SSC
Temple dancing, from which Bharatanatyam later emerged, was banned by the British government in the year:
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Answer: Option C — 1910
Detailed Solution
The correct answer is 1910. Before it was called Bharatanatyam, the dance was known as Sadir or Dasiattam and was performed in temples and royal courts by devadasis, women dedicated to temple service. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the British colonial government and many Indian social reformers came to see the devadasi system as linked to exploitation, and a campaign began to end it. Exam sources commonly state that the British government banned temple dancing in 1910.
The campaign against the devadasi system continued for several decades. Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy, the first woman legislator in British India, played a major role in this movement. It finally led to the Madras Devadasis (Prevention of Dedication) Act of 1947, which made the dedication of girls to temples illegal in the Madras Presidency. At the same time, artists and scholars worked to save the dance itself. E. Krishna Iyer and Rukmini Devi Arundale helped revive it, gave it the new name Bharatanatyam, and brought it to the public stage. Rukmini Devi founded Kalakshetra in Chennai in 1936, and Balasaraswati, who came from a traditional devadasi family, became one of its greatest performers.
About the other options:
- 1857 is the year of the Revolt of 1857, the first major uprising against British rule.
- 1885 is the year in which the Indian National Congress was founded.
- 1935 is the year of the Government of India Act 1935.
- None of these years is linked to the ban on temple dancing.
💡 Exam tip
Link the history of Bharatanatyam in this order: Sadir or Dasiattam performed by devadasis, the ban on temple dancing (1910), the revival by E. Krishna Iyer and Rukmini Devi Arundale (1930s), the founding of Kalakshetra (1936), and the Madras Devadasis Act (1947).💬 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.