SSC
In which year was Chhau dance inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity?
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Answer: Option D — 2010
Detailed Solution
The correct answer is 2010. UNESCO inscribed Chhau dance on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010. In the same year, two other Indian traditions were also inscribed: Mudiyettu, the ritual dance-drama of Kerala, and the Kalbelia folk songs and dances of Rajasthan.
Chhau is a semi-classical dance of eastern India that combines martial arts, acrobatics and storytelling. It has three styles: Seraikela Chhau of Jharkhand, Purulia Chhau of West Bengal and Mayurbhanj Chhau of Odisha. The Seraikela and Purulia styles use masks, while the Mayurbhanj style does not. The dance is performed mainly during the spring festival of Chaitra Parva and draws its themes from the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Puranas and local legends. UNESCO recognised Chhau as a tradition that is passed down within communities and that brings together people from different social backgrounds. The Ministry of Culture of India lists Chhau among India's classical dance forms, which makes nine classical dances in its list.
About the other options:
2008 is the year in which Kutiyattam, the Tradition of Vedic Chanting and Ramlila were incorporated into the Representative List. They had earlier been proclaimed Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
2012 is the year when the Buddhist chanting of Ladakh was inscribed.
2016 is the year when Yoga was inscribed.
India's other entries on the list include Ramman of Garhwal (2009), Sankirtana of Manipur (2013), the traditional brass and copper craft of the Thatheras of Jandiala Guru in Punjab (2014), Nowruz (2016, shared with other countries), the Kumbh Mela (2017), Durga Puja in Kolkata (2021) and the Garba of Gujarat (2023).
💡 Exam tip
The UNESCO intangible heritage list is a favourite topic. Remember the "2010 trio" of Chhau, Mudiyettu and Kalbelia. Other years to remember are 2008 (Kutiyattam, Vedic Chanting, Ramlila), 2016 (Yoga), 2017 (Kumbh Mela), 2021 (Durga Puja) and 2023 (Garba).💬 Discussions on this question
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Ask a doubtMore Indian Dance Forms Questions
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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.