SSC
The one-act play associated with the Sattriya tradition of Assam is called:
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Answer: Option A — Ankiya Nat
Detailed Solution
The correct answer is Ankiya Nat. Ankiya Nat (also spelt Ankiya Naat) is a form of one-act play created in the 15th and 16th centuries by the saint, poet and social reformer Srimanta Sankaradeva, the founder of the neo-Vaishnavite movement in Assam. His disciple Madhavadeva also composed such plays. The plays were written in Brajavali, a literary language that mixes Assamese with Maithili, and they used song, dance, music and dialogue to spread devotion to Lord Krishna among ordinary people.
The staging of an Ankiya Nat is called Bhaona. Ankiya Nat performances were held in the sattras, the Vaishnavite monasteries of Assam, and the dances used in these plays developed over the centuries into the classical dance form now known as Sattriya. The Sangeet Natak Akademi recognised Sattriya as a classical dance form in 2000. Typical elements of a Sattriya and Ankiya Nat performance include the Gayan-Bayan (an opening of singing and drumming on the khol), Borgeet songs composed by Sankaradeva and Madhavadeva, and the narrator figure called the Sutradhara.
About the other options:
Krishnanattam is a dance-drama from Kerala about the life of Krishna, composed in the 17th century by the Zamorin of Kozhikode, Manavedan. It is performed over eight nights.
Yakshagana is a traditional theatre form of coastal Karnataka that combines dance, music and dialogue, usually based on stories from the epics.
Jatra is a popular folk theatre form of Bengal, Odisha and neighbouring regions, performed by travelling troupes.
💡 Exam tip
Link these three terms together: Sankaradeva created Ankiya Nat, the performance of Ankiya Nat is called Bhaona, and the dances of Ankiya Nat gave rise to Sattriya, the classical dance of Assam.💬 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.