Question Discussion & Solution

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 Jamui.

• Bihar CM Nitish Kumar inaugurated Bihar’s first state bird festival ‘Kalrav’ on 16 January 2021.
• It was held at the Nagi bird sanctuary in Jamui district, about 200 km south-east from Patna.
• Spread in an area of 2.1 square kilometres, Nagi bird sanctuary is home to over 133 bird species.
• The festival was organized with an aim to create awareness among people about migratory birds.
• Bihar:
  • Lok Sabha seats - 40.
  • Rajya Sabha seats - 16.
  • State Animal - Gaur.
  • State Bird - House sparrow.

Both the statements are correct. Hence Option 3 is Correct.

Indian philosophy refers to philosophies, world views, and teachings that emerged in ancient India.

The similarity between the Nyaya and Vaisheshika philosophy

• Both systems accept the liberation of the individual self as the end goal.
• Both view ignorance as to the root cause of all pain and misery.
• Both believe that liberation is attained only through right knowledge of reality.
   

The difference between the Nyaya and Vaisheshika philosophy

• Nyaya philosophy accepts four independent sources of knowledge — perception, inference, comparison, and testimony — but Vaisesika accepts only two — perception and inference.
• Nyaya maintains that all of reality is comprehended by sixteen categories (padarthas), whereas vaisesika recognizes only seven categories of reality. These are: dravya (substance), guna (quality), karma (action), samanya (generality), visesa (uniqueness), samavaya (inherence), and abhava (nonexistence). 

The correct answer is Aihole.

Key Points

• Lad Khan temple
  • It is located in  Aihole in Karnataka.
  • It is one of the oldest Hindu temples.
  • It is dedicated to Shiva.
  • It is also known as The Chalukya Shiva Temple

Additional Information

• Sanchi is a town in Madhya Pradesh.
  • Sanchi is famous for stupas, monolithic Asokan pillars, Monastries, etc.
• Ellora
  • Ellora caves are located near Aurangabad in Maharashtra.
  • It is one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites.
• Elephanta
  • They are the rock-cut Caves in Maharastra.
  • It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The correct answer is Bhavai – Gujarat.

Key Points

• Bhavai is a folk dance popular in Rajasthan.
• The male or female performer balance a number of earthen pots or brass pitchers as they dance nimbly swimming with the soles of their feet first on top of the glass and on the edge of the sword or on the rims of the brass plate during the performance.
• Bhavai is also one of the most colourful performances of the state as the women wear bright coloured Ghaghra cholis and dupattas.
• The men from these communities offer the music to this dance, using string and percussion instruments.

Confusion Points

• Bhavai dance is often misinterpreted from ‘Bhavai’ which is a folk theatre form of Gujarat. 

Additional Information