Question

Is Kuchipudi a dance drama that belongs to the following States?
A. Andhra Pradesh
B. Kerala
C. Tamil Nadu
D. Karnataka

Answer 1

Hint: It's one of the 8th major Indian classical dance forms with its origins in Natya Shastra’s ancient Hindu Sanskrit text. It was primarily developed as a Krishna-oriented Hindu god tradition of Vaishnavism. It emerged in the 17th century with the dance drama Bhama Kalapam, a tale of Satyabhama, the charming yet jealous wife of the god Krishna Yoga.

Complete Answer:
It is named after the village in Andhra Pradesh’s Krishna district. Siddhendra Yogi, a brilliant Vaishnava poet and visionary had initiated, methodized and arranged the present day version of the dance form. This dance form has two important aspects, such as, pure dance and expressive dance. It is closely linked to Karnataka’s traditional theatre form called ‘Yakshagana’.

For Option A. Andhra Pradesh: It is one of the classical styles of Indian dance that originated in Andhra Pradesh.

For Option B. Kerala: Kathakali is the classical dance drama of Kerala.

Option C. Tamil nadu: Bharatanatyam and Bhagavata Mela is a dance drama of Tamil Nadu.

Option D. Karnataka: Yakshagana is the state dance drama of Karnataka.

Hence, Option A. Andhra Pradesh is the right answer.

Note: This ancient dance style takes place in copper inscriptions from the 10th century and texts such as ‘Machupalli Kaifat’ from the 15th century. Following Aurangzeb’s demise in 1707 and the ensuing fall of the Mughal Empire, the art form was somewhat reborn. Yamini Krishnamurthy is one of the notable Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi, and has been a popular name and eminent personality for many decades in the Indian dance world.