal has been getting the chief priests for 100s of years from a south Indian state. Which one? Ans: Karnataka.

#DharmaQuiz 1922: What is the official national calendar of Nepal called?
Hint: Named after a famous Hindu emperor of India. Ans: Bikram Sambat, named after Emperor Vikramaditya.

#DharmaQuiz 1923: The name Nepal is derived from Ne-pala.
Pala in Sanskrit or Pali means "protected". Tell about "Ne". Ans: Ne is the Hindu sage upon whose name is the country named. Protected by sage Ne.

#DharmaQuiz 1924: This is Sita temple at her birth place Janakpur Dham in Nepal.
Which Indian state does it border? Ans: Sitamarhi district of Bihar.

Before 1962 Nepal flag

DQ 1924: Pic from trekearth

Today's Nepal flag

#DharmaQuiz 1925: Nepal's flag is the world's only non rectangular flag.
It has 2 of nine Navagrahas.Which 2? Ans: Surya and Chandra.

Scores for session 307:

‏@sankarbe : 5
@Simuntweets : 5
@MatruBhakt : 5

@Telugutalli : 4
@mdbiyani : 4

@sk__fan : 3
@SanghiBeerbal : 3
‏@stormylook : 3
@aloktg : 3

@AmatyaKautilya : 2
@mithlm88 : 2
@Chin512 : 2

@vsumanthkumar : 1
‏@anjaninandan : 1
@paivijay : 1
‏@vjchats : 1
‏@molarcannine : 1
‏@DrAsisAcharya : 1
@ganeshmahnar : 1
@prashantwa : 1
@kran8897 : 1
@nishu_a : 1
‏@BharatBhakta : 1
@elvi105 : 1
@NaMo__Bhakt : 1
@msranj10 : 1
@affable_sandy : 1
@kcrazy_4me : 1
@ravi_saraogi : 1
‏@rofelia09 : 1
@AnjaniShahi : 1
@ravindrahg : 1
@nandaakumar : 1
‏@puthrans : 1
@SwathiRagha : 1
@bezubaan : 1
@naikencore : 1
@kepalagudde : 1
@Dilipmys : 1
@bharatmelange : 1
‏@piyushkaul : 1
‏@Jag_HM : 1
@Shivkamath : 1
@MRVChennai : 1
@DarKAgeAbhijitH : 1
@chitralakshman : 1
@Chanakya_74 : 1
@rkedar1 : 1
@emanistnrn : 1
@maverickenator : 1
@ishuaadi : 1
@SrDPO : 1
@bharatmelange : 1
@VinayMysuru : 1
@Mamdhata : 1
@jhchopra : 1
@Vamsee9002 : 1
@IMeAndMine : 1
@homorationalis : 1
@SriAiyer2RS : 1

Hope we all learnt somethings new!

Friday, October 31, 2014

Hindu population percentages across the world.

DQ 1906. Pic from Wiki

DharmaQuiz Session 304: 31-Oct-2014

#DharmaQuiz 1906: In one of the 22 republics in Russia, more than 2% of the population have become Hindus. Name it. Ans: Altai Republic

#DharmaQuiz 1907: Name one Arab country today, where Hindus form more than 5% of the resident population, including migrant workers. Ans: Oman 20%, Kuwait 6%, Qatar 7.2%, UAE 5% and Bahrain 6.25%.

#DharmaQuiz 1908: In terms of percentage of the country's population, name the country today that has the max percentage of Hindus. Ans: Nepal 81.3% (India, 80.5%).

#DharmaQuiz 1909: Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, and Suriname in south America, have large Hindu populations. Which 1 has the max % of Hindus? Ans: Guyana, with 28% Hindus.

#DharmaQuiz 1910: Which African country has the max percentage of Hindus? Mauritius or South Africa? Ans: Mauritius, which has 48% Hindus.

Answers to session 304:

@mdbiyani : 5

@Simuntweets : 4
@Telugutalli : 4
@MangoAdmi : 4

@MadusudhanR : 3

@drswapnilm : 2
‏@ProtectIndia : 2

‏@pandey_ashishkp : 1
@sudhirapai : 1
@kp8278 : 1
@harishshenoy1 : 1
@suresh97 : 1
@jayashreeravish : 1
@sbnIndia : 1
@GreatMind_Quote : 1
@vimaljaitly : 1
@navdesh50 : 1
@abhi2911 : 1
@stormylook : 1
@mitkon : 1
‏@SujnanNayak : 1
@rajnish821 : 1
@srinivasanands : 1
@TarunMaini3 : 1
@hrnaidu : 1
@abhicm03 : 1
‏@sunil_kumarpg : 1

Thanks for being a part of this today. Hindus should know more about Hindus who now reside on all the 6 continents outside Antarctica.

