Railway
The Jawahar Kala Kendra in Jaipur, designed on the theme of the nine planets (navagraha), was designed by:
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Answer: Option D — Charles Correa
Detailed Solution
The Jawahar Kala Kendra (JKK) is a multi-arts centre in Jaipur, Rajasthan, designed by the famous Indian architect Charles Correa.
About the Jawahar Kala Kendra:
It was built by the Government of Rajasthan to preserve and promote the arts and crafts of Rajasthan. It was opened in the early 1990s (inaugurated in 1991-92).
It is named after Jawaharlal Nehru.
Its design is based on the ancient Indian concept of the "navagraha mandala", or the nine planets.
The building is divided into nine square blocks arranged in a 3 x 3 grid, each representing one of the nine planets (such as the Sun, Moon, Mars and Jupiter) and housing a different function, such as a library, theatre, museum, art gallery, café and offices.
The central square is open, representing "nothing" or "the void", which is regarded as the source of all energy.
This design was inspired by the original plan of the city of Jaipur, which was laid out in 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II according to the principles of Vastu Shastra and the navagraha concept. In Jaipur's plan, one square was shifted because of a hill; Correa also shifted one block in JKK to reflect this.
Each block is decorated with the symbol of its planet.
It has an open-air theatre ("Madhyavarti"), an indoor auditorium ("Rangayan") and art galleries, and it hosts music, dance, theatre and craft festivals.
About Charles Correa (1930-2015):
- He was born in Secunderabad and studied architecture at the University of Michigan and MIT, USA.
- He is regarded as one of India's greatest modern architects, known for combining modern design with Indian traditions and climate.
His famous works include:
- Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya at Sabarmati Ashram, Ahmedabad (1963).
- Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal (1982).
- Kala Academy, Goa.
- The planned city of Navi Mumbai (as chief architect).
- British Council building, New Delhi.
- He received the Padma Shri (1972), the Padma Vibhushan (2006), and the Royal Gold Medal of the Royal Institute of British Architects (1984).
Other famous architects:
- V. Doshi: India's first winner of the Pritzker Prize (2018).
- Laurie Baker: known for low-cost, eco-friendly buildings in Kerala.
Why not the other options?
- ✗V. Doshi designed IIM Bangalore and won the Pritzker Prize.
- ✗Le Corbusier designed Chandigarh's Capital Complex.
- ✗Laurie Baker was known for low-cost architecture in Kerala.
Quick tip
Remember: Jawahar Kala Kendra, Jaipur = Charles Correa (nine-square navagraha plan, based on Jaipur's city plan); Correa also designed the Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya and Bharat Bhavan; B. V. Doshi = Pritzker 2018.
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Art & Culture Personalities — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Art & Culture Personalities, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the people behind India's art and culture: classical and folk dancers, vocalists and instrumentalists, painters, sculptors, theatre and film personalities, and the gurus who founded or revived art forms. Questions also cover the art form each person is known for and the honours they have received. Exams typically name a person and ask for their art form, or name an art form and ask who popularised it. Recent Padma award winners from the arts appear often, so link each name to the field and state the award was given for. Since award lists change every year, always revise from the latest official list rather than relying on older notes. Practise the art and culture personalities questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.