Festivals MCQs – Set-1 | 50 questions on Indian festival traditions, seasonal celebrations and living cultural heritage.
Mixed difficulty · Select one answer and open each explanation to review the concept.
Under UNESCO’s intangible heritage framework, where do festive events belong?
A Social practices and rituals
B Traditional craftsmanship
C Oral literature
D Nature-related knowledge
Answer: A. Social practices and rituals. UNESCO groups social practices, rituals and festive events within one intangible cultural heritage domain.
Who must recognize a living expression as part of its heritage?
A Outside visitors
B The practicing community
C A travel company
D A single curator
Answer: B. The practicing community. UNESCO describes intangible heritage as community-based: the people who create and transmit it recognize it as theirs.
What keeps intangible cultural heritage alive across generations?
A Permanent freezing
B One-time documentation
C Transmission and recreation
D Museum display alone
Answer: C. Transmission and recreation. UNESCO says communities transmit living heritage and continually recreate it in response to their environment and history.
Which milestones can community festivals help mark?
A Only election dates
B Only school terms
C Only market openings
D Seasons and agricultural cycles
Answer: D. Seasons and agricultural cycles. UNESCO notes that festive practices can mark seasons, the agricultural calendar and stages of life.
How large can a festive event become?
A Small gatherings to large celebrations
B Only private ceremonies
C Only village meetings
D Only national holidays
Answer: A. Small gatherings to large celebrations. UNESCO describes a range from small gatherings to large-scale celebrations and commemorations.
Which expressions may come together in a festival?
A Only written contracts
B Music, dance, theatre and food
C Only silent displays
D Only formal lectures
Answer: B. Music, dance, theatre and food. UNESCO describes festivals as complex expressions that can combine performance, food, oral traditions and crafts.
What is a central aim of safeguarding living heritage?
A Freezing every custom
B Replacing community practice
C Continuity and transmission
D Restricting all teaching
Answer: C. Continuity and transmission. UNESCO defines safeguarding as measures that help heritage remain viable and pass to future generations.
Deepavali is widely known by what other name?
A Baisakhi
B Vaisakhi
C Bohag
D Diwali
Answer: D. Diwali. UNESCO identifies Deepavali as also known as Diwali.
In which year did UNESCO inscribe Deepavali on its Representative List?
A 2025
B 2017
C 2021
D 2023
Answer: A. 2025. UNESCO’s entry records Deepavali’s inscription in 2025.
Which calendar guides the timing of Deepavali?
A Solar calendar
B Lunar calendar
C Fiscal calendar
D Academic calendar
Answer: B. Lunar calendar. UNESCO says Deepavali is based on the lunar calendar.
Which lunar phase usually places Deepavali in October or November?
A Full moon
B First quarter
C New moon
D Last quarter
Answer: C. New moon. UNESCO places Deepavali on the new moon in October or November.
What seasonal transition does Deepavali mark?
A Monsoon’s first rainfall
B Spring planting alone
C Winter’s first snowfall
D Last harvest and new season
Answer: D. Last harvest and new season. UNESCO says the festival marks the year’s last harvest and the start of a new year and season.
Which moral victory does Deepavali symbolize?
A Good over evil
B Winter over summer
C Silence over music
D Night over morning
Answer: A. Good over evil. UNESCO describes Deepavali as symbolizing the victory of good over evil.
What do people light during Deepavali celebrations?
A Only paper lanterns
B Lamps and candles
C Only bonfires
D Electric signs only
Answer: B. Lamps and candles. UNESCO describes people lighting lamps and candles in homes and public spaces.
How do elders commonly pass Deepavali practices to children?
A Printed exams alone
B Broadcasts without practice
C Stories and hands-on participation
D Museum labels only
Answer: C. Stories and hands-on participation. UNESCO says elders teach children through stories and hands-on participation.
Where is Durga Puja most notably celebrated, according to UNESCO?
A Jaipur, Rajasthan
B Kochi, Kerala
C Pune, Maharashtra
D Kolkata, West Bengal
Answer: D. Kolkata, West Bengal. UNESCO describes the annual festival as most notably celebrated in Kolkata, West Bengal.
When is Durga Puja in Kolkata usually held?
