SSC
In which folk dance of Karnataka are large drums, adorned with colourful cloth, hung around the necks of the performers?
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Answer: Option D — Dollu Kunitha
Detailed Solution
The correct answer is Dollu Kunitha. Dollu Kunitha is a popular drum dance of Karnataka. "Dollu" means drum and "kunitha" means dance. The performers carry large, heavy drums hung around their necks with straps, and the drums are often decorated with colourful cloth. The dancers beat the drums with sticks while dancing, jumping and spinning in energetic patterns.
The dance is traditionally performed by men of the Kuruba (shepherd) community in honour of their deity Beereshwara, also called Beerappa, who is regarded as a form of Lord Shiva. A group of 10 to 20 drummers usually performs together, led by a leader who plays the cymbals or a flute and sets the rhythm. The drummers move in circles and lines, change positions and sometimes form human pyramids, while keeping a steady and powerful beat. The songs sung during the dance are mostly religious and describe the stories of their deity. Dollu Kunitha is a common sight at festivals, temple fairs and state cultural events in Karnataka, and it is especially popular in the northern and central districts of the state, such as Chitradurga and Shivamogga.
About the other options:
- Yakshagana is a traditional theatre form of coastal Karnataka that combines dance, music and dialogue and tells stories from the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Puranas.
- Kamsale is a dance in which performers play the kamsale, a pair of cymbals, while dancing in honour of Lord Male Mahadeshwara.
- Huttari is a harvest festival and dance of the Kodava people of Kodagu (Coorg).
- None of these is a drum dance with drums hung around the neck.
💡 Exam tip
Karnataka's folk dances are often asked through their instruments. Dollu Kunitha is linked with the drum (dollu), and Kamsale with cymbals. Questions may also ask which deity Dollu Kunitha honours (Beereshwara, a form of Shiva) or which community performs it (the Kuruba community).💬 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.