🏛️ History & Art-CultureUPSC 2018Indian Music

With reference to the cultural history of India, consider the following statements: (2018)1. Most of the Tyagaraja Kritis are devotional songs in praise of Lord Krishna.2. Tyagaraja created several new ragas.3. Annamacharya and Tyagaraja are contemporaries.4. Annamacharya Keertanas are devotional songs in praise of Lord Venkateshwara.Which of the statements given above are correct?

a1 and 3 only
b2 and 4 only
c1, 2 and 3
d2, 3 and 4
✓ Correct answer: b) 2 and 4 only
ExplanationCarnatic music is a classical music tradition of South India, characterized by its intricate ragas (melodies) and talas (rhythms), with a strong emphasis on vocal performance and improvisation.Prominent early singers include Muthuswami Dikshitar, Syama Sastri, and Tyagaraja, who significantly contributed to its development through their compositions and performances.Statement 1 is incorrect: Tyagaraja is known for his devotional songs (Kritis) to Lord Rama and not Lord Krishna.Statement 2 is correct: He innovated the technique of structural variations of musical lines and created new Ragas.Statement 3 is incorrect: Annamacharya belonged to the 15th century whereas Tyagaraja belonged to the 18th century and so they are non-contemporary.Statement 4 is correct: Annamacharya is renowned for his keertanas (devotional songs), most of which are dedicated to Lord Venkateshwara, the deity of the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati.

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