DELHI QUEST Finals By Samir Alam

AUDIENCE QUESTION: This structure has lend its name to the chowk near where it stands. Either name the chowk or the structure?

ROUND FIRST RULES: +10/-10 on Pounce +10 on Direct

1 He was born in Agra but raised at Delhi. When Delhi was savaged by Ahmad Shah Abdali of Persia. He left for Lucknow. There he took the patronage of Asafuddowla of Lucknow.A poem that he recited as a reply to the bantering of the elites of Lucknow mocking his battered condition:“Dilli jo aik shahar tha aalam mai intikhaabrahtay thay hee jahaan muntakhib roozgaar kayus ko falak nai loot kay weeraan kar diyahum rahnay waalay hain usee ujray dayaar kai'.

Who?

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MIR TAQI MIR

2 WHAT AM I TALKING ABOUT? The Rs 6 lakh project was sanctioned on December 14, 2005 and Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) was asked to complete the project. A 500-metre pipeline was laid from Kasturba Gandhi Marg. About 16 LPG cylinders were earlier used to keep this flame alive for five days. On an average, one LPG cylinder could keep one flame alive for one-and-a-half days. The cylinders had to be stocked on the rooftop of the memorial. The defence ministry had been looking for alternatives since stocking so many LPG cylinders together was proving to be problematic. PNG is at least 20% cheaper for the ministry. Apart from being safer, PNG is a reliable source of fuel. 

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AMAR JAWAN JYOTI

3 NAME THE SONG. The song was first performed by Rahman at the song release function held at Kingdom of Dreams in Gurgaon, Haryana on August 28, 2010. The song was dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi. A 2.08 minutes long music video was released on 23 September, and was directed and produced by Bharat Bala. Feroz Khan was the choreographer, Varun Bahl the designer and Vijayta Kumar the stylist. The music video featured A. R. Rahman, Milkha Singh, Saina Nehwal and Samresh Jung.

“xxxxxxxx"

Song by A. R. Rahman

Released August 28, 2010

Format Digital download

Recorded 2010Panchathan Record Inn and AM Studios, Chennai

Genre World music

Length 4:162:08 (Short)

Writer A. R. Rahman (music), Mehboob(lyrics)

Language Hindi

Producer A. R. Rahman

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JEEYO UTHO BADHO JEETO

4 The street derives its name from a Persian phrase 'Dur e be baha', meaning 'pearl without compare' because since the period of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, the street used to be the popular market of precious stones, gems, gold and silver jewelery. Till today it is known as jewelers' street although most of shops in the street now deal in silver and costume jewelery. The street witnessed the bloody massacre of Delhi in March 1739, ordered by the Persian invader Nadir Shah, when hundreds of innocent civilians and soldiers were killed and the gold shops were looted.

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5 X was pseudonym of Sheikh Hamid bin Fazlu’llah who was a Sufi saint known for his poetry and came to India during the reign of Sultan Sikendar Lodi and settled in Delhi. X comes from an Urdu word which means beauty and positive aura. After Mughals conquered India, He was offered a place in their court and remained there during the reign of Babar and Humayun, until his death

“Y” in Urdu means miracle. Who Y was, however, remains a complete mystery. Whether he was a disciple of X, or another Sufi poet or maybe just a servant, no one knows. We don’t even know if that was his real name or if he just took that name because it rhymed with X.

 An American author Karen Chase in her book “X-Y, A Tale of Passion in Mughal India” mentions that they were both homosexual partners.

What place in Delhi is named after this duo?

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TOMB OF JAMALI-KAMALI

6 CONNECT ALL THIS TO GIVE ME THE NAME OF AN IMPORTANT FEMALE HISTORICAL FIGURE?TWO PLACES IN DELHI ARE NAMED AFTER HER.

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ROSHANARA BEGUM

AUDIENCE QUESTION: He was studying Mechanical Engineering at the prestigious Delhi College of Engineering . As a student , He was chosen to be a part of the troupe that went on to perform in the 2006 Commonwealth Games and the group of background dancers at the 51st Filmfare Awards.

He left his engineering in third year to pursue a career in acting. Who?

