Lavani is a rhythmic and sensual folk dance form from Maharashtra. What is the traditional percussion instrument used to accompany it?

Correct — C. Lavani is the song-and-dance form of Maharashtra, and its traditional accompaniment is the dholki, a two-headed hand drum.

The dholki's powerful rhythm sets the pace of the performance → option (c).

Why the others are wrong

• (a)
  Mridangam — The mridangam is the double-headed drum of Carnatic music and the principal accompaniment of Bharatanatyam. It belongs to South Indian classical performance, not to Lavani.
• (b)
  Tabla — The tabla is the pair of hand drums at the centre of Hindustani classical music. Lavani's traditional beat comes from the dholki instead.
• (d)
  Nagada — The nagada is a large kettledrum beaten with sticks. Lavani's percussion is the smaller, hand-played dholki.

Lavani is a Marathi song-and-dance genre of Maharashtra that took shape in the 18th and 19th centuries. Women performers wear the nauvari, a nine-yard saree draped like trousers.

It has two styles. Phadachi Lavani is performed on a public stage before a large audience. Baithakichi Lavani is sung in a closed chamber for a small, select audience.

Key facts

• Lavani is a song-and-dance form of Maharashtra, traditionally accompanied by the dholki.
• Its two styles are Phadachi Lavani, for a public audience, and Baithakichi Lavani, for a private one.
• Lavani performers wear the nauvari, a nine-yard saree.
• Sulochana Chavan, called Lavani Samradnyi, received the Padma Shri in 2022.

Common traps

• Choosing the tabla as the default Indian drum — the stem asks for Lavani's traditional instrument, the dholki.
• Confusing the dholki with the larger dhol — the dholki is the smaller hand drum.

No directly related past PYQ was found.