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Folk Dances by State

⏱ 5 min read🧩 4 question types🎯 14 practice Q

The idea in one minute

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

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.

Question types you will see

Each type: how to recognise it, the method step by step, and one question to try.

Type 1very common5 practice Q

State ↔ folk dance

How to spot it:

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).

Try this

Cheraw, the bamboo dance, belongs to —

Show solution

Mizoram — dancers step in and out of clapped bamboo staves.

Type 2common3 practice Q

Dance ↔ feature / community

How to spot it:

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.

Try this

The Kalbelia dance, with its serpent-like movements, is performed by a community traditionally of —

Show solution

Snake charmers — the Kalbelia community of Rajasthan.

Type 3common2 practice Q

Dance ↔ occasion / season

How to spot it:

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.

Try this

The Bhangra is traditionally performed during the festival of —

Show solution

Baisakhi, the Punjab harvest festival.

Type 4common2 practice Q

Classical-folk border traps

How to spot it:

'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.

Try this

Which of these is a semi-classical martial dance rather than a fully classical form?

Show solution

Chhau — with Mayurbhanj, Seraikella and Purulia styles.

Shortcuts that save time

⚡ 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 —

Show solution

Tripura (Reang community).

⚡ Men vs women in Punjab

Bhangra = Bhaiya (men) · Giddha = Girls (women).

Mistakes to avoid

Where most students lose marks on this subtopic.

Mistake 01

Yakshagana is from Karnataka, not Kerala.

Mistake 02

Chhau belongs to three states (Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal); Purulia is in West Bengal.

Mistake 03

Garba = Gujarat; Ghoomar = Rajasthan — both are circle dances, do not swap.

Quick revision

Read this the night before the exam.

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.

Practice: 14 questions

Sets of 10, mixed across the question types above. Every answer has a step-by-step explanation.

Topic test · 10 questions

Suggested time 4 min · wrong answers go to your mistake notebook automatically.

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