Gujarat: Art, Culture and Life Traditions · GPSC (Gujarat)

What the official syllabus says

GPSC Preliminary Examination, General Studies, under the heading History and Culture:

Cultural heritage of India and Gujarat: Art forms, Literature, Sculpture, Architecture, Music, Dances, etc.
The Saintly tradition of India and Gujarat and its influence on psyche of people.
Life traditions of India and Gujarat, Fairs, Festivals, Food and Costumes, etc.
Museums of Gujarat, Library activities, Cultural-Religious and Literary importance, Gujarati Theatre: Plays, Songs and various Theatre groups, etc.

Topics in detail

The state-specific half of the culture lines. Learn each craft, fair and monument with its place (district or city).

Architecture and monuments of Gujarat

Solanki (Maru-Gurjara) temples: Modhera Sun Temple, Rudra Mahalaya at Siddhpur, Somnath (rebuilt after Independence, inaugurated 1951)
Stepwells (vav): Rani ki Vav (Patan), Adalaj (Gandhinagar district), Dada Harir (Ahmedabad)
Jain temple complexes: Shatrunjaya (Palitana), Girnar, Taranga
Indo-Islamic Ahmedabad: Jama Masjid, Sidi Saiyyed mosque and its jali, Sidi Bashir mosque ('shaking minarets'), Sarkhej Roza, Bhadra fort, Teen Darwaza
Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park (UNESCO, 2004); Historic City of Ahmedabad (UNESCO, 2017) with its pols
Forts and palaces: Uparkot (Junagadh), Laxmi Vilas Palace (Vadodara), Aina Mahal and Prag Mahal (Bhuj), Darbargadh palaces
Buddhist caves: Uparkot, Khapra Kodiya and Bava Pyara (Junagadh), Talaja, Khambhalida

Crafts and art forms

Textiles: Patola of Patan (double ikat), Bandhani (Jamnagar, Kachchh), Ajrakh block printing, Mata ni Pachedi, Tangaliya, Mashru
Embroidery and beadwork of Kachchh and Saurashtra (Rabari, Ahir, Mutwa styles)
Rogan art (Nirona, Kachchh); Pithora painting of the Rathwas
Sankheda lacquered furniture; wood carving of havelis; brass and copper work; bell metal
Agate work of Khambhat; diamond cutting of Surat; kite making

Music and dance of Gujarat

Garba (around a lamp, Navratri) and Garbi; Raas and Dandiya Raas; Garba's inscription by UNESCO as intangible heritage
Folk dances: Tippani (Chorwad), Padhar (Nal Sarovar), Hudo (Bharwads), Siddi Dhamal, Dangi dance, Hinch, Rathwa dance
Folk music: duha, chhand, lokgeet, bhajan, lagnageet; dayro tradition; instruments such as dhol, shehnai, ravanhattho, jodiya pava
Classical music: Tana-Riri of Vadnagar; Saptak festival (Ahmedabad); Darpana Academy (Mrinalini Sarabhai, Ahmedabad)

The saintly tradition of Gujarat

Narsinh Mehta of Junagadh (15th century): Adi Kavi, 'Vaishnav Jan To', prabhatiyan
Mirabai and her link with Dwarka
Akho (Akha Bhagat): chhappa, satire on hypocrisy; Dayaram: garbi; Bhoja Bhagat: chabkha
Jalaram Bapa of Virpur: sadavrat (free food)
Sahajanand Swami and the Swaminarayan sampraday; Pushtimarg (Vallabhacharya) in Gujarat; Pranami sect (Devchandra, Prannath)
Saint-poets of Saurashtra and Kachchh: Ganga Sati, Ravi Saheb, Dasi Jivan, Mekan Dada
Sufi and other traditions: Sarkhej (Ahmad Khattu), Shah-e-Alam; Parsi heritage of Udvada and Sanjan
Influence on the psyche of people: service and charity (annakshetra, sadavrat), devotional music, social harmony

Fairs and festivals

Navratri; Uttarayan (kite festival, 14 January); Diwali and the Gujarati New Year (Bestu Varas); Janmashtami at Dwarka and Dakor
Tarnetar fair (Trinetreshwar temple, Surendranagar) and its embroidered umbrellas
Vautha fair (Ahmedabad district, Kartik Purnima); Bhavnath fair at Girnar (Mahashivratri); Bhadarvi Poonam fair at Ambaji
Madhavpur Ghed fair (Porbandar district, Krishna-Rukmini wedding); Shamlaji fair
Rann Utsav (Kachchh), Modhera Dance Festival

Food and costumes

Food: Gujarati thali; dhokla, khaman, khandvi, thepla, undhiyu, handvo, fafda-jalebi, dal-dhokli, kadhi; Kathiawadi rotlo; Surti ghari and locho; Kachchhi dabeli
Men's dress: kediyu, chorno or dhoti, pagdi (pheto)
Women's dress: chaniya-choli, ghaghra, odhni, the Gujarati way of draping the saree (seedha pallu)
Community dress of Rabaris, Ahirs and Bharwads; silver and ivory-style jewellery

Museums of Gujarat

Kachchh Museum, Bhuj (the oldest museum in Gujarat)
Baroda Museum and Picture Gallery, Vadodara; Maharaja Fatehsingh Museum
Watson Museum, Rajkot; Darbar Hall Museum, Junagadh
Calico Museum of Textiles, Ahmedabad; Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Museum; Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya at Sabarmati Ashram
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Memorial (Ahmedabad); Kirti Mandir (Porbandar); archaeological site museum at Lothal

Library activities

The library movement of Baroda State under Sayajirao Gaekwad III: Central Library, village and travelling libraries
Motibhai Amin and the spread of libraries in Gujarat
Gujarat Vidya Sabha and other old reading institutions; libraries under the Gujarat government

Gujarati theatre

Bhavai: folk theatre, vesh, tradition linked with Asait Thakar
Akhyan performance by the manbhatt
19th-century company theatre of Mumbai: Parsi-Gujarati theatre, Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali, Deshi Natak Samaj
Ranchhodbhai Udayram Dave: early Gujarati playwright; Chandravadan Mehta and modern Gujarati theatre
Plays, songs (natya geet) and theatre groups; Indian National Theatre; experimental and amateur theatre after Independence

Overlaps

Mains General Studies-I (B) asks for life traditions of Gujarat, pilgrimage and heritage places, Gandhian thought, and the cultural landscape of Gujarat. Tribal fairs are on Gujarat: Adivasi (Tribal) Life; places of pilgrimage on Gujarat: Pilgrimage and Tourist Places.