SSC
'Paro Tsechu' is one of the most popular festivals of which country?
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Answer: Option B — Bhutan
Detailed Solution
The Paro Tsechu is one of the most popular and colourful religious festivals of Bhutan. It is held every spring at the Rinpung Dzong, a fortress-monastery in the Paro valley in western Bhutan, and it attracts large crowds of local people and foreign tourists.
A tsechu is a religious festival held in honour of Guru Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Rinpoche, the 8th century Buddhist master who is credited with spreading Buddhism in Bhutan and Tibet. The word "tsechu" means "tenth day", because the festivals are held on the tenth day of a month of the Bhutanese lunar calendar, the day associated with the birth of Guru Rinpoche. Tsechus are held in many districts of Bhutan, and the Paro Tsechu and the Thimphu Tsechu are the largest.
The Paro Tsechu lasts for five days. Its main attraction is the masked dances, called cham, performed by monks and laymen in elaborate costumes and masks. The dances depict stories from Buddhist teachings, the victory of good over evil and the life of Guru Rinpoche, and watching them is believed to bring blessings. On the last day, before dawn, a giant thangka (a religious painting on cloth), called a thongdrel, showing Guru Rinpoche is unrolled on the wall of the dzong. Seeing it is believed to cleanse people of their sins, and people gather early in the morning to receive its blessing.
Bhutan, a Himalayan kingdom between India and China, follows Vajrayana Buddhism. It is known for measuring its progress through Gross National Happiness.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Nepal is known for festivals such as Dashain and Tihar.
- ✗Sri Lanka is known for festivals such as Vesak and the Esala Perahera of Kandy.
- ✗Myanmar is known for festivals such as Thingyan (water festival) and Thadingyut.
Quick tip
Remember: The Paro Tsechu = Bhutan, Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) and the masked cham dances.
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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.