Art & Culture
🔒 Log in to trackFolk Dances by State
🔒 Log in to track| State | Folk dances (most asked in bold) |
|---|---|
| Gujarat | Garba (UNESCO ICH 2023), Dandiya Raas, Tippani, Padhar |
| Rajasthan | Ghoomar, Kalbelia, Chari, Kachchhi Ghodi, Gair |
| Punjab | Bhangra (men), Giddha (women), Jhumar |
| Haryana | Phag, Saang, Loor |
| Maharashtra | Lavani, Tamasha, Koli, Lezim |
| Karnataka | Yakshagana, Dollu Kunitha, Bhootha Kola |
| Kerala | Theyyam, Padayani, Oppana, Thiruvathirakali |
| Tamil Nadu | Karakattam, Kummi, Kolattam, Oyilattam |
| Andhra / Telangana | Dhimsa, Kolattam, Burrakatha, Perini Shivatandavam (Telangana) |
| Odisha | Chhau (Mayurbhanj), Dalkhai, Ghumura, Gotipua |
| West Bengal | Chhau (Purulia), Gambhira, Jatra, Baul (music) |
| Bihar | Jat-Jatin, Bidesia, Jhijhiya, Jhumar |
| Jharkhand | Chhau (Seraikela), Karma, Paika |
| Chhattisgarh | Raut Nacha, Pandavani (ballad — Teejan Bai), Gaur Maria, Karma |
| Madhya Pradesh | Jawara, Matki, Tertali |
| Uttar Pradesh | Charkula, Nautanki, Raslila |
| Uttarakhand | Chholiya, Langvir Nritya, Barada Nati |
| Himachal Pradesh | Nati (Kullu Nati in Guinness Records), Jhora |
| Jammu & Kashmir | Rouf, Dumhal, Bhand Pather |
| Assam | Bihu, Bagurumba (Bodo), Jhumur (tea tribes) |
| Mizoram | Cheraw (bamboo dance) |
| Manipur | Thang Ta (martial), Lai Haraoba |
| Meghalaya | Nongkrem (Khasi), Wangala (Garo) |
| Nagaland | Chang Lo (Sua Lua), Zeliang |
| Tripura | Hojagiri (balancing on a pitcher) |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Bardo Chham, Ponung |
| Sikkim | Singhi Chham (snow-lion masks) |
| Goa | Fugdi, Dekhni |
Detailed notes
Folk dances by state — the core table
| State | Dances (most asked in bold) |
|---|---|
| Gujarat | Garba (UNESCO ICH 2023), Dandiya Raas, Tippani |
| Rajasthan | Ghoomar, Kalbelia (ICH 2010), Chari, Kachchhi Ghodi |
| Punjab | Bhangra (men), Giddha (women) |
| Maharashtra | Lavani, Dhangari Gaja |
| Karnataka | Yakshagana (dance-drama) |
| Kerala | Theyyam (ritual), Ottam Thullal |
| Assam | Bihu |
| Mizoram | Cheraw (bamboo dance) |
| Tripura | Hojagiri (Reang balancing feats) |
| Meghalaya | Nongkrem (Khasi), Wangala (Garo) |
| Chhattisgarh | Karma, Panthi |
| Jharkhand | Karma, Chhau (Saraikela) |
| West Bengal | Chhau (Purulia) |
The North-East cluster (Cheraw–Hojagiri–Nongkrem) is a favourite match-the-column set: bamboo = Mizoram, balancing = Tripura, Khasi = Meghalaya.
Feature and occasion clues
Garba — a circular women's dance of Navratri with clapping; Dandiya Raas uses sticks. Ghoomar — Bhil-origin, adopted by Rajasthan's royal houses, women in swirling ghagras. Kalbelia — of the snake-charmer Kalbelia community; imitative serpent movements; UNESCO ICH 2010. Bhangra/Giddha — Baisakhi harvest. Lavani — fast tempo, dholki accompaniment, grown inside the tamasha theatre of Maharashtra. Yakshagana — Karnataka's night-long dance-drama with huge headgear; don't confuse it with Kathakali (Kerala). Theyyam — Kerala ritual where performers embody village goddesses, mostly male performers. Bihu — spring (Rongali) festival dance of Assam. Cheraw — dancers step between crossed bamboo staves clapped in rhythm. Hojagiri — Reang women balancing on pots and bottles. Nongkrem — Khasi thanksgiving dance. Karma — Karma-devi tree worship dance of Chhattisgarh-Jharkhand belt.
