RAS question
Kalbelia dance, inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, is performed by which community?
Correct answer: (D) Kalbelia (snake charmer) community.
Kalbelia dance is performed by the Kalbelia community of Rajasthan, traditionally associated with snake charming.
Explanation
Kalbelia dance belongs to the Kalbelia community, traditionally known as snake charmers, so the community name is the direct clue in the question. UNESCO lists the element as Kalbelia folk songs and dances of Rajasthan on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, with inscription in 2010. The performance style also reflects that identity: women wear black swirling skirts with mirror work and move in sinuous patterns that resemble a serpent, while the dance is accompanied by instruments such as the been, dufli and khanjari. Since the art form is tied to the Kalbelia community's hereditary cultural practice, the generic caste/community options do not fit.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Rajputs are not the performers identified by UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage; the dance is specifically tied to the Kalbelia snake-charmer community.
- (B) The Brahmin community is not connected with this UNESCO-listed folk dance, whose performance tradition is attributed to Kalbelias.
- (C) Jats are a different community, while the dance's serpent-like movements and snake-charmer association point to the Kalbelia community.
Concept
This tests Rajasthan Art and Culture through the community-art form linkage, a frequent RAS pattern for folk dances. Kalbelia recurs because it combines a distinctive performer community, visual style and UNESCO intangible-heritage status.