MPPSC 2021 Prelims Q34: In which of the following regions is the folk drama

Q: What is the answer to MPPSC 2021 Prelims Q34?

A or B or C (both accepted by the official key). Grace answer — A, B and C all accepted: Malwa, Nimar and Bundelkhand. Turra-Kalangi is a folk-drama 'dangal' (poetic-duel) tradition performed by two rival troupes — the Turra and Kalangi panths — who exchange extempore verses, blending devotion, wit and satire. It is documented most strongly in the Nimar and Malwa regions of MP, with a performance presence in Bundelkhand too; because reference sources vary on exactly which regions to credit, the commission accepted all three.

MPPSC 2021 Prelims Paper-I · Question 34 of 100

Verified against the official question paper. Answer as per the official MPPSC answer key.

In which of the following regions is the folk drama 'Turra-Kalangi' famous?

(a)Malwa
(b)Nimar
(c)Bundelkhand
(d)Baghelkhand

Answer

A or B or C (both accepted by the official key)

Why

Grace answer — A, B and C all accepted: Malwa, Nimar and Bundelkhand. Turra-Kalangi is a folk-drama 'dangal' (poetic-duel) tradition performed by two rival troupes — the Turra and Kalangi panths — who exchange extempore verses, blending devotion, wit and satire. It is documented most strongly in the Nimar and Malwa regions of MP, with a performance presence in Bundelkhand too; because reference sources vary on exactly which regions to credit, the commission accepted all three.

Why the others are wrong

(d)Baghelkhand — Wrong — Baghelkhand, MP's eastern Rewa-Satna belt, is not among the regions credited with the Turra-Kalangi tradition.

Concept

Turra-Kalangi is a centuries-old folk-theatre 'dangal' (poetic duel) tradition of Madhya Pradesh, performed by two competing troupes/panths — Turra and Kalangi — who exchange extempore verses through the night. It has deep roots in the Nimar and Malwa regions, though its performance tradition also extends into other parts of the state.

This question is a good example of MPPSC's regional-culture ambiguity: different reference sources credit different regions to Turra-Kalangi, so instead of a single 'correct' region the commission graced multiple options — a reminder to learn the core region (Nimar/Malwa) solidly rather than memorise one 'only' answer.

Key facts

Turra-Kalangi: a folk-drama 'dangal' (poetic duel) between two troupes, the Turra and Kalangi panths
Most strongly associated with the Nimar and Malwa regions of MP
Format: extempore verse contests between the two panths, often through the night
MPPSC's official key accepted Malwa, Nimar AND Bundelkhand as correct (grace) — Baghelkhand alone was excluded

Study next

Folk theatre forms of MP: Turra-Kalangi, Maanch, GammatRegions of MP: Malwa, Nimar, Bundelkhand, Baghelkhand, Mahakoshal — their cultural identitiesFolk music/dance forms by region (Bhagoria, Saila, Rai)MPPSC Mains: descriptive questions on folk drama (already asked in 2023)Devotional-poetic folk traditions of central India

Common traps

Picking only ONE region when the exam's own key accepted three — learn breadth, not a single 'correct' region
Confusing Turra-Kalangi (Nimar/Malwa dangal) with Maanch (another MP folk-theatre form)

MPPSC Mains has separately asked 'Describe the folk drama Turra Kalangi' (2023) — know the format (dangal/verse duel) and the panths (Turra, Kalangi), not just the region.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Practice

practice — not a real PYQ
The folk-theatre tradition 'Turra-Kalangi' takes the form of a poetic contest between which two groups?
- (a)Turra and Kalangi panths
- (b)Nimar and Malwa troupes
- (c)Gond and Bhil clans
- (d)Ram and Krishna leela groups
Answer(a) Turra and Kalangi panths — rival troupes who exchange extempore verses.
practice — not a real PYQ
Which of the following is a folk-theatre (drama) tradition of Madhya Pradesh?
- (a)Turra-Kalangi
- (b)Yakshagana
- (c)Therukoothu
- (d)Bhavai
Answer(a) Turra-Kalangi — a Madhya Pradesh folk drama; the others belong to Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat/Rajasthan respectively.