Question Discussion & Solution

The correct answer is Mughal period.

Key Points

• Uttar Pradesh has a rich variety of architecture.
• The architecture of Uttar Pradesh showcases a fabulous wealth of structures inspired by the conferences of Buddhist, Hindu, Indo-Islamic and Indo-European cultures.
• The architecture of the Mauryan period is an ancient one and is often characterised by the usage of the sandstone of Chunar.
• Lion Pillar of Sarnath located in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, was built during the Mauryan Period.
• Medieval architecture was developed by Sharqi rulers in Uttar Pradesh.
• In 1408, Atala Mosque was built in Sharqi style by Ibrahim Sharqi.
• The composite Indian and Muslim style of architecture reached their peak during the Mughal period.
• The Mughal style of architecture flourished during the reign of Akbar and Shah Jahan, and the Taj Mahal is a living example of that.
• The unique features of Mughal architecture were the use of marbles, smooth and colourful floors, inlay work and happy blending of Indian and Muslim styles.
• Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri Fort, Tomb of Akbar, Chhota Imambara and Jama Masjid are examples of the Mughal syle of architecture.

The correct answer is Manipuri.

Key Points

• Manipuri is the celestial dance of shiva and Parvati in Manipur.
• Manipuri origin is from the festival of Lai Haraoba.
• Manipuri dance is emphasis on devotion and not sensuality.
• Faces are covered with a thin veil and gentle movements and hand gestures are given importance in Manipuri dance.
• In a Manipuri dance, the emphasis is given on Lasya rather than thandava.
• The female in the Manipuri dancers wear a long skirt and focuses on hand and knee movements.
• Naga Bandha mudra in which the body is connected in the unique shape of 8 is an important posture in Manipuri dance.

Important Points

• 'Lai Haroba' literally means merrymaking of Gods or 'Festivity of Gods'.
• It is celebrated through oral literature, music, dance, and rituals.
  • It is one of the main ritualistic festivals of Manipur.
• It traces its origin in the pre-Vaishnavite period.
• It is celebrated by Manipuri Meitei communities.
  • Four types of Lai Haraoba are prevalent in Meitei's, namely:
    • Kanglei Haraoba.
    • Chakpa Haraoba.
    • Moirang Haraoba.
    • Kakching Haraoba.​

Key Points

Mohini Attam:

• Mohiniattam or Mohiniyattam is an Indian classical dance form that evolved in the state of Kerala.
• Mohiniattam is among the two popular dance arts of the state, the other being Kathakali.
• Mohiniyattam is considered a very graceful form of dance meant to be performed as solo recitals by women.
• It is believed to have originated in the 16th century.
• It is one of the eight Indian classical dance forms recognized by the Sangeet Natak Akademi.

Important Points

• Kalamandalam Sathyabhama, the doyen of classical dance form Mohiniyattam passed away in the Palakkad district of Kerala. She was 77.
• She was regarded as a matriarch of Mohiniyattam and was well-known for her experimental reforms in this classical dance form which helped to preserve and popularise the traditional art form. 

Thus, Mohini Attam is a famous dance form of Kerala.

Additional Information

Kuchipudi:

• Kuchipudi, one of the major dance forms of India was originated from Andhra Pradesh.
• It is the traditional dance of the state.
• It grew largely as a product of the Bhakti movement beginning in the 7th Century AD.
• Kuchipudi derives its name from the village Kuchelapuram, where it was nurtured by great scholars and artists who built up the repertoire and refined the dance technique.

Bharat Natyam:

• Bharata Natyam is a form of Indian classical dance that originated in the temples of Tamil Nadu.
• It is known for its grace, elegance, purity, tenderness, expression and sculpturesque poses.

Kathak:

• Kathak is a North Indian dance that originated in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
• The name Kathak comes from the word "Katha" which means a story.

Kathakali:

• Kathakali is a classical Indian dance form which is a story play genre of art is the folk dance form of Kerala.
• Kathakali is the most difficult style of the traditional dance form.
• In this, the actors speak ‘sign language’ where hand gestures are used to dictate word part of the character and facial and eye movements express emotions and mood.
• Kathakali is based on the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata. 

Odissi:

• Odissi is a dance of love and passion touching on the divine and the human, the sublime and the mundane.
• The Natya Shastra mentions many regional varieties, such as the south-eastern style kanharis were the chief repositories of this dance.
• The maharis, who were originally temple dancers came to be employed in royal courts which resulted in the degeneration of the art form.

The correct answer is Ellora Caves.

Key Points

• Ellora is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra.
• It is located nearly 100 km away from Ajanta caves in the Sahyadri range of Maharashtra.
• The temples and monasteries extending over more than 2 km, were dug side by side in the wall of a high basalt cliff.
• The structures were excavated out of the vertical face of the Charanandri hills.
• Ellora Caves are one of the largest rock-cut Hindu temple cave complexes in the world.
• Ellora caves are a group of 100 caves at the site of which 34 caves are open to the public.
  • 17 caves out of these 34 are themed around Hinduism, 12 caves depict the themes of Buddhist, and 5 caves are of Jain faith.
• The set of caves in Ellora were developed during the period between the 5th century and 11th century A.D.
• The most remarkable of the Ellora cave temples is Kailasa Temple (Kailasanatha; cave 16).
• It features the largest single monolithic rock excavation in the world.
• It is named for the mountain in the Kailasa Range of the Himalayas where the Hindu god Shiva resides.

The Correct Answer is Bagurumba.

• The most popular Folk dance of Assam is Bagurumba.
• Bagurumba is a folk dance of the indigenous Bodo tribe in Assam and Northeast India.
• It is a traditional dance that is traditionally inherent to one generation to another generation.
• The Bodo women perform the Bagurumba dance with their colorful dokhna, jwmgra and aronai.
• The dance is also called the "butterfly dance" due to its motion that resembles butterflies.
• The Bagurumga dance is usually performed during the Bwishagu festival of the Bodos in the Bishuba Sankranti or in Mid-April.
• As per the Bodo mythology, the Bagurumba dance is favored by a supreme deity called "Bathou" represented by the Size Plant that belongs to the Euphorbia genus.
• The nature of the dance is peaceful and yet it represents the vitality of the spring.
• The origin of the Bagurumba may be found in the original naturalistic beliefs of the Bodo tribes, as it's few songs are just simple images of nature.
• This dance is an amalgamation of rhythm and vivacity.
• The dancer's hop and swing, bend and unbend, and at times, give the impression of fluttering butterflies.
• Bagurumba dance is generally performed by female dancers.
• Musical instruments like Serja (a bowd instrument), Sifung (flute), and Tharkha ( a piece of split bamboo), accompany this dance.
• Along with these, instruments like Kham, a long drum made of wood and goatskin, and Gongona, a musical instrument of a curved horn is also used.

Extra Facts:-

Raut Nacha:-

• It is the folk dance of Chattisgarh.
• This dance is performed by the Yadavas or the Yaduvanshis who are believed to be the descendants of Lord Krishna.
• A close resemblance of Raas Leela, the dance represents a worshipping Lord Krishna and is performed at the time of 'Dev Udhni Ekadashi".

Ragini:-

• It is the folk dance of Haryana.
• Ragini is a term for the feminine counterpart of a Masculine Raga. These are envisioned to parallel the god-goddess themes in Hinduism, and described variously by different medieval Indian Music Scholars.

Maanch:-

• It is the folk dance of Madhya Pradesh.
• It is performed by Malwa in Madhya Pradesh.
• The word Maanch is derived from the Sanskrit folk form. Manch that is the stage.