SSC
Manipuri dance is based on the Rasleela themes of:
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Answer: Option B — Radha and Krishna
Detailed Solution
The correct answer is Radha and Krishna. Manipuri is the classical dance form of Manipur, and its best-known part is the Ras Leela, which depicts the divine love between Radha and Krishna and the gopis (cowherd women) of Vrindavan. These themes became central to Manipuri dance after Vaishnavism spread in Manipur in the 18th century.
Maharaja Bhagyachandra (also known as Rajarshi Bhagyachandra or Ching-Thang Khomba), a devout Vaishnava king, is credited with giving the Ras Leela its present form in 1779. Manipuri dance has five main types of Ras Leela: Maha Ras, Basanta Ras, Kunja Ras, Nitya Ras and Diba Ras. The dance is known for its soft, flowing and graceful movements. The dancers never strike the floor hard and avoid direct eye contact with the audience, which gives the performance a devotional and inward-looking quality. The female dancers wear a stiff, cylindrical, embroidered skirt called the Potloi, and Krishna is shown with a peacock feather crown. Before the arrival of Vaishnavism, the earliest form of dance in Manipur was the Lai Haraoba, a ritual festival honouring local deities.
About the other options:
- Shiva and Parvati are central to many Bharatanatyam and Odissi compositions and to ritual dances such as Danda Nata of Odisha, but not to the Ras Leela of Manipur.
- Rama and Sita are the main characters of the Ramayana, which is performed in forms such as Ramlila and Kathakali, but not in the Ras Leela.
Vishnu and Lakshmi are not the theme of the Ras Leela. Although Krishna is an avatar of Vishnu, the Ras Leela is specifically about Krishna's play with Radha and the gopis.
💡 Exam tip
Manipuri dance questions often ask about its themes (Radha-Krishna), its earliest form (Lai Haraoba), its masculine and feminine aspects (Cholom and Jagoi), and its drum dance (Pung Cholom).💬 Discussions on this question
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Ask a doubtMore Indian Dance Forms Questions
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- Q3.The one-act play associated with the Sattriya tradition of Assam is called:
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- Q5.In which year did the Sangeet Natak Akademi recognise Sattriya of Assam as a classical dance form?
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.