Quiz on Trivandrum

What's a Loyola website without a quiz, right?

Since the mid-1980s, quizzing has been a rage in Loyola. Here's a quick trip to relive those 2.30pm quizzes in the Sutter Hall -- Susy Madam, the scorer with chalk-piece, visual questions, "easy question"...

Teasers on Trivandrum

Kiran V (1991) ventures out to explore people, places and the past

1. Which Trivandrum landmark designed by the 19th century British architect Chisholm drew inspiration from the English seaside city of Brighton and Hove?
[a] Secretariat
[b] Napier Museum
[c] Sree Chitra Art Gallery
[d] Public Library

2. The Old Testament speaks about a rich place named Ophir, from which King Solomon's fleet brought gold, silver, thyine (probably sandal) wood, precious stones, ivory, apes, and peacocks. The place also finds mention in John Masefield's poem 'Cargoes'. Though historians have never been able to pinpoint the geographic location of this place, there exists a school of thought which suggests that 'Ophir' is a place in Trivandrum district, namely...
[a] Pattoor
[b] Poovar
[c] Ulloor
[d] Attipra

3. An ambulance driver in Burma and China during World War II, on his way back through Bombay in 1945, he met Mahatma Gandhi who implied in their conversation that there was much more useful work to be done by people in his profession in rural India. After working in Uttar Pradesh for nearly a decade and a half, he moved to Trivandrum in 1963. Identify this world famous personality.
[a] Prof. M. Krishnan Nair
[b] Dr. Varghese Kurien
[c] O. V. Vijayan
[d] Laurie Baker
Hint: He currently resides in a house named 'Hamlet' at Nalanchira.

4. Statue Junction gets its name from the statue of which person located... where else, but there ;-)
[a] Veluthampi Dalava
[b] Diwan T. Madhava Rayar
[c] Pattom Thanu Pillai
[d] Marthanda Varma

5. Take a look at this picture.
Identify the building which exists in almost the same form to this date.
[a] Public Library
[b] Victoria Jubilee Town (VJT) Hall
[c] College of Fine Arts
[d] All India Radio

6. According to local legend, Narad(a) Maharshi came to this place to cleanse himself of all his sins by bathing in the sacred sea. While he was getting ready to take a dip in the holy waters, a group of people discovered a bronze statue of Lord Mahavishnu in the sea where they were bathing. They asked the sage to identify a place where the sacred idol could be installed. A la modern-day music videos, the singer-sage (cough, cough) undressed and threw his loincloth made of tree bark, into the air. The idol of Lord Mahavishnu was installed on the spot where the garment fell. The place was henceforth named after the Sanskrit word for the piece of garment. Which place in Trivandrum district are we talking about?
[a] Varkala, from 'valkalam'
[b] Attingal, from 'pattu'
[c] Neyyattinkara, from 'neythu'
[d] Mundakkal, from 'mundu'

7. Some Kerala historians believe that the unsuccessful attempt on the life of Diwan Sir C. P. Ramaswamy Iyer on July 25, 1947, while attending a function at this place, hastened his decision to resign and the Maharaja agreeing to accept the Instrument of Accession and take Travancore into the Indian Union. Which is this place?
[a] Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple
[b] Kanakakkunnu Palace
[c] Swathi Thirunal Academy of Music
[d] Neyyar Dam

8. The crops required for use at the Kawdiar Palace and the Sree Padmanabha Temple used to be cultivated here years ago.
[a] Plammoodu
[b] Putharikkandam
[c] Veli
[d] Thampanoor

9. Perhaps the earliest of political struggles in the history of Travancore was led by Veluthampi Dalava in late 18th century against the triumvirate of advisers of the Travancore Regency. Which of the following persons was not a part of the group of three?
[a] Jayanthan Sankaran Namboothiri
[b] Sankara Narayanan Chetty
[c] Mathu Tharakan
[d] Chempaka Raman Pillai

10. This photo taken more than fifty years ago shows a popular haunt of present day Trivandrum elite. Identify the place.
[a] Golf Links
[b] Narmada
[c] Kanakkunnu Palace
[d] Kawdiar Palace

Now see for yourself, how you've fared. Answers

About the Quizmaster: One of Trivandrum's leading quizzers during his school and college days, Kiran (1991) has appeared on BBC Mastermind India and won national quizzes. He is presently with Wipro Technologies. E-mail Kiran

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Since: November 1998 | This Edition: April 2003 | Last update: October 2002