Gujarat: Art, Literature, Architecture, Music and Theatre

What the official syllabus says

GPSC Main Examination, Paper IV: General Studies-I, (B) Cultural Heritage.

• Cultural heritage of India and Gujarat: Art forms, Literature, Sculpture, Architecture, Music, Dances, Theatre, etc. from Ancient to Modern times.

This page covers Gujarat's part of the line.

Topics in detail

Gujarat's heritage combines Hindu, Jain, Islamic, Parsi and tribal traditions, shaped by trade. Learn examples with their place and period for each art.

Architecture

• Harappan: Lothal and Dholavira
• Solanki (Maru-Gurjara) style: Modhera Sun Temple, Rani ki Vav (World Heritage Site, 2014), Rudra Mahalaya at Siddhpur, Sahasralinga Talav
• Jain temple cities: Shatrunjaya at Palitana, Girnar, Taranga
• Stepwells (vav): Rani ki Vav, Adalaj, Dada Harir
• Indo-Islamic of the Sultanate: Ahmedabad's Jama Masjid, Sidi Saiyyed mosque and its jali, Sarkhej Roza, Teen Darwaza, the shaking minarets
• Champaner-Pavagadh (World Heritage Site, 2004) and the Historic City of Ahmedabad with its pols and havelis (World Heritage Site, 2017)
• Princely and colonial: Laxmi Vilas Palace (Vadodara), Aina Mahal and Prag Mahal (Bhuj)
• Modern: Le Corbusier's buildings in Ahmedabad, Louis Kahn's IIM Ahmedabad, Charles Correa's Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya, B. V. Doshi

Sculpture, painting and crafts

• Solanki temple sculpture; Jain manuscript painting of the Western Indian style
• Pithora painting of the Rathwa and Bhil communities; Mata ni Pachedi
• Textiles: Patola of Patan (double ikat), Bandhani, Ajrakh, Tangaliya, Kachchhi embroidery
• Rogan art (Nirona, Kachchh), Sankheda furniture, beadwork, agate work of Khambhat, wood carving
• Modern art: Ravishankar Raval; the Faculty of Fine Arts at Baroda

Literature

• Hemachandra and the literature of the Solanki court
• Medieval: Narsinh Mehta, Bhalan, Premanand, Akho, Shamal, Dayaram
• Reform-era writers: Dalpatram, Narmad; Govardhanram Tripathi's Saraswatichandra
• Pandit-yug and Gandhi-yug poets and writers: Kavi Kant, Kalapi, Nanalal, K. M. Munshi, Jhaverchand Meghani, Umashankar Joshi
• Jnanpith awardees: Umashankar Joshi, Pannalal Patel, Rajendra Shah, Raghuveer Chaudhari
• Institutions: Gujarati Sahitya Parishad, Gujarat Vidya Sabha, Gujarat Sahitya Akademi; the Ranjitram Suvarnachandrak

Music and dance

• Classical music: Baroda's court musicians (Faiyaz Khan) and music school; Pandit Omkarnath Thakur
• Sugam sangeet and folk music; bhajan and dayro traditions; Charan and Gadhvi singers
• Dances: Garba (UNESCO intangible heritage list, 2023), Garbi, Raas and Dandiya Raas, Tippani, Padhar, Siddi Dhamal, Hudo, Dangi dances

Theatre

• Bhavai: folk theatre with vesh (episodes), traditionally traced to Asait Thakar
• Parsi and Gujarati commercial theatre of the 19th century; Gujarati Natak Mandali
• Modern Gujarati theatre and its playwrights; theatre groups and festivals

Crafts and their places

Patrons and institutions

• Solanki court and Jain merchants as patrons of temples and manuscripts
• Sultans of Gujarat and the Indo-Islamic style of Ahmedabad
• Gaekwads of Baroda: music, painting (Raja Ravi Varma worked for the court), libraries
• Modern institutions: the National Institute of Design (1961), CEPT, Darpana Academy of Performing Arts (1949, Mrinalini Sarabhai)

Overlaps

• Prelims General Studies lists Gujarati literature, Gujarati theatre, museums and library activities.
• The Gujarati language itself is tested in Gujarati Language (qualifying).