SSC
Sohrai, Karam and Jawa are tribal festivals celebrated mainly in which state?
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)View answer ▾Hide ▴
Answer: Option D — Jharkhand
Detailed Solution
Sohrai, Karam and Jawa are important festivals of the tribal communities of Jharkhand, such as the Santhal, Oraon, Munda and Ho. They are closely linked with farming, nature and the life of the community, and they are celebrated with songs, dances and the music of drums such as the mandar and the nagara.
Sohrai is a harvest festival celebrated after Diwali, on the new moon day of Kartika. It is especially important for the Santhal tribe. It honours cattle, which are bathed, decorated and worshipped as a thanksgiving for their help in farming. During this time, women decorate the walls of their mud houses with beautiful paintings called Sohrai art, using natural colours. Sohrai painting of the Hazaribagh region has received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
Karam is celebrated in the month of Bhadrapada (August-September). It is dedicated to Karam Devta, the god of power, youth and fertility. A branch of the Karam tree is brought from the forest and planted in the courtyard or village ground, where people worship it, listen to the story of Karma and Dharma, and sing and dance through the night. Unmarried girls and young people take a special part in the festival, praying for good fortune for their brothers and families.
Jawa is closely connected with Karam. It is celebrated mainly by unmarried girls, who sow seeds in baskets and care for the young sprouts as a prayer for fertility and a good harvest, and for a happy married life in future.
Other tribal festivals of Jharkhand include Sarhul (worship of the Sal tree), Tusu (a winter harvest festival) and Bhagta Parab.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Assam is known for Bihu and tribal festivals such as Rongker and Ali-Aye-Ligang.
- ✗Tripura is known for Kharchi Puja and Garia Puja.
- ✗Mizoram is known for Chapchar Kut and Pawl Kut.
Quick tip
Remember the tribal festivals of Jharkhand: Sarhul, Sohrai, Karam, Jawa, Tusu and Bhagta Parab.
💬 Discussions on this question
Ask a doubt ›Still stuck on this question? Ask our faculty and fellow students — answers appear here.
Ask a doubtMore Festivals & Fairs of India Questions
View all ›- Q1.The Sarhul festival of Jharkhand, celebrated with traditional dances when the sal trees blossom, is especially associated with which tribe?
- Q2.'Chad Sukra', a popular traditional dance festival of the Pnar (Jaintia) people of Meghalaya, is celebrated as a:
- Q3.Which festival, celebrated in Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh, honours Gogaji, the folk deity worshipped as a protector against snakes?
- Q4.The 'Doul Utsav', a celebration of Holi linked with the Vaishnava satras, is mainly celebrated in which state?
- Q5.The Bhagoria festival of the Bhil tribes of Madhya Pradesh is associated with which major festival?
More General Knowledge Questions
- Q1.The techniques of Rasa and Bhava used in Indian classical dance trace their origin to which ancient text?Indian Dance Forms
- Q2.Lavani, Powada, Koli, Waghya Murali and Dhangari Gaja are folk dances of which state?Indian Dance Forms
- Q3.The one-act play associated with the Sattriya tradition of Assam is called:Indian Dance Forms
- Q4.Which dance form of Goa is known as the 'Warrior Dance'?Indian Dance Forms
- Q5.Manipuri dance is based on the Rasleela themes of:Indian Dance Forms
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.