Friday, October 17, 2014

Theme: Hindu Scriptures

DharmaQuiz Session 302: 17-Oct-2014

#DharmaQuiz 1896: Is Ramcharitmanas older or Artha Shastra? Ans: Artha Shastra by Kautilya. Almost 2000 years older than Ramcharitmanas of Tulasidas.

#DharmaQuiz 1897: Which one of these is a Vaishnava purana?
Padma or Brahmanda. Ans: Padma.

#DharmaQuiz 1898: Name any one Itihasa (historical account) from Hindu scriptures.
Ans: Ramayana or Mahabharata.

#DharmaQuiz 1899: Is Mundaka upanishad that contains "Brahma vid Brahmaiva bhavati", a part of Yajur veda or Atharva veda? Ans: Atharva veda.

#DharmaQuiz 1900: Shrauta sutra and Smarta sutra, are a part of which of the six Vedangas? Ans: Kalpa.

Scores for session 302:

@sankarbe : 5
@Telugutalli : 5
@GuruCharan99 : 5

@AmatyaKautilya : 4

@PrinceArihan : 3
@Simuntweets : 3
@kepalagudde : 3

@nikhil__13 : 2
@deshi_mangoman : 2
@rajeshrajput1 : 2
@23nutty : 2

‏@Beingamby : 1

@ahmednkhan : 1
@sanya53 : 1
@Anirvachan : 1
‏@drarora_gaurav : 1
@Karmasura : 1
@anityakr : 1
@bapufromzalawad : 1
@srijai : 1
@ProtectIndia : 1
@SwathiRagha : 1
@rinku3009 : 1
‏@sudhirapai : 1
@TedhiLakeer : 1

Good show today.

Friday, October 10, 2014

Hindu festivals in October 2014

DQ 1888. Pic from spiritualbangalore.com

DharmaQuiz Session 300: 10-Oct-2014

#DharmaQuiz 1886: This week we had the jayanti of Ramayana's writer.
Also, a famous Rajput princess famous for Rama/Krishna bhajans. Who? Ans: Meera

#DharmaQuiz 1887: Tomorrow is Karva Chauth.
According to Vikram Samvat calendar, which month's Krishna's paksha's 4th day is this festival? Ans: Kartik.

#DharmaQuiz 1888: Last Saturday was Jayanti of this philosopher from 13 century.
Considered Vayu's 3rd avatara.
Who? Ans: Madhwacharya

#DharmaQuiz 1889: A few days after Diwali, a famous sun worship puja happens in North India.
Name it. Ans: Chhath puja. @SaugataChaterje informs that it was started by Karna.

DQ 1889. Pic from Wiki

{Final,Open till 10.00PM} #DharmaQuiz 1890: 12 days from now is Naraka Chaturdashi. Krishna slayed a demon on this day. Name that asura. Ans: Narakasura.

Answers for session 300:

@ajaypawardr : 5
@karthikjana : 5
@KaushikRg : 5
@kishor_narayan : 5
@HarishankarSY : 5

@pramod_klr : 4
@stormylook : 4
‏@mdbiyani : 4
@rajeshrajput1 : 4

@Mamdhata : 3
@Simuntweets : 3
@DrShobha : 3
@supportnmforpm : 3
@drarora_gaurav : 3
@drswapnilm : 3
@meenabg : 3

@sarvankarthik6 : 2
@SnookyBangalore : 2
@JpackJack : 2

@BharatKandpal2 : 1
@skdeshpande : 1
@jgdanjesh : 1

@kiranGowda0007 : 1
@harishinamdar : 1
@trivedianupam : 1
@DeepeshLakhera : 1
@ARSHURPALI : 1
‏@deshi_mangoman : 1
@pankaj165 : 1
@NeenaSinha : 1
‏@Deipakk : 1
@ushamirra : 1
@VishnuDhanuka : 1
‏@Ashishkr101 : 1
@sandeepgandotra : 1
@pchaturved : 1
@SaugataChaterje : 1
‏@vschanna : 1
@aachedeen : 1
@basuhan9 : 1
@gppatil2281 : 1
@Prach82 : 1
@Suri_Sing : 1
@raghavendra3190 : 1
@TheArvindDhar : 1
@vasenvy : 1
@nikhil__13 : 1
@piyushkaul : 1
‏@peeyushmalhotra : 1
@sreekannoth : 1
@PoonamV_ : 1
‏@enlightend_mind : 1
@Earthlingum : 1

300 sessions of Dharmaquiz over 4 years!!

Congratulations to all the loyal participants. Thank you.

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Hindu Festivals in September 2014

DharmaQuiz Session 296: 9-Sep-2014

#DharmaQuiz 1866: Anant Chaturdashi is the day when Ganesha murtis are immersed in water.
It's also last day of Paryushana. For whom? Ans: Jains.

