- The Sangeet Natak Akademi recognises eight classical dances; the Ministry of Culture also includes Chhau, making nine. Exams most often ask you to match a dance to its state.
- All classical dances trace their theory to the Natya Shastra of Bharata Muni, which describes rasa (aesthetic emotion) and bhava (expression).
- Indian music divided into two streams — Hindustani in the north and Carnatic in the south — from around the 13th–14th centuries.
The Eight Classical Dances
| Dance | State | Distinctive points |
|---|---|---|
| Bharatanatyam | Tamil Nadu | Grew out of temple sadir; revived in the 20th century by Rukmini Devi Arundale (Kalakshetra, 1936) |
| Kathak | North India (UP) | Only classical dance linked to both Hindu and Muslim courts; fast footwork and spins (chakkars); Lucknow, Jaipur and Banaras gharanas |
| Kathakali | Kerala | Dance-drama with elaborate make-up; green (pacha) for noble characters; traditionally performed by men |
| Kuchipudi | Andhra Pradesh | Named after a village; dancing on the rim of a brass plate (tarangam) |
| Odissi | Odisha | Tribhanga (three-bend) posture; evidence in Udayagiri caves; Gita Govinda themes |
| Manipuri | Manipur | Gentle, devotional Vaishnava themes (Ras Lila); no ankle bells |
| Mohiniyattam | Kerala | Graceful solo dance by women; "dance of the enchantress" |
| Sattriya | Assam | Created by Srimanta Sankardeva (15th–16th century) in the sattras (monasteries); recognised as classical in 2000 |
Folk Dances by State
| State | Folk dances |
|---|---|
| Gujarat | Garba, Dandiya Raas |
| Assam | Bihu |
| Punjab | Bhangra, Giddha |
| Rajasthan | Ghoomar, Kalbelia |
| Maharashtra | Lavani |
| Karnataka | Yakshagana (dance-drama) |
| Kerala | Theyyam |
| Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal | Chhau (masked dance; the Purulia, Seraikella and Mayurbhanj styles) |
Classical dances (SNA)8
Sattriya recognised2000
Natya ShastraBharata Muni
Father of Carnatic musicPurandara Dasa
Oldest Hindustani formDhrupad
Garba on UNESCO list2023
Hindustani and Carnatic Music
| Hindustani | Carnatic | |
|---|---|---|
| Region | North India | South India |
| Influences | Persian and Central Asian, through court patronage | Largely indigenous and devotional |
| Scope for improvisation | Greater; organised in gharanas | More fixed compositions (kritis) |
| Main instruments | Sitar, sarod, tabla, sarangi, shehnai | Veena, mridangam, violin, ghatam, nadaswaram |
| Key names | Amir Khusrau (credited with qawwali and tarana), Tansen (Akbar's court) | Purandara Dasa ("father of Carnatic music"); the Trinity — Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar, Syama Sastri |
Hindustani vocal forms: Dhrupad (the oldest, austere and devotional; the Dagar family is its best-known lineage), Khayal (the most popular, more ornamented), Thumri (romantic, light classical) and Tappa (quick, from Punjabi camel-drivers' songs). Both systems are built on raga (melodic framework) and tala (rhythmic cycle).
Schools of Painting
- Ajanta murals — the finest early paintings, using a fresco-like technique on plaster.
- Pala school (Bengal, Bihar, 8th–12th century) — palm-leaf Buddhist manuscripts; the earliest Indian miniatures.
- Mughal school — begun when Humayun brought the Persian masters Mir Sayyid Ali and Abdus Samad. Under Akbar, the workshop produced the illustrated Hamzanama. It peaked under Jahangir, whose artists — Ustad Mansur (birds and animals) and Abul Hasan — excelled at naturalistic portraits.
- Rajasthani schools — Mewar, Bundi, Kota and Kishangarh, famous for Bani Thani by Nihal Chand, sometimes called the "Indian Mona Lisa".
- Pahari schools — Basohli (bold colours, J&K) and Kangra (lyrical, Himachal Pradesh), often showing Radha and Krishna.
- Company painting — Indian artists working for British patrons in the 18th–19th centuries; Raja Ravi Varma later combined European realism with Indian themes.
