SSC
The Koli dance, which imitates the rowing of boats and the casting of nets by the fishing community, is performed in which states?
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)View answer ▾Hide ▴
Answer: Option A — Maharashtra and Goa
Detailed Solution
The correct answer is Maharashtra and Goa. The Koli dance is the traditional dance of the Koli community, a fishing community that lives along the Konkan coast, which stretches across Maharashtra and Goa. The dance is especially well known in Mumbai, which was originally home to Koli fishing villages, and in the coastal districts of Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg.
The movements of the Koli dance are inspired by the daily life of the fishing community. The dancers form two rows, one of men and one of women, and their movements imitate the rowing of boats, the casting of nets, the swaying of waves and the catching of fish. The men wear a lungi or short trousers with a short jacket and a cap, while the women wear the colourful nine-yard saree, tied in the traditional Koli style, along with gold and silver jewellery and flowers in their hair. The songs, sung in the Koli dialect of Marathi, are lively and often humorous. The dance is performed at weddings, at festivals such as Narali Purnima (the festival that marks the start of the fishing season after the monsoon) and at other community celebrations.
About the other options:
- Gujarat and Rajasthan are known for dances such as Garba and Dandiya Raas (Gujarat) and Ghoomar and Kalbelia (Rajasthan).
- Kerala and Karnataka are known for dances such as Kathakali and Mohiniyattam (Kerala) and Yakshagana and Dollu Kunitha (Karnataka).
- Odisha and West Bengal are known for dances such as Odissi and Gotipua (Odisha) and Purulia Chhau and Gambhira (West Bengal).
- None of these pairs is associated with the Koli dance.
💡 Exam tip
The Koli dance is usually listed among the folk dances of Maharashtra, together with Lavani, Powada, Tamasha and Dhangari Gaja. Some exam questions give "Maharashtra and Goa" as the answer, since the Koli community lives in both states.💬 Discussions on this question
Ask a doubt ›Still stuck on this question? Ask our faculty and fellow students — answers appear here.
Ask a doubtMore Indian Dance Forms Questions
View all ›- Q1.The techniques of Rasa and Bhava used in Indian classical dance trace their origin to which ancient text?
- Q2.Lavani, Powada, Koli, Waghya Murali and Dhangari Gaja are folk dances of which state?
- Q3.The one-act play associated with the Sattriya tradition of Assam is called:
- Q4.Which dance form of Goa is known as the 'Warrior Dance'?
- Q5.Manipuri dance is based on the Rasleela themes of:
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.