[Mission 2023] STATIC QUIZ, 5 January 2023 – Art and Culture

Solution: b)

• The term kathak is derived from katha, a word used in Sanskrit and other languages for
• The kathaks were originally a caste of story-tellers in temples of north India.
• Kathak began evolving into a distinct mode of dance in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries with the spread of the bhakti movement.
• The legends of Radha-Krishna were enacted in folk plays called rasa lila, which combined folk dance with the basic gestures of the kathak story-tellers.
• Under the Mughal emperors and their nobles, Kathak was performed in the court, where it acquired its present features and developed into a form of dance with a distinctive style.
• Under the patronage of Wajid Ali Shah, the last Nawab of Awadh, it grew into a major art form.

Solution: b)

Originally performed by group of actors going from village to village, known as Kusselavas, Kuchipudi derives its name from the Andhra village of Kusselavapuri or Kuchelapuram. In 17th century, Siddhendra Yogi formalized and systematized the tradition. He authored ‘Bhama Kalapam’ and many other plays. With the advent of Vaishnavism, the dance form became a monopoly  of the male Brahmins and began to be performed at temples. Stories of Bhagavat purana became a central theme of the recitals, and the dancers came to be known as Bhagavathalus.

The dance form gained prominence under the patronage of the Vijayanagar and Golconda rulers. However, it remained confined to villages and remained obscure till the advent of the twentieth century, when Balasaraswati and Ragini Devi revived this dance form. Lakshminarayan Shastry, in the early 20th century, brought in new practices such as solo recitals and female participation.

Solution: d)

Accompanied by the huge dhamsa drums and two energetic dhol players who provoke  and encourage the dancers, the Chhau dancer makes lightning body movements known as chamak. Chhau dance is a tradition from eastern India that enacts episodes from epics including the Mahabharata and Ramayana, local folklore and abstract themes.

Chhau is taught to male dancers from families of traditional artists or from local communities. The dance is performed at night in an open space to traditional and folk melodies, played on the reed pipes mohuri and shehnai.

Chhau is a style performed exclusively by men from the tribal belts of India — home to the tribal groups of Bhulya, Santhals, Mundas, Hos and Oraons. The masks they use vary depending on the style of Chhau practised — Seraikella Chhau or Purulia Chhau. In the third form of Chhau, Mayurbhanj Chhau, masks are not worn.

Solution: a)

• Sarangadeva, a 13th century musicologist who wrote the classic text on music, the Sangeet

The Sangeet Ratnakara defined about 264 ragas including some from the North Indian and the Dravidian repertoires. Its greatest contribution was to identify and describe the various ‘microtones’ and classify them into different categories. Later, some medieval texts on musicology focused on particular themes, for example, Brihaddeshi written in the 9th century by Matanga focused on the definition of the word ‘raga’.

Solution: b)

• Dhrupad is essentially a poetic form that is incorporated into an extended presentation style that is marked by precise and overt elaboration of a
• Dhrupad starts with Alap which is sung without The tempo rises gradually, and it is the major part of the performance. The alap evokes a mood in the audience that coincides with the mood of the raga that is chosen. It is pure music without distraction of words.
• Dhrupad includes use of sanskrit syllables and is of temple Dhrupad compositions usually have 4 to 5 stanzas and are performed by a duo. Generally two male vocalists perform Dhrupad style of performances. Tanpura and Pakhawaj usually accompany them.