- 1. Who is Durga in Hindu mythology?
A) God of fire
B) God of knowledge
C) God of water
D) Goddess of strength and protection
- 2. What is the weapon of Goddess Durga?
A) Sword
B) Trishul (trident)
C) Bow and arrow
D) Spear
- 3. Which demon did Durga defeat in battle?
A) Hiranyakashipu
B) Ravana
C) Bhasmasura
D) Mahishasura
- 4. Where is the most famous temple dedicated to Goddess Durga located in India?
A) Mata Rani
B) Vaishno Devi
C) Tirupati Balaji
D) Kamakhya
- 5. What material is traditionally used to sculpt statues of Goddess Durga?
A) Wood
B) Marble
C) Clay
D) Metal
- 6. In which form does Goddess Durga represent the fiercest aspect of Shakti (power)?
A) Lakshmi
B) Saraswati
C) Kali
D) Parvati
- 7. Which festival marks the beginning of Durga Puja celebrations?
A) Karva Chauth
B) Diwali
C) Dussehra
D) Mahalaya
- 8. What is the vahana (vehicle) of Goddess Durga besides the lion?
A) Horse
B) Tiger
C) Elephant
D) Peacock
- 9. What is the name of the festival dedicated to the victory of Goddess Durga over Mahishasura?
A) Durga Puja
B) Ganesh Chaturthi
C) Onam
D) Ratha Yatra
- 10. What does the name 'Durga' mean in Sanskrit?
A) The Great Goddess
B) The Inaccessible One, The Impenetrable One
C) The Warrior Goddess
D) The Primordial Power
- 11. Which sect primarily worships Durga as the Ultimate Reality?
A) Shaivism
B) Smartism
C) Vaishnavism
D) Shaktism
- 12. In which context is Durga revered as Yogamaya?
A) Vaishnava contexts
B) Shakta contexts
C) Smartism contexts
D) Shaiva contexts
- 13. Who is Durga considered to be the sister of in Vaishnava traditions?
A) Indra
B) Brahma
C) Shiva
D) Vishnu
- 14. In which regional tradition is Durga identified with Parvati and considered the consort of Shiva?
A) Kerala
B) Maharashtra
C) Bengal
D) Tamil Nadu
- 15. What does the word 'Durga' literally mean?
A) Peaceful, gentle, serene
B) Accessible, vulnerable, conquerable
C) Mysterious, hidden, secretive
D) Impassable, invincible, unassailable
- 16. What does Alain Daniélou suggest Durga means?
A) After defeat
B) Before defeat
C) Beyond defeat
D) Within defeat
- 17. Which epithet of Durga refers to her slaying the demon Mahishasura?
A) Mahamoha
B) Vindhyavasini
C) Mahishasura-mardini
D) Mahasuri
- 18. Where is Durga known as Vindhyavasini?
A) She who dwells in the Himalayas
B) She who dwells in the Ganges
C) She who dwells in the Yamuna
D) She who dwells in the Vindhya Mountains
- 19. What is the purpose of reciting the 'Ashtottarshat Namavali of Goddess Durga'?
A) To celebrate a festival
B) To invoke rain
C) To worship her with 108 names
D) To learn Sanskrit
- 20. Which of the following is not an epithet of Durga?
A) Vaishnavi
B) Ambika
C) Sharada
D) Chandika
- 21. Which ancient Sanskrit grammarian mentioned Durga in his works?
A) Valmiki
B) Vyasa
C) Kālidāsa
D) Pāṇini
- 22. Which text contains a section where Durga is mentioned as the goddess who slays an invincible Asura?
A) Ramayana
B) Bhagavad Gita
C) Mahabharata
D) Upanishads
- 23. What does the epithet 'Mahamoha' signify?
A) The great power
B) The great wisdom
C) The great beauty
D) The great delusion
- 24. Which of the following is an epithet of Durga meaning 'the great demoness'?
