Folk Music – Complete GK Capsule for Railway Exams
1. Overview
- Definition: Traditional music transmitted orally, integral to rural & tribal life, reflecting local culture, dialect & occupations.
- UNESCO Intangible Heritage Tags (India):
- Kutiyattam (2008) – Sanskrit theatre with Kerala folk music
- Ramlila (2008) – folk music of Ramayana episodes
- Vedic chanting (2008) – oldest oral folk tradition
- Census 2011: 1.2 million folk/tribal musicians in India (≈ 0.1 % of total workforce).
| State/UT | Folk Form | Main Feature | Typical Instruments | Famous Exponent |
|---|
| Andhra Pradesh | Burra Katha | Narrative ballad | Tambura, Dappu | Gaddam Narsaiah |
| Assam | Borgeet | Sankardev’s devotional songs | Khol, Taal | Bhupen Hazarika |
| Bihar | Sohar | Child-birth celebration | Dholak, Khartal | Sharda Sinha |
| Chhattisgarh | Pandavani | Mahabharata epic | Tambura, Harmonium | Teejan Bai |
| Gujarat | Garba | Navaratri dance | Dhol, Nagada | Falguni Pathak |
| Haryana | Ragini | Love & harvest | Sarangi, Tumbi | Harshita Dahiya |
| Himachal Pradesh | Nati | Hill dance | Dhol, Ranasingha | Naresh Sharma |
| Jharkhand | Jhumar | Harvest & love | Mandar, Nagara | Mukund Nayak |
| Karnataka | Veeragase | Warrior tradition | Veeragase Dollu | Channappa Hulgi |
| Kerala | Theyyam | Ritualistic trance | Chenda, Elathalam | K.K. Velayudhan |
| Madhya Pradesh | Malwa Folk | Love ballads | Harmonium, Dhol | Prahlad Tipanya |
| Maharashtra | Lavani | Power-packed dance | Dholki, Manjira | Shanta jadhav |
| Manipur | Khubak Eshei | Lai Haraoba ritual | Pena, Pung | Guru Rewben |
| Nagaland | Heliamleu | Warrior songs | Tati, Bamboo mouth-organ | Tetseo Sisters |
| Odisha | Pala | Devotional narrative | Mridanga, Gini | Gopal Panda |
| Punjab | Bhangra | Harvest (Baisakhi) | Dhol, Tumbi | Gurdas Maan |
| Rajasthan | Maand | Royal court & desert | Sarangi, Khartal | Allah Jilai Bai |
| Sikkim | Maruni | Nepali-origin dance | Damphu, Madal | Aruna lama |
| Tamil Nadu | Villu Paatu | Bow-song storytelling | Villu (bow) | Subbu Arumugam |
| Telangana | Oggu Katha | Yellamma cult | Oggu, Dolu | Gangavva |
| Tripura | Hojagiri | Reang tribe lamp dance | Kham, Sumui | Lakhi Narayan Deb |
| UP | Rasiya | Braj Holi songs | Dholak, Bansuri | Hiralal Yadav |
| Uttarakhand | Chhopati | Love duet | Dhol, Damau | Basanti Bisht |
| West Bengal | Baul | Mystic minstrels | Ektara, Dotara | Purna Das Baul |
3. Important Dates & Events
- 1955 – All India Radio launches “National Programme of Folk Music” (every Sunday 9.30 pm).
- 1985 – Sangeet Natak Akademi launches “Janvani” folk music archive.
- 2013 – Folk musician Teejan Bai awarded Padma Vibhushan (Pandavani).
- 2016 – Government launches “Virasat” series to map 600+ folk forms.
- 2021 – 101-yr-old Rajasthani folk artist “Dapu Khan” conferred Padma Shri (died 2022).
4. Instruments – Quick Facts
- Ektara: 1-string drone used by Bauls (Bengal) & Sufi fakirs.
- Tumbi: Single-string gourd pluck, backbone of Punjabi Bhangra.
- Khol: Clay two-faced drum of Assam (height 60 cm).
