Art and Culture Questions

The correct answer is Assam.

Important Points

• Bihu dance is an Indigenous folk dance of the Indian state of Assam.
• This dance is usually performed by young men and women.
• The dancing style is characterized by brisk steps and rapid hard movements.
• In this folk dance, the traditional costumes of dancers are colourful and centred around the red colour theme.
• The origin of this folk dance is unknown.
• The earliest depiction of Bihu dance is found in the 9th Century Sculptures.
• This dance is mainly found in the Tezpur and Darrang districts of Assam.
• It is mentioned in the inscriptions of the 14th Century, Chutia and Laxminarayan as well.
• Bihu dance is performed outdoors, in fields, groves, etc.
• This folk dance takes its name from the Bohag Bihu festival.
• Bohag Bihu festival is celebrated as New year in Assam.

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 2 only.

Key Points

• The three main components of classical dances are
  • Natya (the dramatic element of the dance i.e. the imitation of characters)
  • Nritta (the dance movements in their basic form)
  • Nritya (expressional component i.e. mudras or gestures)

There are eight classical dances in India:

1. Bharatanatyam: Tamil Nadu (Hence pair 3 is incorrectly matched)
2. Mohiniyattam: Kerala
3. Kathakali: Kerala
4. Kathak: North India (Uttar Pradesh)
5. Kuchipudi: Andhra Pradesh  (Hence pair 1 is incorrectly matched)
6. Sattriya: Assam (Hence pair 2 is correctly matched)
7. Odissi: Odisha 
8. Manipuri: Manipur

Important Points

• Yakshagana is a traditional theatre form of Karnataka that depicts mythological stories and Puranas.
• It is a temple art form performed with massive headgears and vibrant costumes.

The correct answer is Neither I nor II.

Key Points

• Chhau dance is a traditional dance form performed by men from Eastern India that enacts episodes from epics including Ramayana and Mahabharata.
  • The main objective of this dance form is to celebrate martial arts.
  • Chhau dance can be classified into three divisions based on the place it is performed; Mayurbhanj Chau of Odisha, Seraikella Chau of Jharkhand, and Purulia Chau of Bengal.
• 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.
  • Shambhu Maharaj and Lacchu Maharaj are famous Kathak dancers.

Additional Information

• Eight dance forms have been acknowledged by Sangeet Natak Akademi as classical dance forms of India.
• The classical dance form originated from the Natya Shastra.
• Classical dance has a deep-rooted relationship with the Natya Shastra where the specific features of each of the Classical dance forms have been mentioned.
• There are 8 classical dance forms in India as per the source and scholar

Important Points

• The Cultural Ministry of India has included Chhau into the list of classical dances that make a total of 9 classical dance forms.

The correct answer is Dance.

Key Points

• Ottan Thullal is a Kerala dance-drama performance art form developed by Kunchan Nambiar as a substitute for Chakyar koothu.
• Kunchan Nambiar used it to express his dissatisfaction with society's socio-political framework and prejudices at the time.
• It went on to become the most widely displayed folk art in Kerala temples.
• Ottanthullal is distinguished by the performer himself singing and playing the narrative, which is a difficult undertaking.
• The accompanying instruments for Ottanthullal are Mridangam and Idakka.

The correct answer is Garadi.

Key Points

• Garadi is a dance performed in Puducherry.
• And it is the most famous dance of Puducherry.
• This dance has a mythological origin.
• When Rama defeated Ravana, the vanars danced to celebrate his victory.
• It is performed during all festivals of the region.
• It lasts for five to eight hours.​

Additional Information

• Garba is a form of dance which originated in the state of Gujarat in India.
• Gambhira Dance, a folk dance in West Bengal (India), performed by the devotees of Goddess Shakti, in the dance hall of Chandi Mandir.
• Alkap is a form of Bengali folk performance popular in the districts of Murshidabad, Malda and Birbhum in West Bengal and Chapai Nawabganj.

The correct answer is Gujarat.

Key Points

• Garba:
  • It is a popular folk dance of Gujarat.
  • It is performed throughout nine nights of Navaratri.
  • It is performed by the womenfolk of Gujarat. 
  • Garba danced around the symbol to honour the fact that all humans have the Divine energy of Devi within them.

Additional Information

• Some other common folk Dances are - 

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

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.​

The correct answer is Meghalaya.

Key Points

Nongkrem dance festival:

• Period: Generally, in the month of November, every year.
• Venue: Smit, the Khasi Hills in Meghalaya.
• The Nongkrem dance festival is celebrated during Autumn at Smit, the cultural centre of the Khasi Hills.
• It is a five day long religious festival of the Khasis, Ka Pomblang Nongkrem dance is popularly known as Nongkrem dance.
• Nongkrem Dance Festival is performed to appease the all-powerful Goddess Ka Blei Synshar for a rich bumper harvest and prosperity of the people.

Additional Information

• Other major festivals of Meghalaya:
  • Shad Suk Mynsiem, Wangala, Laho dance festival, etc.
  • The state is also known for its popular modern festivals such as Autumn festival, Strawberry festival, Cherry blossom festival etc.