A) Tamasi
B) Mahamoha
C) Vindhyavasini
D) Mahasuri
- 25. Which ancient text contains a commentary by Yaska that mentions Durga?
A) Ramayana
B) Bhagavad Gita
C) Mahabharata
D) Nirukta
- 26. Which ancient civilization's artifacts suggest the presence of a Durga-like goddess?
A) Vedic Civilization
B) Gupta Civilization
C) Maurya Civilization
D) Indus Valley Civilization
- 27. In which text of the Rig Veda does reverence for Devi first appear?
A) 10th Maṇḍala
B) 1st Maṇḍala
C) 5th Maṇḍala
D) 7th Maṇḍala
- 28. Which Upanishad describes Kali as 'terrible yet swift as thought'?
A) Chandogya Upanishad
B) Kena Upanishad
C) Mundaka Upanishad
D) Isha Upanishad
- 29. In which period does Durga appear as an independent deity in ancient Indian texts?
A) Vedic period
B) Medieval period
C) Classical period
D) Epic period
- 30. Which Purana is most significant for its chapters on Durga?
A) Shiva Purana
B) Vishnu Purana
C) Markandeya Purana
D) Bhagavata Purana
- 31. Which script's inscriptions mention Durga's victory over Mahishasura?
A) Brahmi
B) Gupta
C) Kharosthi
D) Siddhamatrika
- 32. Who did Mahishasura ask for a boon from after doing severe penance?
A) Indra
B) Vishnu
C) Shiva
D) Brahma
- 33. What boon did Mahishasura receive from Brahma?
A) Unbeatable strength
B) Only a woman could kill him
C) Invisibility
D) Immortality
- 34. Who gifted Durga a lion as her mount?
A) Vishnu
B) Brahma
C) Shiva
D) Himavan
- 35. According to Vaishnava tradition, who is Durga an avatar of?
A) Yogamaya
B) Lakshmi
C) Parvati
D) Saraswati
- 36. How many arms did Durga manifest when Kamsa attempted to slay her?
A) Ten
B) Eighteen
C) Six
D) Four
- 37. Which Hindu goddess is Durga considered an aspect of in Vaishnavism?
A) Parvati
B) Lakshmi
C) Saraswati
D) Kali
- 38. When did the iconographic features of Durga become common throughout India?
A) By the 1st century CE
B) By the 8th century CE
C) By about the 4th century CE
D) By the 10th century CE
- 39. What are some aniconic forms used to remember Durga?
A) Geometric designs (yantra)
B) Paintings
C) Statues of animals
D) Sculptures of humans
- 40. During which months is Durga Puja typically celebrated?
A) June or July
B) April or May
C) September or October
D) January or February
- 41. What is the name of the day celebrating Durga's victory?
A) Vijayadashami
B) Navratri
C) Diwali
D) Holi
- 42. Which text provides guidelines for Durga Puja from the 14th century?
A) Bhagavad Gita
B) Mahabharata
C) Surviving manuscripts
D) Ramayana
- 43. Which city is famous for Durga Puja?
A) Kolkata
B) Chennai
C) Mumbai
D) Delhi
- 44. What is the Jainism text that mentions a festival similar to Durga Puja?
A) Kalpa Sutra
B) Tattvartha Sutra
C) Yasatilaka
D) Acharanga Sutra
- 45. What is the other name for Durga Puja in Hindi?
A) Diwali
B) Holi
C) Navratri
D) Dussehra
- 46. In which month according to the Hindu luni-solar calendar is Durga Puja celebrated?
A) Ashvina
B) Vaishakha
C) Chaitra
D) Magha
- 47. What is the season called during which Sharadiya Durga Puja is celebrated?
A) Hemanta
B) Sharad
C) Grishma
D) Vasant
- 48. What is the festival called in Nepali that celebrates Durga's victory?
A) Tihar
B) Gai Jatra
C) Dashain
D) Indra Jatra
- 49. What is the name of the victory day in Bengali?
A) Poush
B) Bijoya
C) Chaitra
D) Dol
- 50. What is Dashain also known as?
