Question 41 of 63 · Indus Valley Civilisation
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The famous 'Dancing Girl' figurine found at Mohenjo-daro is made of:

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Answer: Option C — Bronze

Detailed Solution

The famous "Dancing Girl" of Mohenjo-daro is a small bronze figurine, about 10.5 centimetres tall.

About the Dancing Girl:

  • It was discovered in 1926 at Mohenjo-daro, by Ernest Mackay.
  • It is dated to around 2500 BCE.
  • It shows a young woman standing confidently, with one hand on her hip and the other arm resting on her thigh.
  • Her left arm is covered with many bangles almost up to the shoulder, while her right arm has fewer bangles.
  • She wears a necklace, and her hair is tied in a bun.
  • She is naked except for the ornaments.
  • Her posture, with her head tilted slightly and her leg bent forward, gives a sense of movement and confidence.

Why it is important:

  • It is one of the finest pieces of metal art from the Indus civilisation.
  • It shows that the Harappans had advanced skills in metal-working.
  • It also tells us about ornaments and hairstyles of the time.

Where it is now:

  • It is kept in the National Museum, New Delhi.
  • Pakistan has asked for its return, but it has remained in India since the Partition.

Other famous Harappan sculptures:

  • "Priest-King": a steatite bust of a bearded man wearing a shawl with a trefoil pattern, found at Mohenjo-daro.
  • A red sandstone male torso found at Harappa.
  • Terracotta figurines of women, animals and toys, including carts.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗Terracotta was used for figurines and toys.
  • ✗Steatite was used for the "Priest-King" bust.
  • ✗Red sandstone was used for a male torso from Harappa.

Quick tip

Remember: "Dancing Girl" = bronze, Mohenjo-daro (found 1926; about 10.5 cm tall; National Museum, New Delhi); "Priest-King" = steatite.

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Indus Valley Civilisation — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Indus Valley Civilisation, 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.

The Indus Valley (Harappan) Civilisation was one of the world's earliest urban civilisations, flourishing around 2500-1900 BCE. This topic covers its major sites, town planning, drainage, seals, script, trade, crafts, religious beliefs and the theories about its decline. Questions mostly link a site to its feature or its present-day location: the Great Bath at Mohenjo-daro, the dockyard at Lothal (Gujarat), the ploughed field at Kalibangan (Rajasthan) and the water reservoirs at Dholavira. Remember that Harappa was the first site excavated, by Daya Ram Sahni in 1921, and that the Harappan script has still not been deciphered. Practise the Indus Valley Civilisation 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.