Performing Arts II: Indian Music, Regional Theatre & Puppetry
Classical and Folk Music Traditions
Classical and Folk Music Traditions
| Cue Words | Notes |
|---|---|
| Hindustani Classical Music (North India) | - Synthesized Indian tradition with Persian/Islamic influences in medieval period - Composition & improvisation equal weight; **Gharana** system (Gwalior, Agra, Kirana) - Styles: - *Dhrupad:* oldest, spiritual/austere, accompanied by Pakhawaj drum (Tansen) - *Khayal:* lyrical/romantic, fast ornamentations (*taans*), Tabla - *Thumri:* semi-classical, expressive love poetry, linked to Kathak |
| Carnatic Classical Music (South India) |
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| Classification of Musical Instruments (Atodya) |
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| Major Folk Music Genres |
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Regional Theatre Traditions
Regional Theatre Traditions
| Cue Words | Notes |
|---|---|
| Yakshagana (Karnataka) | - Night-long theatre based on Hindu epics; dance, music, heavy makeup, improvised dialogue |
| Bhavai (Gujarat) | - Fast-paced street theatre on social issues via comedy/music; balance brass pitchers on head |
| Jatra (West Bengal) | - Open-air theatre on Vaishnavite, religious & historical themes; loud music & dramatic gestures |
| Koodiyattam (Kerala) | - Oldest surviving Sanskrit temple theatre; expressive eye movements (UNESCO Intangible Heritage) |
| Bhand Pather (J&K) | - Secular folk theatre of satirical plays with dance, music, clowning |
| Bhaona / Ankia Nat (Assam) | - Created by Srimanta Sankardev; Krishna stories using large masks (*chochos*) |
| Dashavatar (Konkan/Maharashtra) | - 10 incarnations of Vishnu depicted in temple festival plays |
| Ramman (Uttarakhand) | - Ritual theatre in Garhwal Himalayas for deity Bhumiyal Devta (UNESCO Intangible Heritage) |
Puppetry Traditions in India
Puppetry Traditions in India
| Cue Words | Notes |
|---|---|
| String Puppetry (Kathputli) | - *Kathputli (Rajasthan):* wooden heads, no legs, simple strings - *Kundhei (Odisha):* light wood, long skirts, multiple joints - *Gombeyatta (Karnataka):* styled after Yakshagana costumes |
| Shadow Puppetry (Flat Leather) | - *Tholu Bommalata (AP):* large translucent leather puppets, colored shadows - *Ravana Chhaya (Odisha):* single-piece untanned deer skin, **opaque black shadows** (no joints/holes) - *Togalu Gombeyatta (Karnataka):* small jointed leather puppets |
| Rod Puppetry (Controlled from Below) | - *Putul Nach (WB):* large heavy puppets dressed like Jatra actors, waist-rods - *Yampuri (Bihar):* wooden puppets depicting heaven, hell, Yama's court |
| Glove Puppetry (Hand Puppets) | - *Pavakoothu (Kerala):* Kathakali makeup/costumes, Ramayana stories - *Bommalattam (TN):* hybrid string & rod puppetry |
Contemporary Performing Arts & Figures (2024-2025)
Recent Figures & Movements
| Cue Words | Notes |
|---|---|
| Bhupen Hazarika (1926-2011) — Assam's Musical Legend | - Legendary singer, composer, lyricist, poet, filmmaker; called "Bard of Brahmaputra" and "Sudhakantha" (nectar-voiced) - Conferred Bharat Ratna; penned and sang Gauhati University theme song "Jilikabo Luitore Paar" (1948) - Birth centenary celebrated 2025-2026; government documentary premiered with central support |
| Zubeen Garg (1973-2025) — Assam's Cultural Icon | - Singer-songwriter, composer, lyricist, music director, producer, actor, film director, philanthropist - Worked across Assamese, Bengali, Hindi film and music industries - Notable songs: Ya Ali, Mayabini, Mon Jai, Diya Ghurai, Maya Mathu Maya, Pakhi Pakhi Aei Mon, Rongmon, Anamika - Died at 52 during scuba diving in Singapore; attended 4th North East India Festival |
| Salil Chowdhury — Music & Social Consciousness | - Music director and songwriter blending music, poetry, cinema with social consciousness - Fused Western harmony with Indian classical and folk traditions |
| North East India Festival (NEIF) — Cultural Exchange | - Launched under India's Act East Policy connecting Northeast Region (NER) with Southeast Asia - Editions: Bangkok (2019, 2022), Ho Chi Minh City (2023), Singapore (4th, 2025 - marked 60 years India-Singapore ties & India-ASEAN Tourism Year) - Features: exhibitions, performances, B2B meetings, GI-tagged products, Bihu/Sattriya/Manipuri dances, Hornbill Festival |
| Contemporary Cinema & Awards |
