Classical Dances of India
Classical Dances of India | Railway Exams GK
India officially recognises 8 Classical Dances under the Sangeet Natak Akademi (1952). Questions are mainly factual—origin state, costume, music style, book/author, UNESCO tags, award winners, festival venues, etc.
1. Key Facts & Figures
| Dance Form | State | Origin Text / Year | Music System | Costume Highlight | UNESCO ICH (Year) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bharatanatyam | Tamil Nadu | Natya Shastra (200 BCE-200 CE) | Carnatic | Pyjama style / half-saree | 2008 (with Chhau) |
| Kathak | Uttar Pradesh | Braj & Awadh courts (15-19 C) | Hindustani | Angrakha, ghungroo (200+) | – |
| Kathakali | Kerala | Kottarakkara Thampuran’s “Ramanattam” (1657-58) | Sopanam | Huge head-gear (Kireetam), green make-up | 2010 |
| Odissi | Odisha | Natya Shastra + Mahari temple dance | Odissi music | Saree draped in ‘Tribhanga’ pose | 2010 |
| Kuchipudi | Andhra Pradesh | Siddhendra Yogi (14 C) | Carnatic | Male: dhoti, Female: kanchuki & langa | – |
| Manipuri | Manipur | Lai Haraoba festivals (pre-15 C) | Pung & Kartal (no cymbals) | Kumin – cylindrical skirt | – |
| Mohiniyattam | Kerala | 16-17 C (Swati Tirunal patronage) | Carnatic / Sopanam | White & gold kasavu saree | – |
| Sattriya | Assam | Srimanta Sankardeva (15 C) | Borgeet (Eka-sarana) | White dhoti, gamusa | 2000 |
2. Important Dates & Milestones
- 1952 – Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA) set up; first awards given 1954
- 1953 – SNA officially lists Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kathakali as “classical”
- 1958 – Odissi added after research by Kavichandra Kalicharan Patnaik
- 1961 – Manipuri & Kuchipudi added
- 1970 – Mohiniyattam included
- 2000 – Sattriya becomes 8th classical dance (by SNA resolution 15 Nov 2000)
- 2008 – UNESCO tags “Chhau & Bharatanatyam” (joint nomination)
- 2010 – UNESCO adds Kutiyattam, Kathakali, Ramman, Mudiyettu, Vedic chanting, Kalbelia, Chhau, Buddhist chanting of Ladakh
- 2021 – Mandu Festival (MP) hosted largest Kathak gathering (1,270 dancers) – entry in Asia Book of Records
3. Awards & Honours (Railway Favourites)
| Award | Field | First Recipient (Dance) | Recent 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sangeet Natak Akademi | Overall performing arts | Balasaraswati (Bharatanatyam) 1954 | Bombay Jayashri (Carnatic vocal) |
| Padma Vibhushan | Classical dance | Rukmini Devi Arundale (1956) | Sonal Mansingh (2003) |
| Padma Bhushan | – | Yamini Krishnamurthy (2001) | Jatin Goswami (Sattriya) 2023 |
| Padma Shri | – | Mrinalini Sarabhai (1965) | Geeta Mahalik (Odissi) 2022 |
First dancer to get all three Padma awards: Yamini Krishnamurthy (Bharatanatyam & Kuchipudi)
4. Quick-Reference Table for Revision
| Dance | Mudra/Bhava Book | Famous Exponent (M) | Famous Exponent (F) | Key Festival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bharatanatyam | Abhinaya Darpana | T. Balasaraswati | Rukmini Devi Arundale | Mamallapuram Dance Festival (Dec) |
| Kathak | Nata Shastra+ | Birju Maharaj | Sitara Devi | Kathak Mahotsav (Delhi) |
| Kathakali | Hastha-lakshana-deepika | Kalamandalam Gopi | Kottakkal Sivaraman | International Kathakali Fest (Kerala) |
| Odissi | Abhinaya Chandrika | Kelucharan Mohapatra | Sanjukta Panigrahi | Konark Dance Fest (Dec) |
| Kuchipudi | Natya Shastra | Vedantam Satyanarayana | Yamini Krishnamurthy | Kuchipudi Utsav (AP) |
| Manipuri | Govinda Leelamrita | Guru Bipin Singh | Darshana Jhaveri | Lai Haraoba (May-June) |
| Mohiniyattam | Hastha-lakshana-deepika | Guru Gopinath | Bharati Shivaji | Nishagandhi Fest (Kerala) |
| Sattriya | Srimanta Sankardeva’s Ankiya-Naat | Jatin Goswami | Sharodi Saikia | Sattriya Utsav (Majuli) |
5. One-Liner Revision Facts
- Natya Shastra: 37 chapters, 6,000 shlokas, author Bharata Muni
- Rukmini Devi Arundale founded Kalakshetra (1936, Chennai)
- Kathak word derived from ‘Katha’ – storytellers called Kathakars
- Kathakali = Katha + Kali (story play); green face = Pachcha character
- Odissi revived post-1949 by Jayantika association
- Mohiniyattam literally = “dance of the enchantress”
- Manipuri dance never uses Ghungroo (respect for nature)
- Sattriya dance was confined to Vaishnavite monasteries (Sattras) till 20 C
- Chhau is NOT classical per SNA list; tagged UNESCO 2008 (Seraikella, Purulia, Mayurbhanj styles)
- Kalbelia (Rajasthan) is folk dance, yet UNESCO 2010
6. Previous-Year MCQs (15+) with Answers
Q1. Which among the following is the oldest classical dance of India?
