UPSC Prelims 2017 · Question 87 of 99
UPSC Prelims 2017 question on Manipuri Sankirtana
- ExamUPSC CSE
- Year2017
- PaperGeneral Studies Paper I
- SubjectArt and Culture
- TopicIndian Dance Forms
- DifficultyMedium
- TypeStatement
With reference to Manipuri Sankirtana, consider the following statements:
1. It is a song and dance performance.
2. Cymbals are the only musical instruments used in the performance.
3. It is performed to narrate the life and deeds of Lord Krishna.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Show answer
Answer: B. 1 and 3 only
Verdict
The answer is 1 and 3 only. Manipuri Sankirtana is a song and dance performance narrating the life and deeds of Krishna, but cymbals are not the only instruments used.
Analysis
Statements 1 and 3 are CORRECT. Sankirtana centres on the temple, where performers narrate the lives and deeds of Krishna through song and dance, marking religious occasions and stages in the life of the Vaishnava people of the Manipur plains. Statement 2 is INCORRECT. A typical performance involves two drummers, playing the pung, along with about ten singer dancers performing in a hall or courtyard encircled by seated devotees, so drums are integral and cymbals are not the sole instrument.
Source
Centre for Cultural Resources and Training material and Press Information Bureau background material.
How to crack it
The word only in statement 2 is the pressure point, and a single additional instrument destroys it. Beyond that, note that Sankirtana is inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, which is why it appears in the paper at all. Keeping India's intangible heritage inscriptions as a short list, alongside Kutiyattam, Ramlila, Chhau, Yoga and Kumbh Mela, is high yield preparation.