SSC
The earliest form of dance in Manipur, from which Manipuri dance developed, is:
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Answer: Option A — Lai Haraoba
Detailed Solution
The correct answer is Lai Haraoba. Lai Haraoba is a ritual festival of the Meitei people of Manipur that honours the Umang Lai, the traditional forest and ancestral deities of the region. It is considered the earliest form of dance in Manipur and the foundation on which the later classical Manipuri dance was built.
The name Lai Haraoba means "the merrymaking of the gods". The festival recreates the Meitei story of creation, the building of houses, the planting of crops and the cycle of human life, through song, dance and ritual. It is led by maibis (priestesses) and maibas (priests), who perform the most important ritual dances. The festival is held in the months of April and May at many local shrines across the Manipur valley and can last from a few days to a month. Many of the basic movements, postures and patterns of Manipuri dance, including its soft, rounded movements and spiral patterns, can be traced back to the dances of Lai Haraoba. The festival existed long before Vaishnavism reached Manipur in the 18th century.
About the other options:
The Ras Leela is the most famous form of classical Manipuri dance. It depicts Radha, Krishna and the gopis and was given its present form in 1779 by Maharaja Bhagyachandra, after Vaishnavism had spread in Manipur. It is therefore later than Lai Haraoba.
Pung Cholom is a vigorous drum dance performed as part of Sankirtana and as a prelude to the Ras Leela.
Thang-Ta is the martial art of Manipur, performed with swords and spears.
💡 Exam tip
Lai Haraoba is frequently asked in two forms: as "the earliest form of Manipuri dance" and as a festival meaning "the merrymaking of the gods". Remember that it belongs to the older, pre-Vaishnava religion of the Meitei people, while the Ras Leela came later with Vaishnavism.💬 Discussions on this question
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Ask a doubtMore Indian Dance Forms Questions
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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.