Bhangra, danced to the dhol at the harvest festival of Baisakhi, is the folk dance of which state?
- A.Himachal Pradesh
- B.Jammu and Kashmir
- C.Punjab
- D.Uttarakhand
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is C, Punjab. Bhangra is the men's dance of the Punjab harvest, danced at Baisakhi in April to the beat of the dhol, with leaps, shoulder work and the raised arms that everyone recognises. Its women's counterpart is Giddha, in which short verses called bolis are sung and clapped between the steps.
Option A, Himachal Pradesh, has Nati, the long chain dance of Kullu and the hill districts, and Namgen. Option B, Jammu and Kashmir, has Rouf, danced by women in facing rows, Dumhal of the Wattal men in tall caps, Hikat, and the folk theatre Bhand Pather. Option D, Uttarakhand, has the sword dance Chholiya of Kumaoni weddings, Jhora, Langvir Nritya and the Ramman festival of Chamoli, which UNESCO inscribed in 2009. The dhol and Baisakhi together fix Bhangra to Punjab.
Read the full article: Folk Dances of India: State-wise List with Festivals
Practice Questions
View allBihu is the well-known folk dance of which Indian state?
- A.Assam
- B.Manipur
- C.Tripura
- D.Nagaland
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Bihu is danced chiefly at Rongali or Bohag Bihu, the Assamese new year festival that falls in April and opens the sowing season.
Read the full explanation →Ghoomar is a traditional folk dance of which state?
- A.Gujarat
- B.Rajasthan
- C.Haryana
- D.Madhya Pradesh
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Ghoomar is danced by women in a wide ghagra who move in a circle and turn on the spot, the swirl of the skirt giving the dance its name.
Read the full explanation →Lavani, performed to the beat of the dholki, is associated with which state?
- A.Goa
- B.Karnataka
- C.Maharashtra
- D.Chhattisgarh
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Lavani combines song and dance and is performed mainly by women in a nine-yard saree to the sharp beat of the dholki.
Read the full explanation →Seraikella, one of the three styles of the Chhau dance, belongs to which state?
- A.Odisha
- B.West Bengal
- C.Jharkhand
- D.Bihar
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Chhau is a martial masked dance of eastern India with three recognised styles, and Seraikella Chhau takes its name from the former princely seat of Seraikella in Jharkhand, where the royal house trained and refined it.
Read the full explanation →Cheraw, popularly known as the bamboo dance, is the folk dance of which state?
- A.Mizoram
- B.Meghalaya
- C.Sikkim
- D.Arunachal Pradesh
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In Cheraw, men sit facing each other and hold long bamboo staves horizontally, clapping them together in a steady beat, while women in the Mizo puan step in and out of the closing gaps without letting a foot be caught.
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