SSC
According to the Hindu calendar, Deepavali is celebrated in which month?
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Answer: Option B — Kartika
Detailed Solution
Deepavali, or Diwali, the festival of lights, is celebrated on the new moon day (Amavasya) of the Hindu month of Kartika, which usually falls in October or November. It is one of the most important and widely celebrated festivals in India.
The word "Deepavali" means "a row of lamps" (deep means lamp and avali means row). On Diwali night, people light earthen lamps (diyas), candles and electric lights in and around their homes, burst firecrackers, and decorate their homes with rangoli. The main legend connected with Diwali is the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya with Sita and Lakshmana after 14 years of exile and his victory over Ravana. The people of Ayodhya welcomed him by lighting lamps. On Diwali, people worship Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, together with Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles. Business people begin new account books on this day.
Diwali is usually celebrated over five days:
- Dhanteras, when people buy gold, silver and utensils.
- Naraka Chaturdashi (Chhoti Diwali), recalling Krishna's victory over the demon Narakasura.
- Lakshmi Puja (the main Diwali day, on Amavasya).
- Govardhan Puja, recalling Krishna lifting the Govardhan hill; in Gujarat, this day is the New Year (Bestu Varas).
- Bhai Dooj, a festival of brothers and sisters.
Diwali is also important for other communities. Jains celebrate it as the day of Lord Mahavira's nirvana at Pawapuri, and Sikhs celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas, the release of Guru Hargobind from Gwalior fort. In West Bengal and Assam, Kali Puja is celebrated on the same night.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Phalguna is the month of Holi and Maha Shivratri.
- ✗Chaitra is the month of Ram Navami and the Hindu New Year.
- ✗Shravana is the month of Raksha Bandhan and Nag Panchami.
Quick tip
Remember: Diwali = Kartika Amavasya, Rama's return to Ayodhya, Lakshmi-Ganesha puja, Mahavira's nirvana and Bandi Chhor Divas.
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Festivals & Fairs of India — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Festivals & Fairs of India, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the religious, harvest, tribal and cultural festivals of India, the fairs (melas) held across the country, and the states, communities and seasons linked to them. It also includes festivals listed by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage, such as Kumbh Mela and Durga Puja in Kolkata. Most questions ask which state celebrates a festival, which tribe it belongs to, or what event it marks. Harvest festivals are especially common: Pongal (Tamil Nadu), Onam (Kerala), Bihu (Assam), Lohri and Baisakhi (Punjab) and Nuakhai (Odisha). Fairs such as the Pushkar camel fair (Rajasthan) and the Sonepur cattle fair (Bihar) are also frequently tested. Revise festivals state by state. Practise the festivals and fairs questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.