7 WHO? On the fourth day of the inaugural Asian Games in New Delhi, held in 1951 he was crowned the “fastest man in Asia”, when he won the modern day “showpiece” event - the 100m sprint. He conquered the distance in 10.8 seconds, upstaging the Japanese duo of Toshihiro Oshahi and Tomio Hosoda, who finished second and third, respectively. He followed up his 100m gold by winning the 200m event, which he did in 22 seconds.

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LAVY PINTO

8 ID THIS IRANIAN CITIZEN

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FARIBORZ SAHBA

9 WHAT ARE THESE? WHAT WILL COMPLETE THE LIST?

It was built in 1850 at Chharabra, Shimla. It is located 10km away from Shimla and is a thousand feet higher than the Shimla Ridge Top.

It was constructed in 1860 by the erstwhile Nizam of Hyderabad. and is located in a suburb called Bollarum on the outskirts of the south Indian city, Secunderabad.

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ALL ARE THE OFFICIAL RESIDENCES OF THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA .THIRD ONE IS OF COURSE, THE RASHTRAPATI BHAVAN. (THE OTHERS ARE THE RETREAT BUILDING AND RASHTRAPATHI NILAYAM)

10 X are supernatural creatures in early Arabian theology. They are supposedly made of smokeless and scorching fire. Their name derives from the Persian word for “those” or “things hidden from sights”.

It finds its title in a 1994 travelogue, “City of X”, which the writer describes as a city with ‘a bottomless seam of stories’

Give X and the writer.

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11 WHAT? WHERE? SIGNIFICANCE?

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THE ORIGINAL SOYUZ T-10 CAPSULE DISPLAYED AT NEHRU PLANETARIUM, NEW DELHI, INDIA. IT PUT THE FIRST INDIAN IN SPACE, RAKESH SHARMA.

12 Once popularly known for its bewitching dancing girls in the 19th century, the street is named after a Marathi word, which means meeting place. The street got this name mainly because here a 'sabha' or meeting would take place in front of a noble's house and he would try settling the disputes before it would reach the emperor. A second reason is probably that a gathering used to get organized when a respected dancer performed and showed the finer nuances of her skill. Which place?

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CHAWRI BAZAAR

AUDIENCE QUESTION: WHO IS THE KID IN THE PIC?

THEME CONNECT +10 for each correct

WHOSE EPITAPH? (+50/-30)He is the Living, the Sustaining.Let no one cover my grave except with greenery,for this very grass suffices as a tomb cover for the poor.The annihilated fakeera ____ ____________,Disciple of the lords of Chishti,Daughter of ____ _______ the Warrior(may God illuminate his proof). on whose epitaph these words are inscribed?

(+40/-20) X was one of the navratnas in akbar’s court. He was the son of Bairam khan. X and his mother moved to Hyderabad and then travelled to Delhi where they presented themselves at the royal courts of Emperor Akbar. The Emperor conferred Rahim with the title of 'Mirza Khan' and married him to Mah Banu who was the sister of Mirza Azizah Kokal Tash, son of Ataga Khan.

He was later conferred by the name khan-i-khanan. Identify X.

(+30/-15) X was a Sufi musician, poet and scholar. He was an iconic figure in the cultural history of the Indian subcontinent. He was a mystic and a spiritual disciple of Nizamuddin Auliya of Delhi. He is reputed to have invented certain musical instruments like the sitar and table. He wrote poetry primarily in Persian, but also in Hindavi. A vocabulary in verse, the Ḳhāliq Bārī, containing Arabic, Persian, and Hindavi terms is often attributed to him.

He is regarded as the "father of Qawwali" (a devotional music form of the Sufis in the Indian subcontinent), and introduced the ghazal style of song into India, both of which still exist widely in India and Pakistan. He is also credited with introducing Persian, Arabic and Turkish elements into Indian classical music and was the originator of the khayal and tarana styles of music.

(+20/-10) X is a tomb built during 1623–24. It was built by Mirza Aziz Koka, son of Ataga Khan, as a mausoleum for himself, at the time when Jahangir ruled from Delhi.

It was initially built as a hall in an innovative eclectic architectural style of the Mughal period. It was later converted into a tomb. It is a square structure constructed entirely of white marble. The structure has 64 columns that support twenty five bays. Each bay supports a dome. The domes are not visible externally since they are reverse domes The roof is flat. Each wall has five arches that are held by square pilasters. In each face, between each of five pilasters, marble trellised screens have been fixed.

