Performing Arts, Literature and Philosophy — Quick Revision

A one-page sheet for culture beyond monuments. Most Prelims questions here are pairs — form with State, text with author, school with founder.

Classical Dances

Dance	State	One identifying feature
Bharatanatyam	Tamil Nadu	Tanjore Quartet; Rukmini Devi Arundale
Kathakali	Kerala	Dance-drama; colour-coded make-up
Mohiniyattam	Kerala	Solo female; white-and-gold costume
Kuchipudi	Andhra Pradesh	Tarangam on a brass plate
Odissi	Odisha	Tribhanga and chowk
Kathak	North India	Tatkar footwork, chakkars; gharanas
Manipuri	Manipur	Ras Lila; no ankle bells
Sattriya	Assam	Sankardeva; classical since 2000

Music

Item	Fact
Natya Shastra	Bharata; four instrument classes — tata, sushira, avanaddha, ghana
Sangita Ratnakara	Sarangadeva, 13th century
Hindustani	10 thaats (Bhatkhande); Dhrupad, Khayal, Thumri, Tappa, Tarana
Carnatic	72 melakartas (Venkatamakhin); kriti-centred
Dhrupad	Raja Man Singh Tomar of Gwalior; Dagar family
Khayal	Sadarang and Adarang (18th c.)
Thumri	Lucknow (Wajid Ali Shah), Banaras
Tappa	Shori Miyan
Carnatic Pitamaha	Purandara Dasa
Carnatic Trinity	Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar, Syama Sastri

Theatre and Puppetry

Form	State	Type
Koodiyattam	Kerala	Sanskrit theatre
Yakshagana	Karnataka	Dance-drama
Jatra	Bengal, Odisha	Musical theatre
Nautanki	Uttar Pradesh	Operatic folk theatre
Tamasha	Maharashtra	Folk theatre
Bhavai	Gujarat	Satirical folk theatre
Ankiya Naat	Assam	Vaishnava one-act plays
Kathputli	Rajasthan	String puppet
Tholu Bommalata	Andhra Pradesh	Shadow puppet
Togalu Gombeyatta	Karnataka	Shadow puppet
Ravanachhaya	Odisha	Shadow puppet
Putul Nach	West Bengal	Rod puppet
Pavakoothu	Kerala	Glove puppet

UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage — India (up to 2023)

Koodiyattam · Ramlila · Vedic chanting · Ramman · Mudiyettu · Kalbelia · Chhau · Buddhist chanting of Ladakh · Sankirtana (Manipur) · Thatheras of Jandiala Guru · Nawrouz · Yoga · Kumbh Mela · Durga Puja in Kolkata (2021) · Garba of Gujarat (2023)

Texts and Authors

Work	Author
Ashtadhyayi	Panini
Arthashastra	Kautilya
Abhijnanashakuntalam, Meghaduta	Kalidasa
Svapnavasavadattam	Bhasa
Mrichchhakatika	Shudraka
Mudrarakshasa	Vishakhadatta
Harshacharita, Kadambari	Banabhatta
Nagananda, Ratnavali	Harsha
Rajatarangini	Kalhana
Gita Govinda	Jayadeva
Aryabhatiya	Aryabhata
Tolkappiyam	Tolkappiyar
Tirukkural	Tiruvalluvar
Silappadikaram	Ilango Adigal
Manimekalai	Sittalai Sattanar
Ramcharitmanas	Tulsidas (Awadhi)
Padmavat	Malik Muhammad Jayasi
Jnaneshwari	Jnaneshwar
Amuktamalyada	Krishnadevaraya
Akbarnama, Ain-i-Akbari	Abul Fazl
Humayun-nama	Gulbadan Begum
Baburnama	Babur (Chagatai Turkish)
Sirr-i-Akbar	Dara Shikoh

Philosophy

School	Founder	Core idea
Samkhya	Kapila	Purusha–prakriti dualism
Yoga	Patanjali	Eight limbs
Nyaya	Gautama	Logic, pramanas
Vaisheshika	Kanada	Atomism
Mimamsa	Jaimini	Vedic ritual
Vedanta	Badarayana	Brahman (Upanishads)
Advaita / Vishishtadvaita / Dvaita	Shankara / Ramanuja / Madhva	Non-dual / qualified non-dual / dual
Charvaka	—	Materialism; perception only
Jainism	—	Anekantavada, syadvada

High-yield facts

Two classical dances from Kerala: Kathakali and Mohiniyattam.
Sattriya became classical in 2000; Manipuri has no ankle bells.
Natya Shastra lists eight rasas; shanta was added later.
Satyameva Jayate — Mundaka Upanishad.
Eleven classical languages after the October 2024 decision.

Traps

Chhau spans Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha; Mayurbhanj Chhau has no masks.
Mrichchhakatika is Shudraka’s, not Bhasa’s.
Vishishtadvaita is Ramanuja’s; Dvaita is Madhva’s.
The Baburnama is in Turkish, not Persian.