Folk and Tribal Painting
| Painting | State | Feature |
|---|---|---|
| Madhubani (Mithila) | Bihar | Done by women; bright natural colours, no empty space |
| Warli | Maharashtra | White figures of circles and triangles on mud walls |
| Pattachitra | Odisha (also West Bengal) | Cloth scrolls on Jagannath themes |
| Gond | Madhya Pradesh | Dots and lines forming animals and trees |
| Kalamkari | Andhra Pradesh, Telangana | Hand-painted or block-printed textiles using a pen (kalam) |
| Phad | Rajasthan | Long scrolls telling stories of folk deities like Pabuji |
| Tanjore | Tamil Nadu | Gold foil and gems on wooden panels |
India on UNESCO's Intangible Heritage List
Examples include Vedic chanting, Ramlila, Kutiyattam (Sanskrit theatre of Kerala), Ramman (Garhwal), Mudiyettu (Kerala), Kalbelia and Chhau (2010), Manipuri Sankirtana, Yoga (2016), Kumbh Mela (2017), Durga Puja in Kolkata (2021) and Garba of Gujarat (2023).
- Dance ↔ state matching, often with a decoy pair (Kathakali and Mohiniyattam are both from Kerala; Kuchipudi is from Andhra, not Karnataka).
- Music: Carnatic Trinity names; which form is oldest (Dhrupad); Amir Khusrau and Tansen.
- Painting ↔ state and Mughal ruler ↔ development (Humayun began, Akbar organised, Jahangir peaked).
Q1. Sattriya, recognised as a classical dance in 2000, belongs to:
✅ Answer: (c) Assam
💡 Explanation: Sattriya was created by Srimanta Sankardeva in the Vaishnava monasteries (sattras) of Assam.
Q2. Which of the following is NOT one of the Carnatic music Trinity?
✅ Answer: (b) Purandara Dasa
💡 Explanation: Purandara Dasa is called the father of Carnatic music but predates the Trinity.
Q3. Warli painting is a tribal art form of:
✅ Answer: (a) Maharashtra
💡 Explanation: Warli paintings are made by the Warli tribe of Maharashtra using white figures on mud walls.
Q4. Mughal painting reached its peak, especially in naturalistic studies of birds and animals, under:
✅ Answer: (d) Jahangir
💡 Explanation: Jahangir's court artists such as Ustad Mansur excelled in nature studies.
Q5. The oldest surviving form of Hindustani classical vocal music is:
✅ Answer: (c) Dhrupad
💡 Explanation: Dhrupad is the oldest and most austere form.
🔁 Revise in 60 Seconds
- 8 classical dances (SNA): Bharatanatyam TN, Kathak N, Kathakali & Mohiniyattam Kerala, Kuchipudi AP, Odissi, Manipuri, Sattriya Assam (2000).
- Carnatic: Purandara Dasa (father), Trinity — Tyagaraja, Dikshitar, Syama Sastri. Hindustani: Dhrupad oldest; Khusrau, Tansen.
- Mughal painting: Humayun (Mir Sayyid Ali, Abdus Samad), Akbar (Hamzanama), Jahangir (Mansur). Kishangarh — Bani Thani.
- Folk: Madhubani Bihar, Warli Maharashtra, Pattachitra Odisha, Gond MP, Phad Rajasthan.
📌 Prelims Traps to Avoid
- ✘ Chhau is classical in the Ministry of Culture's list but not among the Sangeet Natak Akademi's eight.
- ✘ Kuchipudi is from Andhra Pradesh; Yakshagana (Karnataka) is not a classical dance.
- ✘ Purandara Dasa is not one of the Carnatic Trinity.
How many classical dances are there in India?
The Sangeet Natak Akademi recognises eight: Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kathakali, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Manipuri, Mohiniyattam and Sattriya. The Ministry of Culture's list also includes Chhau, making nine.
What is the difference between Hindustani and Carnatic music?
Hindustani music, from North India, absorbed Persian influences through court patronage and allows more improvisation within gharanas. Carnatic music, from South India, is largely devotional and built on fixed compositions called kritis. Both are based on raga and tala.