SSC
Bharatanatyam expresses South Indian religious themes and the spiritual ideas mainly of:
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Answer: Option B — Shaivism
Detailed Solution
The correct answer is Shaivism. Shaivism is the Hindu tradition devoted to Lord Shiva. Bharatanatyam developed in the temples of Tamil Nadu, many of which were dedicated to Shiva, and its themes, symbols and spiritual ideas draw heavily on Shaivism. The image of Shiva as Nataraja, the King of Dance, is central to Bharatanatyam, and a Bharatanatyam stage usually has a statue of Nataraja on one side.
Nataraja's cosmic dance represents the five activities of the divine: creation, preservation, destruction, concealment and grace. In the famous Chola bronze sculptures of Nataraja, Shiva dances within a ring of fire, holding a damaru (drum) in one hand, which represents creation, and a flame in another, which represents destruction. With his raised foot, he offers liberation, while his other foot crushes the demon of ignorance (Apasmara). Many Bharatanatyam compositions describe the glory of Shiva, his dance at Chidambaram and his stories. The 108 karanas carved on the gopurams of the Nataraja temple at Chidambaram are closely linked with the dance. However, Bharatanatyam is not limited to Shaivism. It also expresses Vaishnava themes, such as the stories of Krishna and Rama, and the love of devotees for the divine, as well as themes linked with the goddess.
About the other options:
Jainism is a separate religion founded on the teachings of the 24 tirthankaras, with Mahavira as the last. It is not the main source of Bharatanatyam's themes.
Buddhism is the religion founded by Gautama Buddha. Buddhist themes appear in some modern compositions, but they are not the traditional basis of Bharatanatyam.
Sikhism is the religion founded by Guru Nanak. It is not linked with Bharatanatyam.
💡 Exam tip
Link Bharatanatyam with Shiva as Nataraja and with the Chidambaram temple. Other classical dances, such as Kathak, Manipuri, Odissi and Sattriya, are more strongly linked with Vaishnavism and the stories of Krishna.💬 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.