SSC
The fair held at the shrine of the Sufi saint Mastan Shah Wali is known as:
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Answer: Option C — Dhamoni Urs
Detailed Solution
The Dhamoni Urs is held at Dhamoni in Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh, at the shrine (mazar) of the Sufi saint Mastan Shah Wali (also written Mastan Shah Vali). It is usually held in the months of April-May. People of all faiths visit the shrine to seek blessings, which makes it a symbol of communal harmony in the Bundelkhand region.
Dhamoni is also known for the ruins of the Dhamoni fort, which was associated with the Gond rulers and later with the Bundelas and Mughals, and with the area's history of Gond and Bundela kingdoms.
An "urs" (meaning "wedding") is the death anniversary of a Sufi saint. Sufis believe that death unites the saint with God, so the anniversary is celebrated as a joyful occasion. Urs fairs feature qawwali singing, the offering of chadar (decorated cloth) at the tomb, prayers, and community meals (langar).
Some famous urs in India:
- Ajmer Sharif Urs at the dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, Ajmer (Rajasthan), the largest Sufi gathering in India.
- Kaliyar Sharif Urs at the dargah of Sabir Pak near Roorkee (Uttarakhand).
- Dewa Sharif fair at the dargah of Haji Waris Ali Shah, Barabanki (Uttar Pradesh).
- Urs of Nizamuddin Auliya at Delhi.
- Other important fairs of Madhya Pradesh include the Simhastha at Ujjain, the Bhagoria festival of the Bhil tribe, the Gotmar Mela at Pandhurna and the Ramlila fair of Bhander.
Why not the other options?
- ✗The Ajmer Urs honours Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.
- ✗The Kaliyar Urs honours Sabir Pak near Roorkee.
- ✗The Dewa Sharif fair honours Haji Waris Ali Shah at Barabanki.
Quick tip
Remember: Dhamoni Urs = shrine of Mastan Shah Wali, Sagar district, Madhya Pradesh; urs = death anniversary of a Sufi saint.
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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.