Performing Arts, Paintings and Heritage

Classical dances

The Sangeet Natak Akademi recognises eight classical dance forms. The Ministry of Culture also lists Chhau.

Music

• Hindustani (north; Persian influence; forms such as dhrupad, khayal and thumri) and Carnatic (south; kriti-based).
• Carnatic trinity: Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Syama Sastri.
• Bharata's Natya Shastra is the oldest Indian text on drama, dance and music.

Folk and tribal painting

Puppetry, theatre and martial arts (quick list)

• Kathputli (string puppets, Rajasthan); Tholu Bommalata (shadow puppets, Andhra Pradesh).
• Yakshagana (Karnataka); Jatra (Bengal); Tamasha (Maharashtra).
• Kalaripayattu (Kerala); Gatka (Punjab); Thang-ta (Manipur).

Heritage protection

• UNESCO World Heritage Sites: India has many cultural and natural sites, e.g. the Taj Mahal, Ajanta, Ellora, Hampi and Kaziranga.
• Intangible Cultural Heritage: UNESCO's list includes Kumbh Mela, Yoga, Durga Puja in Kolkata, Vedic chanting, Ramlila and Garba of Gujarat.
• The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) (1861, Alexander Cunningham) protects monuments.

Background: the roots of performing arts

Indian performing arts trace their theory to Bharata's Natyashastra, which defines rasa (aesthetic emotion – shringara, karuna, veera, etc.) and bhava (expressions). Dance has three aspects:

• nritta – pure dance;
• nritya – expressive dance;
• natya – drama.

The Sangeet Natak Akademi recognises eight classical dances. The Ministry of Culture also lists Chhau among them in some contexts.

Music – two great systems

Paintings – a quick timeline

• Prehistoric: the Bhimbetka rock shelters (Madhya Pradesh), UNESCO-listed.
• Mural: the Ajanta caves (Buddhist, 2nd century BCE to 5th/6th century CE); Bagh; Sittanavasal (Jain, Tamil Nadu).
• Miniature:
• Pala palm-leaf manuscripts;
• Mughal – realism, portraits and nature (Mansur under Jahangir);
• Rajput – Mewar, Bundi, Kishangarh (Bani Thani);
• Pahari – Basohli, Guler, Kangra (Radha–Krishna themes);
• Deccani.
• Folk and tribal:
• Madhubani/Mithila (Bihar, GI-tagged);
• Warli (Maharashtra – stick figures in white);
• Pattachitra (Odisha);
• Gond (Madhya Pradesh);
• Kalamkari (Andhra Pradesh – pen drawing with natural dyes);
• Phad (Rajasthan – scrolls of folk deities);
• Pithora (Gujarat/Madhya Pradesh);
• Kalighat (Bengal).
• Modern: Raja Ravi Varma; the Bengal School (Abanindranath Tagore's Bharat Mata); Amrita Sher-Gil; the Progressive Artists' Group (M.F. Husain, S.H. Raza, F.N. Souza).

Heritage institutions and protection

• Tangible heritage: the ASI; the AMASR Act; UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
• Intangible heritage: the UNESCO Representative List includes Indian elements such as Koodiyattam, Vedic chanting, Ramlila, Chhau, Kalbelia, Yoga, Kumbh Mela, Durga Puja in Kolkata and Garba of Gujarat.
• Geographical Indications (GI): protect regional products – crafts such as Banarasi saree, Pochampally ikat and Channapatna toys.
• Schemes: the Guru–Shishya Parampara; Zonal Cultural Centres; the National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities.

Causes and effects: why traditional arts struggle

Causes: shrinking patronage, low incomes of artisans, competition from mass-produced goods, migration of youth, loss of oral traditions, and no documentation.

Effects: disappearing art forms, loss of community identity, middlemen capturing value.

Solutions: GI tags with marketing, e-commerce (GeM, ONDC), cultural tourism, use in school curricula, documentation and digital archives (the Indian Culture portal).

Case study: Madhubani – from walls to markets

Madhubani painting was traditionally done by women of Mithila on walls and floors during weddings and festivals. After the 1966–68 Bihar drought, the All India Handicrafts Board encouraged artists to paint on paper for income. Today it has a GI tag, artists such as Sita Devi and Ganga Devi won national awards, and the art appears on trains and stations. It shows how culture, livelihood and women's empowerment can combine.

Common misconceptions

• "Kathakali is a solo female dance." – It is a dance-drama traditionally performed by men. Mohiniyattam is the female solo of Kerala.
• "Ajanta paintings are frescoes in the strict Italian sense." – They are painted on a dry plaster surface (tempera), not true fresco on wet plaster.
• "The Bengal School copied European styles." – It was a reaction against Western academic art, drawing on Indian and Asian traditions.

How UPSC asks it

Prelims regularly includes dance–state matching, painting schools and their regions, UNESCO intangible heritage elements, and GI tags. Mains themes include safeguarding intangible heritage and the role of art in national identity.

Mains answer framework

Q-type: "Indian folk arts are an important part of cultural heritage but face threats. Discuss and suggest measures."

• Intro: diversity of folk arts with two or three examples.
• Significance: identity, livelihood (especially women), soft power, sustainability (natural dyes).
• Threats: patronage, markets, commodification, youth migration.
• Measures: GI with branding, digital markets, training, tourism, curricula, documentation.
• Conclusion: "living heritage" needs living artisans.

Classical dances recognised by the Sangeet Natak Akademi

Bharatanatyam (Tamil Nadu), Kathak (north India), Kathakali (Kerala), Kuchipudi (Andhra Pradesh), Odissi (Odisha), Manipuri (Manipur), Mohiniyattam (Kerala) and Sattriya (Assam). The Ministry of Culture also recognises Chhau, taking the list to nine in some official references.

Painting traditions

Protecting heritage

• Archaeological Survey of India protects nationally important monuments.
• UNESCO World Heritage List (cultural and natural sites) and the Intangible Cultural Heritage list, which includes Kumbh Mela, yoga, Durga Puja in Kolkata and Garba of Gujarat.
• Geographical Indications protect craft traditions such as Banarasi sarees and Channapatna toys.

Mains practice question

Q. How can India's intangible heritage be protected in a globalised world? Outline: documentation and digital archives; support for practising artists and guru–shishya transmission; inclusion in school curricula; tourism that benefits communities; intellectual property protection; avoiding commercial distortion.

Check your understanding

1. Which two systems dominate Indian classical music? Hindustani (north) and Carnatic (south); both are based on raga (melody) and tala (rhythm).
2. What is the significance of a GI tag? It protects products linked to a place and its traditional knowledge, helping artisans earn fair returns.