UPSC Indian Art and Culture – Chapter 12: Folk Dances, Theatre and Puppetry (22 MCQs)

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UPSC Indian Art and Culture – Chapter 12: Folk Dances, Theatre and Puppetry (22 MCQs) – 22 questions, subject: History. Every question has the correct answer with a one-line explanation; tap "Show Answer". Free practice for TNPSC, UPSC, SSC, Bank and RRB exams – Shanmugam IAS Academy, Coimbatore.

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1.  

Bihu is a folk dance of:

Correct Answer: C [Assam]

Explanation:

Bihu is the folk dance of Assam, performed by young men and women during the Bihu festivals.

2.  

The Kalbelia dance is associated with:

Correct Answer: A [Rajasthan]

Explanation:

Kalbelia is the dance of the snake-charmer Kalbelia community of Rajasthan, on UNESCO's list since 2010.

3.  

Lavani is a folk dance of:

Correct Answer: A [Maharashtra]

Explanation:

Lavani, with its fast rhythm and songs, is a folk dance of Maharashtra closely tied to Tamasha.

4.  

The Chhau style that is performed without masks is:

Correct Answer: B [Mayurbhanj Chhau]

Explanation:

Mayurbhanj Chhau of Odisha is danced without masks, unlike the masked Purulia and Seraikela styles.

5.  

Cheraw, the bamboo dance, belongs to:

Correct Answer: D [Mizoram]

Explanation:

Cheraw is the bamboo dance of the Mizos, performed between clapping bamboo poles in Mizoram.

6.  

The oldest surviving form of Sanskrit theatre is:

Correct Answer: B [Koodiyattam]

Explanation:

Koodiyattam of Keralam is the oldest surviving Sanskrit theatre, proclaimed by UNESCO in 2001.

7.  

Tamasha is a folk theatre form of:

Correct Answer: A [Maharashtra]

Explanation:

Tamasha is the folk theatre of Maharashtra, built around Lavani songs and dance.

8.  

Ankiya Naat plays were composed by:

Correct Answer: B [Sankaradeva]

Explanation:

Sankaradeva wrote the one-act Ankiya Naat plays, staged in Assam as Bhaona.

9.  

Bhand Pather is a satirical theatre of:

Correct Answer: A [Kashmir]

Explanation:

Bhand Pather is the satirical folk theatre of the Bhand community of Kashmir.

10.  

Consider the following statements:

1. The Indian People's Theatre Association was formed in 1943.
2. The National School of Drama was set up in 1959.
3. Habib Tanvir wrote the play Ghashiram Kotwal.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: B [1 and 2 only]

Explanation:

IPTA was formed in 1943 and NSD in 1959; Ghashiram Kotwal is by Vijay Tendulkar, not Habib Tanvir.

11.  

Assertion (A): Tholu Bommalata is a form of shadow puppetry.

Reason (R): Its figures are made of leather and shown against a lit screen.

Correct Answer: A [Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A]

Explanation:

Leather figures cast shadows on a lit screen, which is exactly why Tholu Bommalata is shadow puppetry.

12.  

Kathputli is a form of:

Correct Answer: C [string puppetry]

Explanation:

Kathputli of Rajasthan is a string puppet form, the figures worked from above by strings.

13.  

Putul Nach of West Bengal is a form of:

Correct Answer: C [rod puppetry]

Explanation:

Putul Nach of West Bengal uses rod puppets, the figures held and moved on rods from below.

14.  

Pavakathakali of Keralam is a form of:

Correct Answer: A [glove puppetry]

Explanation:

Pavakathakali of Keralam is a glove puppet form whose figures borrow Kathakali's costume and make-up.

15.  

Teejan Bai is a famous exponent of:

Correct Answer: D [Pandavani]

Explanation:

Teejan Bai of Chhattisgarh is the best-known singer of Pandavani, the Mahabharata ballad tradition.

16.  

The Bauls are:

Correct Answer: D [wandering minstrels of Bengal]

Explanation:

The Bauls are wandering mystic minstrels of Bengal; their song tradition is on UNESCO's intangible heritage list.

17.  

Arrange the following in chronological order:

1. Founding of the National School of Drama
2. Formation of IPTA
3. Koodiyattam proclaimed by UNESCO
4. Chhau and Kalbelia inscribed by UNESCO

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Correct Answer: C [2-1-3-4]

Explanation:

1943, 1959, 2001, 2010.

18.  

Ramman, a ritual theatre on UNESCO's list, belongs to:

Correct Answer: D [Uttarakhand]

Explanation:

Ramman is a ritual theatre of the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand, inscribed by UNESCO in 2009.

19.  

Therukoothu is a form of:

Correct Answer: D [street theatre of Tamil Nadu]

Explanation:

Therukoothu (Kattaikkuttu) is the street theatre of Tamil Nadu, staging Mahabharata stories.

20.  

The Langas, like the Manganiyars, are folk musicians of:

Correct Answer: B [western Rajasthan]

Explanation:

The Langas and Manganiyars are hereditary Muslim folk musicians of western Rajasthan (Jaisalmer, Barmer).

21.  
UPSC Prelims 2014

Consider the following pairs:

1. Garba – Gujarat
2. Mohiniattam – Odisha
3. Yakshagana – Karnataka

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

Correct Answer: C [1 and 3 only]

Explanation:

Mohiniyattam belongs to Keralam.

22.  
UPSC Prelims 2014

A community of people called Manganiyars is well-known for their

Correct Answer: B [Musical tradition in North-West India]

Explanation:

The Manganiyars are hereditary folk musicians of western Rajasthan, that is, north-west India.

➤ Full notes, maps, tables, a reason for every option and Mains PYQs – U06 · Indian Art and Culture (UPSC book, ₹249): www.shanmugamiasacademy.in/study-materials/upsc-indian-art-culture

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