SSC
Bharatanatyam was originally known as:
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Answer: Option D — Sadir Attam
Detailed Solution
The correct answer is Sadir Attam. Before it came to be called Bharatanatyam in the 1930s, the dance was known as Sadir, Sadir Attam or Dasiattam. It was performed by the devadasis, women who were dedicated to temple service, in the temples and royal courts of Tamil Nadu.
In the 19th century, Sadir was given a structured form by the Tanjore Quartet, four brothers named Chinnaiah, Ponnaiah, Sivanandam and Vadivelu, who served at the court of the Maratha rulers of Thanjavur. They organised the recital (margam) into a sequence of items, such as Alarippu, Jatiswaram, Shabdam, Varnam, Padam and Tillana, which is still followed today. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the devadasi system came under attack, and the dance began to lose its social standing. During the 1920s and 1930s, the lawyer and critic E. Krishna Iyer and the dancer Rukmini Devi Arundale worked to revive it. They took it out of its traditional setting, refined its presentation, and gave it the new name Bharatanatyam, which linked it to the Natyashastra of Bharata Muni. The name is also often explained as a combination of Bhava (expression), Raga (melody), Tala (rhythm) and Natyam (dance). Rukmini Devi founded Kalakshetra in Chennai in 1936, and Balasaraswati, from a traditional devadasi family, became one of its greatest performers.
About the other options:
- Natwari Nritya is an older name associated with Kathak.
- Ankiya Nat is the one-act play of the Sattriya tradition of Assam.
- Ottan Thullal is the most popular form of Thullal, the satirical dance and recitation art of Kerala created by Kunchan Nambiar.
💡 Exam tip
Bharatanatyam's history is a popular topic. Remember the old names (Sadir and Dasiattam), the Tanjore Quartet, E. Krishna Iyer, Rukmini Devi Arundale, Kalakshetra (1936) and Balasaraswati.💬 Discussions on this question
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Ask a doubtMore Indian Dance Forms Questions
View all ›- Q1.The techniques of Rasa and Bhava used in Indian classical dance trace their origin to which ancient text?
- Q2.Lavani, Powada, Koli, Waghya Murali and Dhangari Gaja are folk dances of which state?
- Q3.The one-act play associated with the Sattriya tradition of Assam is called:
- Q4.Which dance form of Goa is known as the 'Warrior Dance'?
- Q5.Manipuri dance is based on the Rasleela themes of:
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.