Sattriya Dance: Origin and Features — UPSC Prelims PYQ 2014
With reference to the famous Sattriya dance, consider the following statements:
- Sattriya is a combination of music, dance and drama.
- It is a centuries-old living tradition of Vaishnavites of Assam.
- It is based on classical Ragas and Talas of devotional songs composed by Tulsidas, Kabir and Mirabai.
Which of the statements given above is /are correct?
- 1 only
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Explanation
Statements 1 and 2 are correct
- Sattriya originated in Sattra, a monastery, as a part of the neo-Vaishnavite movement in Assam. It includes Nritta, Nritya and Natya components. Sattriya dances differ from other dance forms in their basic stance. For males, it is known as Purush Pak, while for females, Prakriti Pak.
- Traditionally, Sattriya was performed only by bhokots (male monks) in monasteries as a part of their daily rituals.
Statement 3 is incorrect
- The dance is based on mythological themes. Primarily based on Krishna-Radha relations or sometimes on the stories of Ram-Sita. While devotional in character, Sattriya dance is rooted in compositions of Sankardeva and other Assamese saints, rather than Tulsidas, Kabir, or Mirabai, who belonged to different Bhakti traditions.
Answer: (b) 1 and 2 only; Difficulty Level: Hard
