SSC
Raksha Bandhan is celebrated on the full moon day (Purnima) of which Hindu month?
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Answer: Option C — Shravana
Detailed Solution
Raksha Bandhan is celebrated on the full moon day of the month of Shravana (Shravana Purnima), which usually falls in August. It is a festival celebrating the bond of love and protection between brothers and sisters.
The name "Raksha Bandhan" means "the bond of protection". On this day, sisters tie a sacred thread, called a rakhi, on the wrists of their brothers, apply a tilak on their foreheads, perform aarti and offer them sweets. They pray for their brothers' long life, health and happiness. In return, brothers give gifts to their sisters and promise to protect them throughout their lives. The festival is also celebrated between cousins and between people who regard each other as brothers and sisters.
Several stories are linked with Raksha Bandhan. In the Mahabharata, when Lord Krishna cut his finger, Draupadi tore a piece of her sari and tied it around his wound; in return, Krishna protected her when she was humiliated in the court of the Kauravas. According to a popular historical story, Rani Karnavati of Mewar sent a rakhi to the Mughal emperor Humayun, asking for his help against Bahadur Shah of Gujarat. In 1905, Rabindranath Tagore used Raksha Bandhan to promote unity between Hindus and Muslims in protest against the partition of Bengal, encouraging people to tie rakhis on each other.
Shravana Purnima is celebrated in other ways in different regions. It is Narali Purnima for the fishing communities of Maharashtra and the Konkan coast, who offer coconuts to the sea; Avani Avittam (Upakarma) in South India, when Brahmins change their sacred thread; and Kajari Purnima in parts of central India.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Bhadrapada is the month of Ganesh Chaturthi and Janmashtami.
- ✗Kartika is the month of Diwali and Bhai Dooj.
- ✗Ashvin is the month of Navratri and Dussehra.
Quick tip
Remember: Raksha Bandhan = Shravana Purnima. Narali Purnima (coconut offering to the sea) = the same day in Maharashtra.
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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.