SSC
Mohiniyattam, a dance performed by women, is performed in honour of which deity?
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Answer: Option B — Lord Vishnu
Detailed Solution
The correct answer is Lord Vishnu. Mohiniyattam, the classical dance of Kerala performed by women, takes its name from Mohini, the enchanting female form taken by Lord Vishnu. "Mohini" means a woman who enchants, and "attam" means dance, so Mohiniyattam means "the dance of the enchantress".
According to Hindu mythology, Vishnu took the form of Mohini twice. The first time was during the churning of the ocean (Samudra Manthan), when the gods and demons fought over the nectar of immortality (amrit). Mohini charmed the demons and distributed the nectar only to the gods. The second time was to defeat the demon Bhasmasura, who had received a boon that anything he touched on the head would turn to ashes. Mohini enchanted him into a dance in which he imitated her movements, and when she placed her hand on her own head, he did the same and was destroyed. Mohiniyattam reflects this graceful, enchanting quality, and it is known for its gentle, swaying movements of the body, which are often compared to the swaying of coconut palms and the gentle waves of Kerala's backwaters.
Mohiniyattam is a lasya-style dance. The dancers wear a white or off-white saree with gold borders (the kasavu) and arrange their hair in a bun on the left side of the head, decorated with jasmine flowers. The songs are in Manipravalam, a mix of Malayalam and Sanskrit, and the music is in the Sopana style. The main instrument is the edakka, a small hourglass-shaped drum. Maharaja Swathi Thirunal of Travancore and the poet Vallathol Narayana Menon, who founded the Kerala Kalamandalam in 1930, played major roles in its development and revival.
About the other options:
Lord Shiva is linked with the vigorous Tandava. Lord Ganesha and Goddess Durga are worshipped in many dances, but Mohiniyattam is linked with Vishnu's Mohini form.
💡 Exam tip
Remember that Mohiniyattam means "dance of the enchantress", that it is linked with Vishnu, and that it uses the edakka drum.💬 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.