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Bardo Chham, a masked dance of the Sherdukpen tribe, is a folk dance of which state?
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Answer: Option C — Arunachal Pradesh
Detailed Solution
The correct answer is Arunachal Pradesh. Bardo Chham is a masked dance of the Sherdukpen tribe of Arunachal Pradesh. The Sherdukpens live mainly in the West Kameng district, in the western part of the state, around the towns of Rupa and Shergaon. They follow a form of Tibetan Buddhism mixed with their older traditional beliefs.
Bardo Chham depicts the victory of good over evil. According to the beliefs of the Sherdukpens, there are twelve kinds of evil forces or demons, one for each month of the year, which bring misfortune to people. In the dance, the performers wear masks representing these twelve evil forces, in the form of animals, such as the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, bird, dog and pig, which are also the animals of the Tibetan and Chinese zodiac. Other dancers, representing the forces of good, fight and defeat the evil forces, and the dance ends with the triumph of good. The dancers wear colourful costumes and move with vigorous, dramatic movements, to the beat of drums and the sound of cymbals. Bardo Chham is performed at Buddhist festivals and at community celebrations, and it is meant to protect the community from evil and to bring peace and prosperity.
Arunachal Pradesh has more than 25 major tribes, each with its own dances and festivals. Other important dances include Aji Lamu and the Yak dance (Monpa tribe), Ponung and Tapu (Adi tribe), Rikhampada (Nyishi tribe), Popir (Galo tribe), Buiya (Digaru Mishmi tribe) and the Lion and Peacock dances of the Buddhist communities.
About the other options:
- Sikkim is known for Chu Faat, Tashi Sabdo and the Cham masked dances of its monasteries.
- Ladakh is known for Shondol, Spao and the Cham dances of its monasteries.
- Nagaland is known for Chang Lo, Zeliang and Changai.
- Masked dances are found in all the Buddhist regions of the Himalayas, but Bardo Chham is specifically a Sherdukpen dance of Arunachal Pradesh.
💡 Exam tip
Link Bardo Chham with the Sherdukpen tribe, the West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh, masks of twelve animals and the victory of good over evil.💬 Discussions on this question
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Indian Dance Forms — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Indian Dance Forms, 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.
Indian dance forms are one of the most frequently tested areas of static GK. This topic covers the eight classical dances recognised by the Sangeet Natak Akademi (Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kathakali, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Manipuri, Mohiniyattam and Sattriya), the folk and tribal dances of every state, and related terms such as mudra, abhinaya, lasya and tandava. Most questions ask which state a dance belongs to, which community performs it, or which feature identifies a classical style. Learn the classical dances with their state and one signature feature each, such as the face make-up of Kathakali or the brass plate of Kuchipudi. For folk dances, group them state by state, since exams often list three or four dances and ask for the common state. Watch for dances shared by more than one state, such as Chhau, which has three styles. Practise the Indian dance forms 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.