#DharmaQuiz 1867: Per Hindu lunar calendar, right now we are in Pitru Paksha.
On which day does Pitru Paksha end? Ans: Mahalaya Amavasya.

#DharmaQuiz 1868: During Pitru Paksha, pinda daana is given to ancestors.
What is pinda? Ans: Ball of rice.

DQ: 1868. Pic: bharatdiscovery.org

#DharmaQuiz 1869: Puja of a god, will be held this week. Who's this divine architect? Ans: Vishwakarma.

#DharmaQuiz 1870: What's the name of the Ekadashi that comes in Bhadrapada Krishna paksha, during pitru paksha? Ans: Ananda Ekadashi per Shalivahana Shaka and Indira Ekadashi per Vikrama Shaka.

Answers for session 296:

@SamitLive : 5
@surnell : 5

@dharadhar : 4
‏@NilimaNilimas : 4
@man8shree : 4
@durgaramdas : 4

@vjchats : 3

@sudhica84 : 2
@hegde_anirudh : 2
@BihariView : 2

@ppani76 : 1
@Wiseywoman : 1
@sud_roy : 1
@balaijk : 1
@alisaspeaks : 1
@chweetdeepak : 1
@deshi_mangoman : 1
@AmalPar : 1
@Tan_Tripathi : 1
@AbhaySDube : 1
@ganeshmahnar : 1
‏@Meenu_71 : 1
@mithlm10sg8 : 1
@Asach4 : 1
@Rohit_Nagda : 1
‏@Raghav_Uvaach : 1
@nikhil__13 : 1
@BharatKandpal2 : 1
‏@A31X64Vijay : 1
@asurabhi : 1
@SanthoshPPrabhu : 1
@surendaradla : 1
@tradetoday99 : 1
‏@Aamchigele : 1
@ravigupta00 : 1
@Moskvaa : 1

Thanks for participating. Take away from this quiz. Learn the exact differences between various Hindu calendars. There are at least 7 of them!

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

27 Hindu Nakshatras

DharmaQuiz Session 293: 12-Aug-2014

#DharmaQuiz 1851: Out of the 27 Nakshatras or stars as a part of Hindu panchanga or astrology, which one translates as "Deer's head"? Ans: Mriga Shira.

#DharmaQuiz 1852: Out of the 27 Nakshatras of Hindu panchanga which one translates as "the eldest"? Ans: Jyeshtha.

#DharmaQuiz 1853: Out of the 27 Nakshatras of Hindu panchanga what does Shatabisha mean? Ans:
Comprising of a hundred physicians.

#DharmaQuiz 1854: If a girl is born in this nakshatra of Hindu panchanga, she's usually married to a
home without father-in-law. Which star? Ans: Mula, "the root". The belief is that after marriage, the
father in law of the bride would soon die.

{Final,Open till 10.00PM} #DharmaQuiz 1855: Pushya nakshatra is linked to Rama and Sita.
Name one event of their lives in that nakshatra. Ans: Sita was born per some, and Rama and Sita were married in this nakshatra per some other astrologers.

Scores for session 293:
Did not note. Sorry.

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Hindu Temples On River Banks

DharmaQuiz Session 291: 5-Aug-2014

#DharmaQuiz 1841: Name this upanadi or tributary of Krishna river, on whose bank is a very famous Vithala temple. Ans: Bhima or Chandrabhaga river. Pandharapur kshetra.

#DharmaQuiz 1842: This river is one of the headstreams of Ganga, on whose bank is a peetha re-established by Adi Shankara. Name the river. Ans: Alaknanda. Badrinath peetha.

#DharmaQuiz 1843: This desert like place in south India that is famous for its pancha linga (5 linga) darshana is on which river's bank? Ans: Kaveri. Talakadu pancha linga darshana.

#DharmaQuiz 1844: There's a famous Rama temple in the south East of India, where Rama and Sita supposedly visited. On which river's bank? Ans: Godavari. Bhadrachalam temple.

#DharmaQuiz 1845: A Jyotir Linga in central India is on an Om shaped island. On which major river's bank? Ans: Narmada. Omkareshwar temple.

Scores for session 291:

@hchaturv : 5
@abhipar7 : 5
@durgaramdas : 5
@mareekuree : 5

@chetankshet : 4
@vipulgupta1976 : 4
@mrsnrao : 4
@gboxam : 4

@keshavaram : 3
@CJoshi28 : 3

@harishinamdar : 2
@kirtweetz : 2
@kushleshsharma : 2

@prasca : 1
@DeepeshLakhera : 1
@srinivasanands : 1
@aseemcam : 1
@ratnakarkulkarn : 1
@RakeshChouhan : 1
@rohitsamvada : 1
@shreyasms : 1
@Eagleeye47 : 1
@DrSatyaSaraswat : 1

Thanks for participating!