Matki dance, performed by women with earthen pots, is a folk dance of which state?

The correct answer is Madhya Pradesh. Matki is a folk dance of the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh, performed by women. "Matki" means an earthen pot, and the dance gets its name from the earthen pots that the dancers balance on their heads, sometimes several pots stacked one on top of another.

The Matki dance is performed at weddings and other festive occasions. Usually, a single woman starts the dance, and others join her as it continues. The dancers wear the traditional dress of the Malwa region, including a colourful lehenga, a blouse and an odhni (veil), which they often hold across their faces. They move gracefully, keeping the pots balanced, to the beat of the dhol, which is often called the "matki dhol" in this context. The dance celebrates the daily life of women in rural Malwa, many of whom traditionally fetched water from wells and rivers in earthen pots. Two dances closely related to Matki, called Aada and Khada Nach, are also performed in the region.

Madhya Pradesh has many folk dances, linked with its different regions and communities. Important ones include Grida (performed after the sowing of the rabi crops), Rai (a dance of the Bundelkhand region), Jawara (a harvest dance of Bundelkhand), Bhagoriya (performed by the Bhil tribe during the Bhagoria festival), Phulpati and Tertali.

About the other options:

• Gujarat is known for Garba, Dandiya Raas, Tippani and Padhar.
• Maharashtra is known for Lavani, Koli, Powada and Tamasha.

Bihar is known for Jat-Jatin, Jhijhiya, Bidesia and Kajari. In Jhijhiya, women also carry pots, but these are perforated pots with lamps inside, used in prayers for rain.