+10 X was born in Kala Mahal, Agra into a family descended from Aibak Turks who moved to Samarkand (now in Uzbekistan).  

Indian Cinema has paid a tribute to the legendary poet through a film (in sepia/black and white) in which Bharat Bhushan plays X and Suraiya plays his courtesan lover, Chaudvin. The musical score of the film was composed by Ghulam Mohammed.

ANSWERS

WHOSE EPITAPH? (+50/-30)He is the Living, the Sustaining.Let no one cover my grave except with greenery,for this very grass suffices as a tomb cover for the poor.The annihilated fakeera ____ ____________,Disciple of the lords of Chishti,Daughter of ____ _______ the Warrior(may God illuminate his proof). on whose epitaph these words are inscribed?

JAHANARA BEGUM

(+40/-20) X was one of the navratnas in akbar’s court. He was the son of Bairam khan. X and his mother moved to Hyderabad and then travelled to Delhi where they presented themselves at the royal courts of Emperor Akbar. The Emperor conferred Rahim with the title of 'Mirza Khan' and married him to Mah Banu who was the sister of Mirza Azizah Kokal Tash, son of Ataga Khan.

He was later conferred by the name khan-i-khanan. Identify X.

ABD AL RAHIM

(+30/-15) X was a Sufi musician, poet and scholar. He was an iconic figure in the cultural history of the Indian subcontinent. He was a mystic and a spiritual disciple of Nizamuddin Auliya of Delhi. He is reputed to have invented certain musical instruments like the sitar and table. He wrote poetry primarily in Persian, but also in Hindavi. A vocabulary in verse, the Ḳhāliq Bārī, containing Arabic, Persian, and Hindavi terms is often attributed to him.

He is regarded as the "father of Qawwali" (a devotional music form of the Sufis in the Indian subcontinent), and introduced the ghazal style of song into India, both of which still exist widely in India and Pakistan. He is also credited with introducing Persian, Arabic and Turkish elements into Indian classical music and was the originator of the khayal and tarana styles of music.

AMIR KHUSRO

(+20/-10) X is a tomb built during 1623–24. It was built by Mirza Aziz Koka, son of Ataga Khan, as a mausoleum for himself, at the time when Jahangir ruled from Delhi.

It was initially built as a hall in an innovative eclectic architectural style of the Mughal period. It was later converted into a tomb. It is a square structure constructed entirely of white marble. The structure has 64 columns that support twenty five bays. Each bay supports a dome. The domes are not visible externally since they are reverse domes The roof is flat. Each wall has five arches that are held by square pilasters. In each face, between each of five pilasters, marble trellised screens have been fixed.

CHAUSATH KHAMBA

+10 X was born in Kala Mahal, Agra into a family descended from Aibak Turks who moved to Samarkand (now in Uzbekistan).  

Indian Cinema has paid a tribute to the legendary poet through a film (in sepia/black and white) in which Bharat Bhushan plays X and Suraiya plays his courtesan lover, Chaudvin. The musical score of the film was composed by Ghulam Mohammed.

MIRZA GHALIB

THEME CONNECT: Nizamuddin Dargah Complex

ANTICLOCKWISE

13 He was a feudatory of the Khalji rulers of Delhi. Once while on a walk with his Khilji master he suggested that the king build a fort on a hillock in the southern portion of Delhi. The king jokingly told him to build the fort himself when he was the king. As destiny would have it, the day came.

However, he was so passionate about his dream fort that he issued a dictat that all labourers in Delhi must work on his fort. Saint Nizamuddin Auliya, got incensed as the work on his baoli (well) was stopped. The saint uttered a curse which was to resonate throughout history right until today: Ya rahey hissar, ya basey gujjar (may it [the fort] remain unoccupied/infertile, or else the herdsmen may live here).

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GHIAS-UD-DIN TUGHLAQ

14 According to the legend, one day Sikandar Lodi gave a grain of ________(a type of lentil) to his loyal minister Miyan Bhuwa as a reward, for fun. The witty minister planted the seed carefully year after year until it multiplied so many times that it could finally finance the construction of the mosque . He then went to the sovereign to ask his permission to build the mosque.

