SSC
The festival of Milad-un-Nabi is also known as:
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Answer: Option A — Barawafat
Detailed Solution
Milad-un-Nabi (also called Eid-e-Milad or Mawlid) is the celebration of the birth of the Prophet Muhammad, the founder of Islam. In India, especially in North India, it is also known as Barawafat. It is observed on the 12th day of Rabi-ul-Awwal, the third month of the Islamic lunar calendar.
The name Barawafat comes from "bara", meaning twelve, and "wafat", meaning death, because, according to tradition, the Prophet Muhammad was both born and died on the 12th day of Rabi-ul-Awwal. So the day is observed by many with both joy for his birth and remembrance of his death.
The Prophet Muhammad was born in about 570 CE in Mecca, in present-day Saudi Arabia. He received his first revelation from God (Allah) in a cave on Mount Hira, at about the age of 40. He preached the message of one God and moved to Medina in 622 CE, an event known as the Hijra, which marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar. He died in Medina in 632 CE.
On Milad-un-Nabi, Muslims gather in mosques and homes to recite the Quran and naats (poems in praise of the Prophet), listen to sermons on his life and teachings, and pray. Processions are taken out in many cities, and homes, mosques and streets are decorated with lights and green flags. People give charity and distribute food and sweets. In Kashmir, relics of the Prophet are displayed at the Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Shab-e-Barat is the night of forgiveness, in the month of Shaban.
- ✗Bakrid (Eid-ul-Adha) is the festival of sacrifice, at the end of the Hajj.
- ✗Ashura is the 10th day of Muharram, when the martyrdom of Imam Hussain is remembered.
Quick tip
Remember: Milad-un-Nabi = Barawafat, the 12th of Rabi-ul-Awwal, the Prophet's birth (and, by tradition, his death) on that day.
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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.