A) Holi
B) Dasain
C) Tihar
D) Diwali
- 51. How many forms of Durga are worshipped during Dashain?
A) Ten
B) Nine
C) Eight
D) Fifteen
- 52. What does the tenth day of Dashain signify?
A) Durga's victory over Mahisura
B) The end of the festival
C) The day of gift-giving
D) The beginning of the festival
- 53. How many days are traditionally spent remembering Durga and her ideas?
A) Nine
B) Ten
C) Fifteen
D) Five
- 54. In which Indian state is Dussera Navaratri celebrated with Durga dressed as different Devi?
A) Andhra Pradesh
B) Tamil Nadu
C) Kerala
D) Bengal
- 55. How long does Sharadiya Durga Puja last?
A) Nine days
B) Ten days
C) Fifteen days
D) Four days
- 56. Which aspect of Durga is worshipped in Eastern India, especially in Bengal?
A) Navadurga
B) Vaishnavi
C) Mahakali
D) Shakta folk traditions
- 57. Who is considered Durga's consort in some popular devotional practices?
A) Vishnu
B) Ganesha
C) Kartikeya
D) Shiva
- 58. What is the symbolism of Durga in some Shaktas' worship?
A) Mother Nature
B) Goddess of knowledge
C) Goddess of wealth
D) Warrior goddess
- 59. What is the traditional mount of Durga?
A) Buffalo
B) Tiger
C) Elephant
D) Lion
- 60. Which form of Tara is believed to have originated as a form of Durga?
A) Tara of the Green Tārā
B) Blue Tārā
C) Durgottāriṇī-tārā
D) White Tārā
- 61. In which country is Durgottāriṇī-tārā worshiped during Prajñāpāramitā rituals?
A) Nepal
B) India
C) Sri Lanka
D) Bhutan
- 62. Which Japanese Buddhist deity shares many features with Durga?
A) Miroku
B) Kannon
C) Amida Buddha
D) Cundī
- 63. Which Tibetan Buddhist goddess has similar features to the protective and fierce Durga?
A) Tsongkhapa
B) Palden Lhamo
C) Sakya Pandita
D) Jetsun Mila
- 64. In Jainism, which deity mirrors Durga and is found in major medieval era Jain temples?
A) Ambika
B) Chakreshvari
C) Sacciya mata
D) Padmavati
- 65. How is Durga depicted in the Jain Ellora Caves?
A) As a mother goddess
B) As a demon slayer
C) As a peaceful deity
D) As a warrior
- 66. In which sacred text of Sikhism is Durga exalted as a creation of the divine?
A) Dasam Granth
B) Varan Bhai Gurdas
C) Adi Granth
D) Guru Granth Sahib
- 67. Who is traditionally attributed with the authorship of the Dasam Granth?
A) Guru Gobind Singh
B) Guru Nanak
C) Guru Arjan
D) Guru Tegh Bahadur
- 68. How many statues of Durga have been uncovered on Indonesian islands?
A) At least 135
B) 100
C) 200
D) 50
- 69. What is the local name for Durga in parts of Java?
A) Dewi Sri
B) Ratu Kidul
C) Loro Jonggrang
D) Sri Mariamman
- 70. In which country have Durga statues been discovered at stone temples and archaeological sites related to the Champa or Cham dynasty?
A) Vietnam
B) Laos
C) Malaysia
D) Thailand
- 71. Who wrote the song 'Vande Mataram' that was inspired by Durga as the mother goddess?
A) Rabindranath Tagore
B) Sarojini Naidu
C) Bankim Chandra Chatterjee
D) Subramania Bharati
- 72. What is the official national song of India that was inspired by Durga?
A) Jana Gana Mana
B) Saare Jahan Se Achha
C) Vande Mataram
D) Maa Tujhe Salaam
- 73. Which Bollywood movie features Durga in its storyline?
A) Jai Santoshi Maa
B) Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge
C) Swades
D) Lagaan
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