SSC
Yakshagana, a traditional theatre form, is associated with which state?
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Answer: Option A — Karnataka
Detailed Solution
The correct answer is Karnataka. Yakshagana is a traditional theatre form of Karnataka, especially popular in the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada, and in parts of Shivamogga and Chikmagalur. It is also performed in the Kasaragod district of Kerala, which lies next to coastal Karnataka.
Yakshagana combines dance, music, dialogue, costume and make-up to tell stories from the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Bhagavata Purana and other Hindu epics and legends. The performances are traditionally held at night in open-air spaces, often during the dry season from November to May, and they can go on until dawn. The narrator and lead singer, called the Bhagavata, sings the story and controls the pace of the performance, accompanied by musicians playing the chande (a drum), the maddale (a two-headed drum) and cymbals. The actors dance to the music and also speak their own dialogue, which is often improvised, giving each performance a lively and spontaneous character. The costumes are spectacular, with large, colourful headgear (kirita), elaborate face paint, and heavy ornaments. Yakshagana has two main styles: Badagu Thittu (northern style) and Thenku Thittu (southern style). The Tala-Maddale is a form of Yakshagana without costumes or dance, in which the artists sit and perform only the dialogue and music.
About the other options:
Kerala is known for Kathakali, Koodiyattam and Theyyam. Yakshagana is performed in Kasaragod, but it is mainly associated with Karnataka.
Tamil Nadu is known for Therukoothu (street theatre) and Bharatanatyam.
Maharashtra is known for Tamasha and Lavani.
💡 Exam tip
Yakshagana is one of the most frequently asked theatre forms of India. Remember that it belongs to coastal Karnataka, that the narrator is called the Bhagavata, and that its stories come from the epics. Other folk theatre forms to know include Jatra (Bengal and Odisha), Nautanki (Uttar Pradesh), Tamasha (Maharashtra), Bhavai (Gujarat) and Swang (Haryana and Punjab).💬 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.