The Kalbelia folk songs and dances, inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2010, belong to which state?

The correct answer is C, Andhra Pradesh. Kuchipudi takes its name from the village of Kuchipudi in the Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh, where the dance-drama tradition of the Bhagavatulu performers grew, and Siddhendra Yogi is remembered as the teacher who shaped it. Its best known item is the Tarangam, in which the dancer performs balanced on the rim of a brass plate, often with a pot of water on the head. Option A is wrong because the classical dance of Tamil Nadu is Bharatanatyam, which developed from the Sadir of temple dancers. Option B is wrong because Uttar Pradesh and the northern plains are the home of Kathak, with its Lucknow, Jaipur and Banaras gharanas. Option D is wrong because Kerala has two classical forms of its own, Kathakali and Mohiniyattam, and neither is Kuchipudi. Pairing each of the eight classical dances with one state is the safest way to answer this family of questions.

The correct answer is A, Assam. Sattriya grew in the sattras, the Vaishnava monasteries of Assam established in the devotional movement of Srimanta Sankardeva in the sixteenth century, where it was performed by celibate monks as part of worship. It was the last form to be recognised as classical by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, in 2000, which makes the year a favourite question. Option B is wrong because the classical dance of Odisha is Odissi, marked by the tribhanga posture and connected with the mahari dancers and gotipua boys of the Jagannath temple. Option C is wrong because Manipuri is the classical dance of Manipur, known for the Raas Leela and the Pung Cholom. Option D is wrong because West Bengal has no form on the classical list; its famous traditions are the Baul songs, Gambhira and the Purulia Chhau.

The correct answer is A, Mizoram. Cheraw is the best known dance of Mizoram, in which men sit facing each other and clap long bamboo staves together in rhythm while women dancers step in and out of the closing poles. It is performed at Chapchar Kut, the spring festival of Mizoram, and because the pattern resembles dances in south east Asia it is a standard matching question. Option B is wrong because Nagaland's dances are the Chang Lo, also called Sua Lua, and the war dances performed at the Hornbill Festival. Option C is wrong because Meghalaya has the Nongkrem dance of the Khasi, Shad Suk Mynsiem and the Garo Wangala. Option D is wrong because Tripura's dances are Hojagiri, performed balancing on an earthen pitcher, and Garia. Candidates often mark Tripura here, so fix the bamboo poles with Mizoram and the pitcher with Tripura.

The correct answer is A, Nagaland. The Hornbill Festival is held each December at the Naga Heritage Village at Kisama near Kohima, where all the major tribes of Nagaland put up their morungs and present their dances, songs, crafts, wrestling and food, which is why it is called the festival of festivals. It is named after the hornbill, the bird that appears in Naga folklore and headgear. Option B is wrong because Manipur's festivals are Yaoshang, Lai Haraoba, Ningol Chakouba and the Sangai Festival, the last named after its state animal. Option C is wrong because Arunachal Pradesh has Losar, Nyokum, Solung and Mopin, each belonging to a particular tribe. Option D is wrong because Sikkim has Saga Dawa, Pang Lhabsol and Losoong. Note the distinction from Arunachal Pradesh, whose state bird is the great hornbill.

The correct answer is A, Telangana. Bathukamma is celebrated for nine days around Mahalaya Amavasya in the monsoon, when women of Telangana stack seasonal flowers in the shape of a temple tower, sing round it in a circle each evening, and on the last day set it afloat in a tank or stream. It was adopted as the state festival of Telangana and is the usual first question on that state's culture. Option B is wrong because Karnataka's great festival is the Mysuru Dasara, with the Jamboo Savari elephant procession. Option C is wrong because Odisha has Raja Parba, Nuakhai and the Puri Rath Yatra. Option D is wrong because Madhya Pradesh is known for the Khajuraho Dance Festival and the Tansen Samaroh at Gwalior. Keep Bathukamma and Bonalu together as the two festivals of Telangana most asked about.