SSC
Saila, Panthi, Pandwani and Raut Nacha are associated with which state?
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Answer: Option C — Chhattisgarh
Detailed Solution
The correct answer is Chhattisgarh. Saila, Panthi, Pandwani and Raut Nacha are among the best-known performing arts of Chhattisgarh.
Panthi is a dance of the Satnami community, the followers of the 18th and 19th century saint Guru Ghasidas, who preached equality and opposed the caste system. It is performed on Maghi Purnima and on Guru Ghasidas Jayanti (18 December), and the songs praise the teachings of the Guru. The dancers move faster and faster to the beat of the mandar (drum) and jhanjh (cymbals), and the performance often ends with acrobatic human pyramids. Raut Nacha is a dance of the Yadav (Raut) community, who are traditionally cowherds. It is performed around Diwali, especially during the festival of Dev Uthani Ekadashi, and celebrates the victory of Lord Krishna over the evil king Kansa. Saila is a stick dance performed by young men after the harvest, in which the dancers strike bamboo sticks against each other in rhythm. Pandwani is a form of musical storytelling of the Mahabharata, centred on the Pandavas. Its most famous performer is Teejan Bai, who received the Padma Vibhushan in 2019. Pandwani has two styles: Vedamati (seated) and Kapalik (standing and acting, the style of Teejan Bai).
About the other options:
Madhya Pradesh is known for Matki, Grida, Rai and Jawara. Chhattisgarh was carved out of Madhya Pradesh in November 2000, but these forms are now listed under Chhattisgarh.
Odisha is known for Odissi, Gotipua and Dalkhai.
Jharkhand is known for Chhau, Paika and Jhumar.
Other dances of Chhattisgarh include Suwa (the parrot dance of women), Karma and the Gaur Maria (the bison horn dance of Bastar).
💡 Exam tip
Chhattisgarh questions often name a group of its arts. Remember that Pandwani is linked with Teejan Bai, Panthi with the Satnami community and Guru Ghasidas, and Raut Nacha with the Yadav community and Diwali.💬 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.