The king was quite impressed and laid the foundation of mosque himself.

Name the Mosque.

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MOTH KI MASJID

15The 6,080 sq ft mural was painted by German artist Hendrik Beikirch who was assisted by Anpu, a woman of Delhi. It was inaugurated by Najeeb Jung on 30th January,2014. Delhi Commissioner of Police BS Bassi said the painting will soon become the talk of the town and a source of inspiration for all.Whose mural and where ?

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MURAL OF MAHATMA GANDHI AT PWD HEADQUARTERS

16 It is the tomb, or Dargah as it is popularly called in India, of Sufi saint Nasir-ud-Din Mahmud. The Sufi saint was a mystic and poet amalgamated in one. The Urdu poetry or Shayeri owes a lot to the Sufi saint who died in the year 1356. He was a disciple, popularly called Mureed in India, of Hazrat Nizam-ud-din Auliya.

Nasiruddin, unlike his spiritual master Nizamuddin Auliya, did not listen to Sama‘, a Sufi ceremony performed as dhikr)(, which was considered as unislamic by a section of the Muslim intelligentsia in that period. He did not however pass any specific judgement against it. This is the reason why even today, qawwali is not performed near his shrine in Delhi.

Which place owes its name to him?

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CHIRAG DILLI

17 X graduated from St. Stephen's College, Delhi with a degree in English Literature, and went on to complete his M.A. in English from Delhi University. When Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was accused of rigging the elections, he produced a street play, Kursi, Kursi, Kursi (Chair, Chair, Chair), as a reaction to the controversy by which his troupe became famous. On 1 January 1989, the troupe he founded began a performance of the street play Y, during the Ghaziabad municipal elections in Sahibabad's Jhandapur village (near Delhi). During the performance, the troupe was attacked by political hoodlums of the Indian National Congress. He died the following day.

The 2008 film Y made by Rajkumar Santoshi was inspired by his life.

Give X and Y (Part Points)

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X=SAFDAR HASHMIY=HALLA BOL

18 CONNECT (INEXHAUSTIVE) Chicago London Ulaan Baatar Moscow Fukuoka Melbourne Beijing

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SISTER CITIES OF DELHI

AUDIENCE QUESTION: Earlier known as Faiz Bazaar, it was rechristened to its current name after Partition of India. This area was the original cantonment of Delhi, which was later shifted to Ridge area. This area is also Pervez Musharraf's birthplace, where he used to live till Partition. It also houses Hans, a prominent Hindi literary magazine founded by Premchand. This area bustles with Delhites on a particular day.

19 Summer House Café is one of the numerous restaurants and bars littered around the Hauz Khas Village, where the night life of Delhi is centred. It is located at DDA Shopping Complex, Aurobindo Place. While small, the place went into the public imagination overnight recently with an event that caused people to react strongly, also sparking off speculations over the reasons for the event.Which event, that was a spontaneous decision of the personality that caused it, suddenly threw this Café into the news?

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COLDPLAY’S CHRIS MARTIN’S PERFORMED AN IMPROMPTU CONCERT

20 When X announced on Facebook that he would visit Connaught Place at 6 pm for those who “wanted to come and say hello”, hundreds turned up to meet him.

After a while interacting with the growing crowd as a part of his world tour, police arrived, getting suspicious.

According to X, ‘the coolest part’ for him was when law enforcement officers asked the crowd ‘Who is he with?’ And everyone screamed in unison: ‘All of us!’

Who is X, and which social media phenomenon is he known for?

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BRANDON STANTON, HUMANS OF NEWYORK

21 Identify the man, now relevant to this quiz, who took this bullet of a free kick

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ROBERTO CARLOS, NOW THE MANAGER OF DELHI DYNAMOS.

22 WHAT DOES THIS MAP SIGNIFIES?

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COUNTRIES PARTICIPATED IN THE FIRST ASIAN GAMES

23 NAME THE STARTUPIt was half past eleven at night. Suraj and Sahil, had ordered food from a nearby restaurant in Gurgaon. They got chatty with the delivery person. Soon, the two were at the restaurant, talking to the owner– there was a problem they could solve! This is the story behind the startup whose logo is given in the slide.

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DELHIVERY

24 The name literally translates to ‘Realization of knowledge’. It is believed hat it was here during the Mahabharat era, Lord Brahma, Hindu God of Creation, had bathed and recovered his lost memory and sacred books.