The classical-folk border
Chhau sits on the border — semi-classical, martial, with three styles (Mayurbhanj, Seraikella, Purulia). Yakshagana is a folk dance-drama, not a classical dance. Jatra (Bengal) is folk theatre, not a dance. Exam setters swap these with classical names, so the state dance must be pinned before answering.
Recognition to remember
- Garba — inscribed on UNESCO's ICH list in 2023 (India's newest dance element then).
- Kalbelia, Chhau, Mudiyettu — all inscribed in 2010.
- Durga Puja of Kolkata (a festival, not a dance) — ICH 2021.
Quick revision
- Gujarat: Garba (ICH 2023) + Dandiya; Rajasthan: Ghoomar + Kalbelia (ICH 2010).
- Punjab: Bhangra/Giddha; Maharashtra: Lavani (tamasha); Karnataka: Yakshagana.
- Cheraw = Mizoram bamboo; Hojagiri = Tripura balancing; Nongkrem = Meghalaya Khasi.
- Theyyam = Kerala ritual; Bihu = Assam spring; Karma = Chhattisgarh-Jharkhand.
- 2010 ICH trio: Kalbelia, Chhau, Mudiyettu.
Types of questions asked
Every way this subtopic shows up in exams — how to recognise it, the formula or logic to use, and a solved example.
Type 1: State ↔ folk dancevery common5 practice Q
A folk dance with four states as options, or a match-the-column of states and dances (often NE India).
Run the state table; for the North-East use the feature mnemonic — bamboo = Cheraw (Mizoram), balancing = Hojagiri (Tripura), Khasi = Nongkrem (Meghalaya).
Example: Cheraw, the bamboo dance, belongs to —
Mizoram — dancers step in and out of clapped bamboo staves.
Type 2: Dance ↔ feature / communitycommon3 practice Q
A described feature — sticks, snake-like movements, dholki, goddess possession — and the dance asked.
Garba = clapping circle of Navratri; Dandiya = sticks; Kalbelia = snake-charmer community; Lavani = dholki/tamasha; Theyyam = ritual possession.
Example: The Kalbelia dance, with its serpent-like movements, is performed by a community traditionally of —
Snake charmers — the Kalbelia community of Rajasthan.
Type 3: Dance ↔ occasion / seasoncommon2 practice Q
Which dance is performed during Baisakhi/Navratri/Bihu — or a festival-dance pairing.
Baisakhi = Bhangra/Giddha; Navratri = Garba/Dandiya; Rongali Bihu = Bihu dance; Kartik Purnima = Chhau season in Purulia.
Example: The Bhangra is traditionally performed during the festival of —
Baisakhi, the Punjab harvest festival.
Type 4: Classical-folk border trapscommon2 practice Q
'Which of the following is NOT a classical dance', or a semi-classical form (Chhau, Yakshagana) slipped into a classical list.
Chhau = semi-classical martial (three styles); Yakshagana = folk dance-drama of Karnataka; Jatra = Bengali folk theatre. Spot these before answering 'classical' questions.
Example: Which of these is a semi-classical martial dance rather than a fully classical form?
Chhau — with Mayurbhanj, Seraikella and Purulia styles.
Shortcut tricks
⚡ North-East quick five — "Cheraw Mizo, Hoja Tripura, Nong Khasi, Wang Garo, Bagu Bodo"
Cheraw → Mizoram · Hojagiri → Tripura · Nongkrem → Meghalaya (Khasi) · Wangala → Meghalaya (Garo) · Bagurumba → Assam (Bodo).
Example: Hojagiri, in which women balance on an earthen pitcher, is a folk dance of —
Tripura (Reang community).
⚡ Men vs women in Punjab
Bhangra = Bhaiya (men) · Giddha = Girls (women).
Where students lose marks
Yakshagana is from Karnataka, not Kerala.
Chhau belongs to three states (Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal); Purulia is in West Bengal.
Garba = Gujarat; Ghoomar = Rajasthan — both are circle dances, do not swap.
Practice sets — 14 questions
Sets of 10, mixed across the question types above. Each answer comes with a step-by-step explanation.
Topic test · 10 questions
Suggested time 4 min · wrong answers go to your mistake notebook automatically.