A September or October
B January or February
C March or April
D June or July
Answer: A. September or October. UNESCO says the annual festival is celebrated in September or October.
Who is worshipped during the ten-day Durga Puja festival?
A Goddess Saraswati
B Goddess Durga
C Goddess Lakshmi
D Goddess Parvati
Answer: B. Goddess Durga. UNESCO describes the festival as ten-day worship of the mother-goddess Durga.
What happens to Durga images at the festival’s end?
A Stored in a palace
B Buried in a field
C Immersed in a river
D Displayed permanently
Answer: C. Immersed in a river. UNESCO says the images are immersed in a river on the tenth day.
When are eyes painted onto Durga’s clay images?
A At Holika Dahan
B At Mattu Pongal
C At Kati Bihu
D At Mahalaya
Answer: D. At Mahalaya. UNESCO says the worship begins on Mahalaya, when eyes are painted onto the clay images.
From which river is clay traditionally taken for Durga images?
A Ganga River
B Godavari River
C Narmada River
D Kaveri River
Answer: A. Ganga River. UNESCO’s description says artisans use unfired clay pulled from the Ganga River.
What do Durga Puja installations bring together in public life?
A Sport and trade
B Religion and art
C Law and medicine
D Farming and transport
Answer: B. Religion and art. UNESCO calls Durga Puja a public performance of religion and art, featuring large installations and pavilions.
What homecoming idea is associated with Durga Puja?
A A journey to the coast
B A new harvest tax
C Seasonal return to roots
D A winter migration
Answer: C. Seasonal return to roots. UNESCO says the festival can signify homecoming or a seasonal return to one’s roots.
During which festival is Garba traditionally performed?
A Onam
B Holi
C Baisakhi
D Navaratri
Answer: D. Navaratri. UNESCO describes Garba as performed on the occasion of Navaratri.
What form of divine energy does Navaratri honor in Garba tradition?
A Feminine energy, or Shakti
B Ocean energy
C Monsoon winds
D Harvest machinery
Answer: A. Feminine energy, or Shakti. UNESCO links Navaratri Garba to worship of feminine energy, or Shakti.
What object may stand at the centre of Garba dancing?
A Brass plate, rice grains
B Perforated pot, oil lamp
C Wooden cart, flowers
D Painted screen, candles
Answer: B. Perforated pot, oil lamp. UNESCO describes dancing around a perforated earthenware pot lit with an oil lamp, or an image of Amba.
In which year did UNESCO inscribe Garba of Gujarat?
A 2016
B 2019
C 2023
D 2021
Answer: C. 2023. UNESCO’s listing records Garba of Gujarat in 2023.
How does Garba’s pace change during the dance?
A It stays motionless
B It slows to silence
C It changes to marching
D It gradually accelerates
Answer: D. It gradually accelerates. UNESCO describes Garba beginning with slow circular movements before the rhythm accelerates.
Which four cities host Kumbh Mela by rotation?
A Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain, Nashik
B Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, Lucknow
C Mumbai, Pune, Surat, Rajkot
D Chennai, Kochi, Mysuru, Madurai
Answer: A. Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain, Nashik. UNESCO names Allahabad (now Prayagraj), Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik as the rotating locations.
How often does UNESCO describe the Kumbh Mela location changing?
A Every two years
B Every four years
C Every six years
D Every twelve years
Answer: B. Every four years. UNESCO describes Kumbh Mela as rotating among four cities every four years.
What do many Kumbh Mela pilgrims do at a sacred river?
A Plant a forest
B Build a permanent shrine
C Bathe or take a dip
D Launch fishing boats
Answer: C. Bathe or take a dip. UNESCO describes participants bathing or taking a dip in a sacred river.
Which organizations are important Kumbh Mela tradition-bearers?
A Trade unions and banks
B Schools and hospitals
C Courts and councils
D Akhadas and ashrams
Answer: D. Akhadas and ashrams. UNESCO identifies akhadas and ashrams among the organizations that carry the tradition.
When did UNESCO inscribe Kumbh Mela?
A 2017
B 2009
C 2013
D 2021
Answer: A. 2017. UNESCO’s record shows Kumbh Mela was inscribed in 2017.
