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'Pulikkali', a recreational folk art form performed during Onam, belongs to:
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Answer: Option C — Kerala
Detailed Solution
"Pulikkali" ("tiger play" or "tiger dance") is a colourful folk art form of Kerala, performed mainly in the city of Thrissur during the Onam festival.
About Pulikkali:
- "Puli" means "tiger" and "kali" means "play".
- It is performed on the fourth day of Onam, called "Nalaam Onam".
Performers paint their bodies (especially their bare stomachs and chests) with bright yellow, black and red stripes and spots to look like tigers and leopards. Some also play hunters.
They wear tiger masks and dance through the streets to the beat of traditional percussion instruments such as the "udukku" and "thakil".
The dance movements imitate a tiger hunting its prey.
Large teams from different localities parade around the "Swaraj Round" in Thrissur, near the Vadakkunnathan Temple, competing for prizes.
The painting of each performer can take several hours.
It is believed that Pulikkali was introduced more than 200 years ago by Maharaja Rama Varma Sakthan Thampuran, the ruler of the Kingdom of Cochin, who wanted to celebrate Onam with a folk art that reflected the wild, untamed spirit of the people.
About Onam:
- It is the harvest festival and the state festival of Kerala, celebrated in the Malayalam month of Chingam (August-September).
- It celebrates the annual homecoming of the legendary King Mahabali, who, according to legend, ruled Kerala in a golden age.
- It is celebrated for about ten days, from Atham to Thiruvonam.
Other Onam traditions include:
- "Pookalam": floral designs on the ground.
- "Onasadya": a grand vegetarian feast served on banana leaves.
- "Vallam Kali": snake boat races.
- "Thiruvathira Kali": a dance by women.
Other folk arts of Kerala:
Theyyam (northern Kerala), Kathakali (classical), Mohiniyattam (classical), Ottamthullal, Padayani and Kalaripayattu (martial art).
Why not the other options?
- ✗Karnataka has Yakshagana and Huli Vesha (a similar tiger dance of the Udupi-Mangaluru region).
- ✗Tamil Nadu has Puliyattam (a tiger dance), but Pulikkali is from Kerala.
- ✗Goa has the Shigmo festival dances.
Quick tip
Remember: Pulikkali = Kerala tiger dance (Thrissur, fourth day of Onam, Swaraj Round; started by Sakthan Thampuran); Huli Vesha = Karnataka; Onam = Mahabali's homecoming.
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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.