RAS question
Turra Kalagi, a form of Rajasthani Khyal, involves a performance contest between two groups representing:
Correct answer: (C) Shiva (Turra) and Shakti (Kalagi).
Turra Kalagi is a Rajasthani Khyal performance contest between two rival groups in which Turra represents the Shaivite or Shiva side and Kalagi represents Shakti, often linked with Parvati.
Explanation
Turra Kalagi is built around rivalry, not a single narrative episode. University of California Press E-Books, Grounds for Play describes two opposing groups that question and answer each other through lavani or khyal, with Turra commonly taking the Shaivite position and Kalagi arguing for the supremacy of Shakti. In the exam tradition, Turra is associated with Shiva and a turra, or feather plume, while Kalagi is associated with Parvati or Shakti and a kalagi ornament. The contest is therefore a symbolic and performative opposition of Shiva and Shakti, carried through singing, debating and dramatic dialogue. In Rajasthan, this competitive structure became tied to Khyal folk theatre as Turra-Kalagi Khyal.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Rama and Ravana point to the Ramlila conflict, whereas Turra Kalagi is framed around rival Turra and Kalagi groups linked to Shiva or Shaivism and Shakti.
- (B) Day and Night are not the symbolic sides in Turra Kalagi, which is identified through Turra and Kalagi positions.
- (D) Krishna and Kansa are not the Turra Kalagi pairing; the opposition is Turra on the Shaivite side and Kalagi on the Shakti side.
Concept
This tests Rajasthan History, Art and Culture through a folk-theatre identification: the key is not just the name Turra Kalagi, but the symbolic opposition carried by its two performance groups. Such questions recur because RAS often asks candidates to connect Rajasthan's performance forms with their distinctive themes and conventions.