SSC
The bamboo dance of Mizoram is called:
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Answer: Option C — Cheraw
Detailed Solution
The correct answer is Cheraw. Cheraw is the most famous dance of Mizoram and is popularly known as the bamboo dance. It is one of the oldest dances of the Mizo people and is believed to have existed since the 1st century CE, although its exact origins are not known.
In the Cheraw dance, men sit facing each other in pairs on the ground and hold long bamboo staves at both ends. They tap the bamboos open and shut, horizontally and in crisscross patterns, against the ground and against each other, in a steady, rhythmic beat. Women dancers, dressed in the colourful traditional Mizo costume called the puanchei, the kawrchei blouse and the vakiria headgear, step in and out of the gaps between the moving bamboos with great skill and timing. The patterns of the dance imitate the movements of birds, the swaying of trees and other natural scenes. Traditionally, Cheraw was performed during the Chapchar Kut festival and on other important occasions. It was also performed to honour the souls of mothers who died in childbirth. Today, it is performed at almost every festive occasion in Mizoram.
About the other options:
- Khuallam, the "dance of the guests", is also a Mizo dance, performed by guests at a community feast called Khuangchawi.
- Chheih Lam is a Mizo dance performed to celebrate joyful occasions, with the dancers squatting in a circle and singing and clapping.
- Chai is a group dance of Mizoram performed during the Chapchar Kut festival, in which men and women dance in a circle with linked arms.
- These are all Mizo dances, but only Cheraw is the bamboo dance.
💡 Exam tip
Cheraw is one of the most frequently asked dances of the north-east. Remember that it is the bamboo dance of Mizoram, and that similar bamboo dances are found in other parts of north-eastern and South-East Asia.💬 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.