Railway
Garadi, a folk dance related to the Ramayana and performed at the Villianur temple, belongs to which Union Territory?
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Answer: Option B — Puducherry
Detailed Solution
The correct answer is Puducherry. Garadi is the most famous folk dance of Puducherry. It is traditionally performed at the Villianur temple, the temple of Sri Gokilambal Thirukameswarar, near the town of Puducherry, especially during the annual temple festival.
Garadi is linked with the Ramayana. According to tradition, the dance was first performed by the vanaras (the monkey warriors of Rama's army) to celebrate the victory of Rama over Ravana. The dancers dress as vanaras, wearing costumes with "monkey" make-up and ornaments. They wear iron rings, called anju, on their legs, which make a jingling sound as they dance, and they carry sticks in their hands. The dance is performed by groups of men, in a lively and vigorous style, to the beat of drums called ramadolu. A Garadi performance can last for several hours, and it is a highlight of the temple festival.
Puducherry is a Union Territory with a unique history. It was a French colony until 1954, when it was transferred to India (the formal treaty of cession was ratified in 1962). It is made up of four separate districts: Puducherry and Karaikal (on the Tamil Nadu coast), Mahe (on the Kerala coast) and Yanam (on the Andhra Pradesh coast). Its culture shows a mix of Tamil and French influences, seen in its architecture, food and language. Puducherry is also known for the Sri Aurobindo Ashram and for Auroville, an experimental international township founded in 1968 by Mirra Alfassa, known as "The Mother".
About the other options:
- Lakshadweep is known for Kolkali, Parichakali and the Lava dance of Minicoy.
- The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are known for the dances of the Nicobarese and other tribal communities.
- Chandigarh is a Union Territory and the shared capital of Punjab and Haryana, and it is not associated with Garadi.
💡 Exam tip
Link Garadi with Puducherry, the Villianur temple and the Ramayana (the dance of the vanaras celebrating Rama's victory). It is one of the few folk dances asked about from Puducherry.💬 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.