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Which harvest dance is popular in the Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh?
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Answer: Option B — Jawara
Detailed Solution
The correct answer is Jawara. Jawara is a harvest dance of the Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh. Bundelkhand is a hilly region that lies across parts of northern Madhya Pradesh and southern Uttar Pradesh, and it is known for its rich folk culture, its forts and its history, including the story of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi.
The Jawara dance is performed to celebrate a good harvest and the prosperity that it brings. Its name comes from "jawara", the young green sprouts of wheat or barley, which are grown in baskets or pots as a symbol of fertility and prosperity during religious festivals, especially Navratri. In the Jawara dance, women carry baskets of these green sprouts on their heads and dance with graceful movements, while men dance alongside them, to the music of the dhol, the timki (a small drum), the ramtula (a wind instrument) and other traditional instruments. The dance is energetic and joyful, and it expresses the gratitude of the farmers for the harvest and their hopes for the future. The dancers wear colourful traditional costumes, and the women wear heavy silver ornaments.
Madhya Pradesh has many folk dances, linked with its different regions and communities. Important ones include Rai (a dance of Bundelkhand, performed by women dancers called Bedni), Matki (performed by women of the Malwa region with earthen pots), Grida (performed after the sowing of the rabi crops), Bhagoriya (performed by the Bhil tribe before Holi), Tertali, Phulpati, Kathi (of the Nimar region) and the dances of the Gond and Baiga tribes, such as Karma and Saila.
About the other options:
- Lavani is a song and dance form of Maharashtra.
- Bihu is the folk dance of Assam, linked with the Bihu festivals.
- Garba is a circular dance of Gujarat performed during Navratri.
- None of these is a harvest dance of Bundelkhand.
💡 Exam tip
Bundelkhand's dances often appear in exams. Remember Jawara (a harvest dance with baskets of green sprouts) and Rai (performed by Bedni women). Questions may name the region and ask for the dance, or name the dance and ask for the state.💬 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.