- Chenda: Cylindrical wooden drum of Kerala, diameter 28-30 cm.
- Pung: Manipuri barrel drum, played with acrobatic spins.
- Algoza: Punjabi twin-flute; produces continuous drone + melody.
- Ravanahatha: 2-string spike fiddle, believed ancestor of violin (Rajasthan, Sri Lanka).
5. Folk Music & Railways Connection
- Baul singers performed at Indo-Bangladesh Maitree Express inaugural (2008).
- Garba tunes used in Western Railway’s “Navratri Special” announcements (Mumbai, 2019).
- Railways recruits folk artists under “Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat” for platform shows (2017-till date).
6. One-liner Revision Bullets
- Burra = “tambura shaped like a skull” (Andhra).
- Teejan Bai is only woman exponent of Pandavani (Chhattisgarh).
- Bhangra word first appears in 1888 colonial wheat-harvest records.
- Baul philosophy: “Moner manush” (man of the heart) – Tagore adopted it.
- Lavani comes from “Lavanya” = beauty (Maharashtra).
- Theyyam artists paint face with natural colours (150+ designs).
- Villu Paatu string is struck with stick to give rhythm (Tamil Nadu).
- Dappu dance in Telangana uses 30-cm circular frame drum.
- Rajasthan’s Maand is semi-classical; sung in Mand & Megh raags.
- Nati of Himachal entered Guinness Book (2016) – 9,892 dancers.
Quick Reference Table – Awards & Honours
| Year | Artist | Folk Form | Award |
|---|
| 2019 | Shanti Suman Hegde | Veeragase | Padma Shri |
| 2020 | Thanga Darlong | Rosem (Tripuri flute) | Padma Shri (oldest recipient at 98) |
| 2021 | Mamta Chandrakar | Pandavani | Padma Shri |
| 2022 | Purna Das Baul | Baul | Padma Bhushan (2nd time) |
| 2023 | Usha Barle | Pandavani | Yuva Sangeet Nritya Puraskar |
Multiple Choice Questions (15+)
1. Which folk form uses a bow-shaped single string instrument called “Villu”?
Answer: Villu Paatu (Tamil Nadu)2. Teejan Bai is associated with which state & folk form?
Answer: Chhattisgarh – Pandavani3. The drum “Chenda” is indispensable in which ritualistic folk music?
Answer: Theyyam (Kerala)4. “Rasiya” songs are popularly sung during which festival in Uttar Pradesh?
Answer: Holi (Braj region)5. Which instrument is common to both Baul (Bengal) and Sufi fakirs?
Answer: Ektara6. “Tumbi” is a single-string pluck instrument of which state?
Answer: Punjab7. The folk dance “Nati” entered Guinness Book in which year?
Answer: 20168. Which of the following is NOT a feature of Lavani?
Answer: Performed only by men (False – women traditionally lead)9. “Khubak Eshei” is linked with which NE state’s Lai Haraoba festival?
Answer: Manipur10. Who among the following received Padma Vibhushan for Pandavani?
Answer: Teejan Bai11. “Maruni” folk dance has its origin from which community of Sikkim?
Answer: Nepali/Gorkha community12. Which folk form narrates stories from Mahabharata with Tambura?
Answer: Pandavani13. The “Oggu” drum is central to which Telangana ballad form?
Answer: Oggu Katha14. “Ravanahatha” is believed to be the ancestor of which modern instrument?
Answer: Violin15. “Jhumar” is a harvest & love song of which state?
Answer: Jharkhand16. Which AIR programme dedicated to folk music was launched in 1955?
Answer: National Programme of Folk Music17. “Garba” is performed in honour of which goddess?
Answer: Amba/Durga
Final Tips for Railways GK
- Focus on instrument-state-artist triads – 60 % questions come from this.
- Remember award years – Padma awardees are favourite factual triggers.
- Festival-folk linkage (e.g., Holi-Rasiya, Navratri-Garba) is high-yield.
- One map-visualisation: club NE states with string-less drums (Pena, Kham), desert states with Sarangi & Khartal.
Revise, Rehearse, Rock the exam!
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