RAS question
Chang dance is performed during which festival?
Correct answer: (B) Holi (Shekhawati).
Chang dance is performed during Holi in the Shekhawati region of Rajasthan.
Explanation
Chang dance is tied to Holi in Shekhawati because the Rajasthan Forest Department, Management Plan for Beed Fatehpur Conservation Reserve describes Chang or Dhap as the beat behind a festive singing and dancing tradition from the Shekhawati belt. Chang Nritya takes its name from the principal instrument, the chang, and performers carry the instrument while they sing, dance and play it. Shekhawati is famous for Chang dance, which starts from Maha Shivratri and ends on Dhulandi, the day after Holi. Among the given festivals, the relevant occasion is Holi in Shekhawati, where men play the large tambourine-like chang and dance energetically.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Teej is wrong because Chang dance in Shekhawati belongs to the Holi period ending on Dhulandi, not to Teej.
- (C) Diwali is wrong because Chang dance is placed around Holi in Shekhawati, not Diwali.
- (D) Gangaur is wrong because Chang dance is a separate Shekhawati Holi-linked tradition, while the question's correct festival is Holi.
Concept
This tests Rajasthan History, Art & Culture through the mapping of a folk dance to its region, instrument and festival occasion. The clue is not just the dance name, but its Shekhawati setting and its Holi timing.