Which season does India’s Holi celebration welcome?
A Monsoon
B Spring
C Autumn
D Midwinter
Answer: B. Spring. Incredible India describes Holi as a celebration of spring.
Which materials are central to Holi’s colourful play?
A Flower petals and oil
B Rice flour and milk
C Coloured powder and water
D Sand and flower seeds
Answer: C. Coloured powder and water. Incredible India mentions coloured powder (gulal) and jets of coloured water (pichkaris).
Which observance precedes the main Holi colour-play day?
A Mattu Pongal
B Usha Arghya
C Kaanum Pongal
D Holika Dahan
Answer: D. Holika Dahan. Incredible India’s Holi description places the bonfire observance before Dulhendi, the main colour-play day.
Which traditional instrument accompanies Holi dancing in Incredible India’s account?
A Dhol
B Sitar
C Santoor
D Shehnai
Answer: A. Dhol. Incredible India notes the dhol’s rhythm among the sounds of Holi dancing.
Which community is Pongal particularly associated with?
A Kashmiri Pandits
B Tamil people
C Bodo communities
D Konkani Catholics
Answer: B. Tamil people. A Press Information Bureau account describes Pongal as a major festival particularly associated with Tamil people.
How does the Press Information Bureau characterize Pongal?
A Monsoon welcome
B Spring planting rite
C Harvest thanksgiving
D Winter solstice vigil
Answer: C. Harvest thanksgiving. The Press Information Bureau describes Pongal as a thanksgiving ritual for a bountiful harvest.
Which calendar does Pongal follow, according to the Press Information Bureau?
A Lunar calendar
B Fiscal calendar
C Islamic calendar
D Solar calendar
Answer: D. Solar calendar. The Press Information Bureau says Pongal follows a solar calendar.
What is honoured on Mattu Pongal?
A Cattle
B River boats
C Harvest tools
D Temple lamps
Answer: A. Cattle. The Press Information Bureau describes the third day, Mattu Pongal, as dedicated to cattle.
What does an overflowing Pongal pot traditionally signify?
A Rain and planting
B Abundance and prosperity
C Silence and mourning
D Travel and trade
Answer: B. Abundance and prosperity. The Press Information Bureau says the overflowing pot is an auspicious sign of abundance and prosperity.
Bohag Bihu is especially associated with which state?
A Kerala
B Gujarat
C Assam
D Punjab
Answer: C. Assam. Incredible India identifies Bohag Bihu as a harvest festival celebrated in Assam.
Which agricultural phase does Bohag Bihu mark?
A End of winter grazing
B Rice storage season
C First monsoon harvest
D Beginning of seeding time
Answer: D. Beginning of seeding time. Incredible India says Bohag Bihu marks the beginning of seeding time.
Which state celebrates Onam as a major harvest festival?
A Kerala
B Assam
C Gujarat
D Bihar
Answer: A. Kerala. Incredible India describes Onam as a ten-day harvest festival in Kerala.
How long does the Onam harvest festival unfold?
A Three days
B Ten days
C Five days
D Fourteen days
Answer: B. Ten days. Incredible India’s Kerala page describes Onam as a ten-day festival.
When is Sandhya Arghya offered during Chhath Puja?
A At midday
B Before sunrise
C In the evening
D At midnight
Answer: C. In the evening. Incredible India says devotees gather by rivers in the evening to offer Sandhya Arghya to the setting sun.
At which point in the day is Usha Arghya offered?
A At sunset
B At midday
C After midnight
D At sunrise
Answer: D. At sunrise. Incredible India describes Usha Arghya as the final morning offering to the rising sun.
Which regions are especially associated with Chhath Puja in Incredible India’s guide?
A Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh
B Gujarat and Rajasthan
C Kerala and Tamil Nadu
D Assam and Meghalaya
Answer: A. Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh. Incredible India highlights Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh as places where Chhath is especially celebrated.
Which shared theme did India’s President link to Lohri, Pongal and Magh Bihu?
A Maritime trade and migration
B Agricultural traditions and unity
C Mountain crafts and tourism
D Urban industry and transport
Answer: B. Agricultural traditions and unity. A 2026 President’s Secretariat message described these festivals as symbols of agricultural traditions and national unity.