Railway
The Maruni dance, a group dance of the Nepali community, is associated with which state?
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Answer: Option C — Sikkim
Detailed Solution
The correct answer is Sikkim. Maruni is one of the oldest and most popular dances of the Nepali community of Sikkim. It is also performed in the Darjeeling hills of West Bengal and in Nepal, where it originated. The Nepali community is the largest community in Sikkim today, and its culture has a strong presence in the state.
The Maruni dance is traditionally performed during the festival of Tihar (the Nepali name for Diwali), when groups of dancers go from house to house, dancing and singing, and the families give them gifts and money in return. It is also performed at weddings and other celebrations. The dancers wear bright, colourful costumes, heavy gold and silver jewellery, and a distinctive nose ring, and they dance with graceful movements to the music of the Naumati Baja, a traditional band of nine musical instruments, which includes drums, cymbals and wind instruments. Traditionally, the female roles were played by men dressed as women, and a clown figure, called the Dhatu Waray, entertained the audience with jokes and comic acts.
Sikkim has three main communities, each with its own dances. The Lepchas perform Chu Faat and Zo Mal Lok. The Bhutias perform Tashi Sabdo, Rechungma and the Singhi Chham (snow lion dance). The Nepali community performs Maruni, Tamang Selo, Dhan Nach (a harvest dance of the Limbus) and Sakela (a dance of the Rai community). The Buddhist monasteries of the state perform the Cham masked dances.
About the other options:
- Assam is known for Bihu, Sattriya and Bagurumba.
- Nagaland is known for Chang Lo, Zeliang and Changai.
- Meghalaya is known for Shad Suk Mynsiem, Wangala and Laho.
- None of these is associated with Maruni.
💡 Exam tip
Link Maruni with Sikkim, the Nepali community and the festival of Tihar. Remember that Sikkim's dances are usually asked with the community that performs them.💬 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.