It is most known for being the oldest burning ghat in Delhi for performing Antyesti (Antim Sanskar), Hindu funeral rites and also one of its busiest with 50-60 pyres burning everyday. It also has an electric crematorium built in the 1950s and a CNG-run crematorium was added by the Municipal corporation with manages the cremation facilities in 2006.

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NIGAMBODH GHAT

AUDIENCE QUESTION: Maitree was the name given to the first ever person to be born in X. The current logo of X features a grown-up Maitree, in an animated form.

Identify X

TAKE A PICK

Monuments Food

Sports Personality

MONUMENTS It’s total height is 24.38 meters (80 feet) and a circumference of 77.72 meters (255 feet). The tower’s outer wall is 5.8 meters (19 feet) thick and is divided into 32 faces of 2.43 meters (8 feet) each. It was intended to have a ramp leading a gradual ascent to the top. The doorway is on the east and the ramp ascended the tower from right to left. The original plan was to set it in an enclosed garden.

Henry George Keene in his book, A Handbook for Visitors to Delhi and its Neighbourhood, noted:

‘I do not know that the world has much cause for regret that this semi-insane project of a sickening despot was never carried into effect.’

What am I talking about?

ALAI MINAR

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FOOD: THIS IS THE RECIPE FOR MILK PUFF BY PREETI NARAIN . BY WHAT COMMON NAME DO WE KNOW THIS DELICACY IN DELHI? Combine milk, cream and cream of tartar in a large bowl and refrigerate overnight.

Next morning stir in 4 tsp caster sugar and rosewater and whisk using a rotary or electric beater at high speed.  Using a tea strainer collect the foam that forms and transfer to a large thali or tray.  Keep thali tilted so that foam stays on one side; some milk will collect on the lower side.  When the thali is fairly full, spoon foam into clay saucers or teacups, sprinkling a little caster sugar between layers and on top (the foam will condense a little during this operation.  What looks like four bowlfuls in the thali will yield only two bowls).

Pour milk collected in the thali back in the bowl and continue collecting foam till all the milk is used up.  The whole process will take 2 – 2 and a half hours.

DAULAT KI CHAAT

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SPORTS Delhi won the Santosh trophy in 1945 defeating the favourites Bengals by 2-0. They accused the Delhi team of foul play. The reason was not something happened on field but something that happened the previous day when visitors where on a city tour.

What did they accused them of?

They accused Delhi team of duping them to climb the 365 stairs of Qutub Minaar.

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PERSONALITY He was a commerce student at the Deshbandhu College, Delhi University who came into prominence when he attempted self-immolation to protest against Prime Minister V.P. Singh's implementation of the Mandal Commission recommendations for job reservations for backward castes in India. During Mandal commission agitation, the AIIMS intersection in Delhi was temporarily renamed by students to X Chowk in a celebration of his selfless act.

RAJIV GOSWAMI

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BUSINESS This company was started in New Delhi in 1983, in technical collaboration with Maruzen Corporation of Japan, and initially manufactured floppy disks. Since then it has expanded into manufacturing other items, and has become one of the largest companies globally in its field today. Which company am I talking about?

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TRANSPORT This metro line as a third phase of Delhi Metro is to be connecting Central Secretariat-Janpath-Mandi House-ITO-Delhi Gate-Jama Masjid-Red Fort-Kashmere Gate. The proposed line passes close to some important sites - Jantar Mantar, Delhi Gate, Khooni Darwaaza , Ferozeshah Kotla , Sunehri Masjid and Red Fort, besides some lesser known but ancient shrines.

What will be its name?

HERITAGE LINE

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MIXED BAG It was held three times, in 1877, 1903 and 1911.

In 1877 it was held beginning on 1 January 1877 to mark the coronation and proclaim Queen Victoria as Empress of India. In 1903 it was held to celebrate the coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra as Emperor and Empress of India. In 1911 it was held in December to commemorate the coronation of King George V and Queen Mary as Emperor and Empress of India.

What was it known as and what significant decision was taken in 1911?

DELHI DURBAR During the Delhi Durbar year of 1911, it was decided that the capital of India would be moved from Calcutta to Delhi.

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