SSC
In Punjab, Makar Sankranti is celebrated as:
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Answer: Option A — Maghi
Detailed Solution
In Punjab, Makar Sankranti is celebrated as Maghi, on the first day of the month of Magh (mid-January). It falls on the day after Lohri, which is celebrated on the night before with bonfires.
Maghi is both a seasonal and a religious festival. On this day, people take a holy dip in rivers, ponds and the sarovars (sacred tanks) of gurdwaras, and they give charity to the poor. It is customary to eat kheer made with sugarcane juice (rau di kheer) and khichdi on this day. Maghi marks the beginning of longer days and warmer weather, as the sun begins its northward journey (Uttarayana).
For Sikhs, Maghi has special historical importance. It commemorates the martyrdom of the Chali Mukte, the "Forty Liberated Ones". In 1705, forty Sikhs who had earlier deserted Guru Gobind Singh during the siege of Anandpur returned to fight for him under the leadership of Mai Bhago. They died fighting the Mughal army in the Battle of Khidrana, near a lake. Guru Gobind Singh blessed them as the "Mukte" (the liberated ones) and tore up the letter in which they had disowned him. The place was later named Sri Muktsar Sahib. Every year on Maghi, a large fair, the Mela Maghi, is held at Sri Muktsar Sahib, and thousands of devotees bathe in the holy tank.
Makar Sankranti is celebrated across India under different names: Pongal (Tamil Nadu), Uttarayan (Gujarat), Bhogali Bihu (Assam), Pedda Panduga (Andhra Pradesh), Khichdi (Uttar Pradesh and Bihar), Tirmoori (Sindhis) and Sakraat (Odisha). Lohri, the bonfire festival celebrated on the night before Makar Sankranti, is especially popular in Punjab.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Lohri is celebrated on the night before Maghi, with bonfires.
- ✗Uttarayan is the Gujarati name for Makar Sankranti, famous for kite flying.
- ✗Pongal is the Tamil harvest festival celebrated at the same time.
Quick tip
Remember: Maghi = Makar Sankranti in Punjab and the Mela Maghi at Sri Muktsar Sahib, which commemorates the Chali Mukte (1705).
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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.