Question map
Consider the following pairs: 1. Garba - Gujarat 2. Mohiniattam - Odisha 3. Yakshagana - Karnataka Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
Explanation
Garba is a folk dance form of Gujarat[2], making pair 1 correctly matched.
Mohiniattam is a classical dance form from Kerala[5], not Odisha. Therefore, pair 2 is incorrectly matched.
Yakshagana is a traditional form of dance-drama[6] associated with Karnataka, as evidenced by its connection to the region's history. The Vijayanagar kings patronized yakshagana[7], a kingdom centered in Karnataka. Thus, pair 3 is correctly matched.
Since only pairs 1 and 3 are correctly matched, the answer is option C. This question tests knowledge of Indian dance forms and their regional origins, which is important for understanding India's cultural diversity—a recurring theme in UPSC Prelims.
Sources- [1] https://ncert.nic.in/textbook/pdf/keks103.pdf
- [2] https://universalinstitutions.com/indian-dance/
- [3] https://ncert.nic.in/textbook/pdf/keks103.pdf
- [5] https://amritkaal.nic.in/blogdetail?106
- [6] Exploring Society:India and Beyond ,Social Science, Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 4: The Colonial Era in India > GDP: > p. 88
- [7] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 12: Bahmani and Vijayanagar Kingdoms > 12.6 Art and Architecture > p. 187
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Guest previewThis is a quintessential 'Sitter' question from the Static Culture module. While the provenance skeleton cites specific NCERT pages, every serious aspirant knows the 8 Classical Dances and major Folk Theatres by heart. If you missed this, your static foundation is shaky.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Statement 1: Is Garba a traditional folk dance originating from the state of Gujarat in India?
- Statement 2: Is Mohiniattam a classical dance form originating from the state of Odisha in India?
- Statement 3: Is Yakshagana a traditional dance-drama form originating from the state of Karnataka in India?
- Explicitly lists Garba alongside other regional folk dances and identifies it with Gujarat.
- From an educational (NCERT) source categorizing tribal and folk dances by state of origin.
- Directly states Garba is a folk dance that originated in Gujarat.
- Notes Garba's wider popularity but attributes its origin to Gujarat.
Notes that 'customs (folk dance, folk lore...)' are key markers of cultural regions and that India can be divided by language, religion and customs.
A student could use this rule to check whether Gujarat (a distinct cultural/linguistic region) has specific named folk dances associated with it, which would support Garba being regionally rooted.
States that Gujarat was created as a separate state for Gujarati-speaking people, implying a distinct linguistic/cultural region where unique folk customs could originate.
A student could look up folk practices tied to Gujarati-speaking regions (e.g., lists of folk dances from Gujarat) to see if Garba appears as a regional tradition.
Defines 'folk traditions' as practices transmitted by common people (oral/everyday practice), specifying the kind of cultural category Garba would belong to if it is a folk dance.
A student could test whether Garba fits that definition (oral transmission, community practice) and then check its geographic prevalence to infer origin.
Notes that traditional folk theatre and cultural forms were active in western India (explicit mention of 'western India'), indicating the region has folk performance traditions.
A student might narrow investigation to western Indian states (including Gujarat) to see if Garba is cited among their folk performance forms.
States that many classical temple dance forms originated from folk dancing, showing a general pattern of locality-based folk dances evolving in religious/community contexts.
A student could apply this pattern to ask whether Garba has community/religious associations in a particular locale (e.g., Gujarat) that indicate local origin.
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