SSC
The Konark Dance Festival, held every year for five days, is organised in which state?
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Answer: Option C — Odisha
Detailed Solution
The correct answer is Odisha. The Konark Dance Festival is held every year from 1 to 5 December at an open-air auditorium near the Sun Temple at Konark, in the Puri district of Odisha. The festival brings together some of the best classical dancers of India, who perform Odissi, Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kuchipudi, Manipuri, Mohiniyattam, Kathakali and Chhau against the backdrop of the temple.
The festival is organised by the Department of Tourism of the Government of Odisha, together with the Odissi Research Centre. A related event, the International Sand Art Festival, is often held at Chandrabhaga beach near Konark at the same time. The Sun Temple of Konark was built in the 13th century by King Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga dynasty. It is designed in the shape of a huge chariot of the Sun God Surya, with 24 elaborately carved stone wheels pulled by seven horses. The temple walls are covered with sculptures of dancers and musicians, which makes it a fitting venue for a dance festival. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984, and one of its wheels is shown on the Indian ten-rupee note. European sailors once called it the "Black Pagoda".
About the other options:
West Bengal hosts festivals such as the Dover Lane Music Conference in Kolkata.
Madhya Pradesh hosts the Khajuraho Dance Festival, held every February against the backdrop of the Khajuraho temples. It was instituted in 1975.
Andhra Pradesh hosts festivals linked with Kuchipudi.
Other important dance festivals of India include the Mamallapuram Dance Festival in Tamil Nadu (held near the shore temples), the Natyanjali Festival at Chidambaram, the Ellora-Ajanta Festival in Maharashtra, and the Hampi Utsav in Karnataka.
💡 Exam tip
Link dance festivals with their temple venues and states. Konark (1 to 5 December) is in Odisha, Khajuraho (February) is in Madhya Pradesh, and Mamallapuram is in Tamil Nadu.💬 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.