SSC
Suggi, a harvest dance, is a famous folk dance form of which state?
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Answer: Option C — Karnataka
Detailed Solution
The correct answer is Karnataka. Suggi is a folk dance of Karnataka, performed especially by the farming communities of the coastal and Malnad regions, such as the Halakki Vokkaliga community of the Uttara Kannada district. "Suggi" means harvest in Kannada, and the dance is performed during the harvest season to celebrate the reaping of the crops.
Suggi Kunitha is performed by groups of men, who wear colourful costumes and tall, decorated headgear made of flowers, feathers and colourful paper, called the "tura". They dance to the beat of drums and sing folk songs that describe the harvest, the gods and the daily life of the farmers. The dancers go from house to house in the village, singing and dancing, and the families welcome them and offer them gifts of grain, money or food. The dance expresses the farmers' gratitude to the gods and to nature for a good harvest, and it is also a celebration of community life. The Suggi season is usually linked with festivals such as Holi and Sankranti, depending on the region.
Karnataka has a very rich tradition of folk performing arts. Important forms include Yakshagana (the traditional theatre of the coastal region), Dollu Kunitha (a drum dance), Kamsale (a cymbal dance in honour of Male Mahadeshwara), Veeragase (a dance in honour of Veerabhadra performed during Dussehra), Bhoota Kola (spirit worship), Huttari (the harvest festival of the Kodavas), Pooja Kunitha and Huli Vesha (the tiger dance, performed during Dussehra and Muharram, especially in Udupi).
About the other options:
- Kerala is known for Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Theyyam and Thullal.
- Andhra Pradesh is known for Kuchipudi, Veeranatyam, Kolattam and Dhimsa.
- Goa is known for Fugdi, Dekhni, Mando and Ghode Modni.
- None of these is associated with Suggi.
💡 Exam tip
Karnataka's harvest dances include Suggi and Huttari (Kodagu). Remember that "suggi" means harvest in Kannada.💬 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.