SSC
The festival of Salhesh, honouring a folk hero and deity of the Mithila region, is celebrated in which state?
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Answer: Option B — Bihar
Detailed Solution
The festival of Salhesh is celebrated in the Mithila region of northern Bihar, especially in the Madhubani and Darbhanga districts, and in the neighbouring Terai region of Nepal. It honours Raja Salhesh, a legendary folk hero who is worshipped as a deity by the people of the region.
According to folk tradition, Salhesh was a brave and just king, warrior and protector of the people, who lived in the medieval period. Stories of his courage, his fight against injustice and his protection of the poor and weak have been passed down for centuries through folk songs and ballads. He is especially revered by the Dusadh (Paswan) community, who regard him as their community hero and deity, but he is also worshipped by people of other communities. Shrines dedicated to Salhesh are found in many villages of Mithila, where he is worshipped along with members of his family and his companions.
The festival is celebrated with prayers, offerings, fairs, folk songs and folk dramas that tell the story of Salhesh's life and deeds. The legend of Salhesh is also a popular subject of Madhubani painting, the famous folk art of Mithila, especially in the "godna" (tattoo) style of painting developed by Dalit artists of the region.
The Mithila region has a rich cultural heritage. It is the birthplace of Sita, the heroine of the Ramayana, and the home of the poet Vidyapati. Its language is Maithili, which is included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. Other festivals of Mithila include Chhath, Sama Chakeva (a festival of brothers and sisters in Kartika), Jur Sital (the Maithili New Year) and Madhushravani.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Odisha celebrates festivals such as the Rath Yatra and Raja Parba.
- ✗Assam celebrates the Bihus.
- ✗Haryana celebrates festivals such as Teej and Lohri.
Quick tip
Remember: Salhesh = the Mithila region of Bihar, the Dusadh community and Madhubani painting.
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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.