SSC
Gugga, Khoria and Phag dances are associated with which state?
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)View answer ▾Hide ▴
Answer: Option B — Haryana
Detailed Solution
The correct answer is Haryana. Gugga, Khoria and Phag are well-known folk dances of Haryana, a state with a strong rural and agricultural culture.
The Gugga dance is performed in honour of Gugga Pir (also called Goga Ji or Jaharveer Goga), a folk hero and saint who is revered by both Hindus and Muslims and is believed to protect people from snakebites. The dance is performed mainly by men during the Gugga Naumi festival in the month of Bhadrapad. The dancers carry a long pole decorated with peacock feathers, cloth and a flag, called the chhari, and they dance and sing in praise of the saint to the beat of the damru and the dhol. Khoria is a dance performed by women, especially at weddings, after the groom's party (baraat) has left for the bride's home. The women who stay behind sing and dance through the night, and their songs and dances are often humorous and lively. Phag is a dance performed by men and women during the month of Phalgun (February and March), around the festival of Holi. It celebrates the end of the harvest season and the arrival of spring, and it is full of humour, colour and joy.
Other folk arts of Haryana include Saang (a form of folk theatre), Ghoomar (Haryana has its own version of this dance), Dhamal, Loor (performed by girls during the month of Phalgun) and Chhathi (performed by women on the sixth day after the birth of a son).
About the other options:
- Bihar is known for Jat-Jatin, Jhijhiya and Bidesia.
- Gujarat is known for Garba, Dandiya Raas and Tippani.
- Himachal Pradesh is known for Nati, Dangi and Jhali.
- None of these states is associated with this group of dances.
💡 Exam tip
Haryana's dances are often asked as a group. Remember Saang (folk theatre), Gugga (in honour of Gugga Pir), Khoria (women's dance at weddings) and Phag (the spring dance of Phalgun).💬 Discussions on this question
Ask a doubt ›Still stuck on this question? Ask our faculty and fellow students — answers appear here.
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.