Can you name the festival in which women of the Oraon tribe dress up as men and go hunting every 12 years? Need a clue? The festival commemorates the resistance women of the tribe put up when the Mughals attacked Rohtasgarh in Bihar. Give up? The answer is Jani Shikar festival, which takes place every 12 years.
During this festival, Oraon women leave their homes and go on a hunting spree to commemorate their victory over the Mughals.
When the Mughals attacked an Oraon settlement at Rohtasgarh around Aurangabad, in the 17th century, women members of the tribe put up a stiff resistance in the guise of men as their men folk were in slumber.
These and other interesting nuggets became known during a quiz competition jointly organised by the Patna chapter of the Indian National Trust For Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach) and Xpress Minds Edutainment at Abhilekh Bhavan on Tuesday.
Other interesting questions asked during the quiz are as follows. Which popular stuffed dish, also referred to in historical accounts as Sanbusak, Sanbusaq or Sanbusaj (all derived from the Persian word "Sanbosag") was introduced to India in the Middle Ages? The answer is Samosa.
Which Unesco heritage site houses the tomb of Sufi saint Salim Chishti? Answer: Fatehpur Sikri.
Sultan Saif Nawaz Jung Bahadur is credited with the origin of which Geographical Indicator (GI)-tagged product during the rule of Mir Osman Ali Khan, the seventh Nizam of Hyderabad? It's the Hyderabadi Haleem, which got GI tag in the food category in 2010.
The quiz saw participation by students from 13 city-based schools, including St Michael's High School, Delhi Public School, International School (ICSE), S Raza High School, Bishop Scott Girl's School among others.
Quizmaster Dinkar Singh, who is associated with Xpress Minds Edutainment, asked the questions.
While the Delhi Public School team was adjudged the winner, Tribuvan School and St Michael's High School teams bagged the second and third position respectively.
Bihar State Archives director Vijay Kumar was the chief guest on the occasion. Other dignitaries present on the occasion included Intach Patna chapter convener J.K. Lall and state chapter convener Prem Sharan.
Speaking on the occasion, Sharan made students aware about Intach's initiatives for the conservation of heritage property across the state and also told them about the importance of heritage structures.
"Intach has been organising quiz competitions on an annual basis to make children appreciate the varied rich forms of heritage structures and state's art, culture and tradition. The quiz questions are related to these topics only," said Lall in his address.
Students hailed the questions asked in the quiz competition. "I didn't know about the Oraoan festival. This was an enriching experience in many ways," said Puja Kumari, one of the students who participated in the competition.
