SSC
Purulia, Mayurbhanj and Seraikela are sub-types (styles) of which dance?
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Answer: Option B — Chhau
Detailed Solution
The correct answer is Chhau. Chhau is a semi-classical dance of eastern India that combines martial arts, acrobatics, folk traditions and stories from the epics. It has three distinct styles, each named after the region in which it developed.
Seraikela Chhau developed in the Seraikela-Kharsawan district of Jharkhand under the patronage of the royal family of Seraikela. It is known for its refined, stylised movements and its delicate masks. Purulia Chhau developed in the Purulia district of West Bengal. It uses large, colourful and elaborate masks, many of them made by the craftsmen of the village of Charida, and is known for its vigorous, acrobatic movements, such as somersaults and leaps. Mayurbhanj Chhau developed in the Mayurbhanj district of Odisha. It is the only one of the three styles in which the dancers do not wear masks, so the dancers express emotions through their faces as well as their bodies. All three styles are usually performed during spring festivals, especially the Chaitra Parva in April, and their themes come from the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Puranas and local legends. The music is provided by drums such as the dhol, dhumsa and nagara, and by the mohuri and shehnai.
In 2010, UNESCO inscribed Chhau dance on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The Ministry of Culture of India also lists Chhau among India's classical dance forms, which brings its total to nine.
About the other options:
- Gotipua is a dance of Odisha performed by young boys dressed as girls.
- Jhumur (Jhumair) is a folk dance of Jharkhand and of the tea garden communities of Assam.
- Dalkhai is a folk dance of western Odisha performed by women during the Dussehra festival.
- None of these has the three styles of Purulia, Mayurbhanj and Seraikela.
💡 Exam tip
Learn the three styles of Chhau with their states: Seraikela (Jharkhand), Purulia (West Bengal) and Mayurbhanj (Odisha, without masks). Chhau was added to the UNESCO list in 2010.💬 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.