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| Hornbill Festival (Nagaland) — 26th Edition |
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UPSC Recall & Traps
UPSC Recall & Traps
| Cue Words | Notes |
|---|---|
| Dhrupad Instruments Trap | - MCQ trap: Dhrupad is accompanied by **Pakhawaj** (or mridangam), NOT Tabla |
| Tabla and Sitar Origins | - Attributed to 13th-century poet-musician **Amir Khusrau** under Delhi Sultanate |
| Muthuswami Dikshitar Signature | - Signature word (*Mudra*) in Sanskrit compositions: **Guruguha** |
| Ravana Chhaya Shadows Trap | - Casts solid **opaque black** shadows (untanned deer skin without holes), unlike Tholu Bommalata (colored shadows) |
🖼️ Supplemental Asset Directory
Supplemental Asset Directory
- Yakshagana Performance:
- Koodiyattam Theatre:
- Mudiyettu Ritual Theatre:
- Burra Katha Narrative Theatre:
- Naqal Bhand Performance:
- Talamaddale (Seated Yakshagana):
- Pagati Veshaalu Art:
- Bhand Pather (J&K):
- Bhaona (Assam):
- Ankia Nat (Assam):
- Dashavatar (Konkan):
- Daskathia (Odisha):
- Maach (MP):
- Nautanki (UP):
- Tamasha (Maharashtra):
- Villu Pattu (TN):
- Powada (Maharashtra):
- Ramman (Uttarakhand):
- Bayalata (Karnataka):
- Bhuta (Karnataka):
- Garodas (Gujarat):
- Jatra (Bengal):
- Kariyila (Himachal):
- Krishna Attam (Kerala):
- Kuruvanji (Tamil Nadu):
- Naqal Bhand (Punjab):
- Oja Pali (Assam):
- Pagati Veshaalu (Telangana):
- Ramlila (UP):
- Raslila (UP):
- Swang (Punjab):
- Talamaddale (Karnataka):
- Theyyam (Kerala):
- Puppetry Classification Map:
- Kathputli String Puppet:
- Kundhei Puppet:
- Gombeyatta String Puppet:
- Tholu Bommalata Shadow Puppet:
- Ravana Chhaya Shadow Puppet:
- Togalu Gombeyatta Shadow Puppet:
- Putul Nautch (Rod Puppet) 1:
- Putul Nautch (Rod Puppet) 2:
- Pavakoothu Glove Puppet:
- Bommalattam Puppet (Hybrid):
- Muthuswami Dikshitar (1775-1835) third Carnatic music Trinity with Tyagaraja and Syama Sastri; composed ~500 kritis in Sanskrit
- Bhupen Hazarika (1926-2011), the "Bard of the Brahmaputra" and "Sudhakantha", was a legendary Assamese singer-composer-lyricist-filmmaker conferred with the Bharat Ratna; he penned Gauhati Universitys theme song after its 1948 establishment.
- Zubeen Garg was an Assamese singer-songwriter, composer, lyricist, music director, producer, actor, and film director who worked across Assamese, Bengali, and Hindi film and music industries.
- Pandit Chhannulal Mishra, a Padma Vibhushan awardee trained under Ustad Abdul Ghani Khan, blended the Kirana and Benaras gharanas across khayal, thumri, chaiti and hori repertoires.
- A string's vibration (mass per unit length, stiffness, transmission) determines pitch, which is proportional to tension and inversely proportional to vibrating length and mass-length ratio; steel/titanium strings sustain sound longer than nylon/gut.
- Steel/titanium strings are stiffer, produce brighter notes, suit large halls and resist weather changes; nylon/gut strings are softer, warmer-toned, but decay faster and are sensitive to temperature/humidity.
- Ratan Thiyam briefly served as Director of National School of Drama in 1980s
- Srimanta Sankardev originated Ankiya Naat (one-act plays combining dance, music and storytelling) and Bhaona, the traditional theatrical performance derived from it.
- Theatre legend Ratan Thiyam, founder of the Imphal-based Chorus Repertory Theatre and a leading figure of the "Theatre of Roots" movement, is known for works like Chakravyuha, Uttar Priyadarshi, Urubhangam and Chinglon Mapan Tampak Ama on the Manipur insurgency.
- Ratan Thiyam relinquished his 1989 Padma Shri in 2001 to protest the Centre's ceasefire extension with the NSCN.
🪕 Veena Variants — A Common Confusion
- Saraswati Veena: Principal instrument of Carnatic music; plucked chordophone with a large resonator (usually carved from jackwood), fretted fingerboard, and a second smaller gourd resonator near the tuning pegs.
- Rudra Veena: Ancient stick-zither with two large gourd resonators at either end, associated with Dhrupad (Hindustani) tradition; largely superseded by the Sitar and Sarod in modern practice.
- Vichitra Veena: Fretless stick-zither played with a sliding glass ball (similar technique to the slide guitar), used in Hindustani classical music.
- All three are classified as Tata Vadya (chordophones) under the Atodya classification used earlier in this note.