SSC
Kathak is associated with which system of Indian classical music?
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Answer: Option C — Hindustani classical music
Detailed Solution
The correct answer is Hindustani classical music. Kathak is the classical dance of North India, and it is performed to Hindustani classical music, the classical music tradition of the northern part of the subcontinent. It is the only one of the major classical dance forms that is closely linked to the Hindustani system.
A Kathak performance is usually accompanied by a vocalist, a tabla player, and instruments such as the sarangi, the harmonium, the sitar or the flute. The pakhawaj, a barrel-shaped drum, is also used, especially in the Jaipur gharana. The music is set in Hindustani ragas and talas. The most common tala in Kathak is teentaal, a cycle of 16 beats. The expressive parts of a Kathak performance are set to semi-classical songs such as thumri, dadra, bhajan and ghazal. One of the most exciting parts of a Kathak performance is the jugalbandi, a playful musical conversation in which the dancer's footwork and the tabla player's rhythms answer each other. The dancers wear ghungroos (ankle bells) with more than 100 bells on each foot, and the sound of these bells is part of the music.
About the other options:
Carnatic classical music is the classical music of South India. It accompanies Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi.
Sopana Sangeetham is the traditional temple music of Kerala. It is associated with Kathakali and Mohiniyattam.
Odissi music is the classical music tradition of Odisha, which accompanies the Odissi dance and uses songs from the Gita Govinda and Odia poets.
💡 Exam tip
Remember the general rule. Kathak (North) goes with Hindustani music. Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi (South) go with Carnatic music. The dances of Kerala go with Sopana-style music. Odissi goes with Odissi music. Questions also ask about the jugalbandi between the Kathak dancer and the tabla player.💬 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.