A. Kathak B. Bharatanatyam C. Odissi D. Kuchipudi
Ans: B
Q2. The dance form associated with the temple of Jagannath, Puri is
A. Kathakali B. Odissi C. Mohiniyattam D. Sattriya
Ans: B
Q3. Kalakshetra academy related to classical dance is situated in
A. Mumbai B. Chennai C. Bhubaneswar D. Kochi
Ans: B
Q4. Who among the following is instrumental in adding Odissi to the classical list?
A. Rukmini Devi B. Kalicharan Patnaik C. Kelucharan Mohapatra D. Sanjukta Panigrahi
Ans: B
Q5. ‘Pung’ is a drum used in which dance?
A. Manipuri B. Kathakali C. Kuchipudi D. Sattriya
Ans: A
Q6. ‘Sattriya’ dance was recognised as classical in
A. 1952 B. 1961 C. 2000 D. 2010
Ans: C
Q7. ‘Kumin’ is the traditional costume of
A. Mohiniyattam B. Manipuri C. Kathak D. Bharatanatyam
Ans: B
Q8. ‘Abhinaya Darpana’ is the basic text of
A. Kathak B. Bharatanatyam C. Odissi D. Kuchipudi
Ans: B
Q9. Which dance is based on ‘Lasya’ aspect alone?
A. Kathakali B. Mohiniyattam C. Kathak D. Sattriya
Ans: B
Q10. ‘Ghungroo’ is a prominent feature of
A. Kathak B. Manipuri C. Sattriya D. Kathakali
Ans: A
Q11. Kathakali originated in present-day
A. Karnataka B. Kerala C. Tamil Nadu D. Andhra Pradesh
Ans: B
Q12. Jayantika association is related to revival of
A. Kuchipudi B. Odissi C. Bharatanatyam D. Kathak
Ans: B
Q13. First dancer to receive Padma Vibhushan
A. Yamini Krishnamurthy B. Rukmini Devi Arundale C. Sonal Mansingh D. Mrinalini Sarabhai
Ans: B
Q14. ‘Tribhanga’ pose is associated with
A. Kuchipudi B. Odissi C. Kathakali D. Manipuri
Ans: B
Q15. ‘Ankiya-Naat’ is a creation of
A. Vallathol B. Sankardeva C. Gopinath D. Swati Tirunal
Ans: B
Q16. Chhau dance received UNESCO tag in
A. 2000 B. 2008 C. 2010 D. 2014
Ans: B
Q17. ‘Sopanam’ music style belongs to
A. Tamil Nadu B. Kerala C. Odisha D. Assam
Ans: B
Q18. Which one is NOT in the classical list of Sangeet Natak Akademi?
A. Kathak B. Chhau C. Odissi D. Kuchipudi
Ans: B
Q19. ‘Lai Haraoba’ festival is linked to
A. Sattriya B. Manipuri C. Mohiniyattam D. Kathakali
Ans: B
Q20. ‘Kasavu’ is a special saree of which dance?
A. Bharatanatyam B. Mohiniyattam C. Kuchipudi D. Odissi
Ans: B
7. Pro-Tips for Railway Exams
- State-PSU mapping is favourite—expect match-the-column.
- UNESCO years (2000, 2008, 2010) often asked in timeline questions.
- First / only type facts (e.g., Rukmini Devi – first Padma Vibhushan dancer) are high-yield.
- Festival-venue (Konark-Dec, Mamallapuram-Dec, Khajuraho-Feb) asked in NTPC CBT-1.
- Remember “NO Ghungroo” in Manipuri & “Green face” in Kathakali—frequent tricky options.
BETA
