UPSC Prelims 2017 Question:

With reference to Manipuri Sankirtana, consider the following statements

1. It is a song and dance performance. 
2. Cymbals are the only musical instruments used in the performance. 
3. It is performed to narrate the life and deeds of Lord Krishna.
   
   

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Explanation: 

• Manipuri Sankirtana encompasses an array of arts performed to mark religious occasions and various stages in the life of the Vaishnava people of the Manipur.
  
  
• It is practiced at the temple, where performers narrate the lives and deeds of Krishna through song and dance. So, statements 1 and 3 are correct.
  
  
• In a typical performance, two drummers and about ten singer-dancers perform in a hall or domestic courtyard encircled by seated devotees. So, statements 2 is correct.
  
  
• Sankirtana has two main social functions: it brings people together on festive occasions throughout the year, acting as a cohesive force within Manipur’s Vaishnava community; and it establishes and reinforces relationships between the individual and the community through life-cycle ceremonies.
  
  
• It is thus regarded as the visible manifestation of God. The Sankirtana of Manipur is a vibrant practice promoting an organic relationship with people: the whole society is involved in its safeguarding, with the specific knowledge and skills traditionally transmitted from mentor to disciple.
  
  
• Sankirtana works in harmony with the natural world, whose presence is acknowledged through its many rituals.
  
  
• Manipuri Sankirtana is one of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
  
  

Therefore, option (2) is the correct answer.

Subject: History | Indian Music