SSC
The 'Laru Kaj' festival, dedicated to Narayan Dev, is celebrated by which tribe of Madhya Pradesh?
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Answer: Option B — Gond
Detailed Solution
Laru Kaj is a festival of the Gond tribe of Madhya Pradesh and neighbouring regions. It is dedicated to Narayan Dev, a deity worshipped by the Gonds for the well-being, prosperity and protection of the family and the household.
Laru Kaj is not an annual festival. It is usually held once every few years, often after a gap of nine to twelve years, by a family or a community. It is sometimes described as "the wedding of the pig", because a pig is sacrificed to Narayan Dev as part of the ritual. The pig is specially reared for the occasion, and the sacrifice is believed to bring peace, prosperity and good health to the household and to protect it from disease and misfortune. The festival includes rituals performed by the priest, offerings, community feasts, traditional songs and dances, and the sharing of food and drinks with relatives and members of the community.
The Gonds are one of the largest tribal communities of India, living mainly in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh. They are named after the Gondwana region of central India, where Gond kingdoms such as Garha-Mandla, Deogarh, Chanda and Kherla ruled between the 14th and 18th centuries. The most famous Gond ruler was Rani Durgavati of Garha-Mandla, who fought bravely against the Mughal army in 1564. The Gonds are famous for Gond painting, a style of art made with dots and lines, made famous by artists such as Jangarh Singh Shyam and Bhajju Shyam. Their other festivals include Keslapur Jatara (in Telangana), the Madai festivals and Dussehra celebrations. The Gussadi dance of the Gonds of Telangana is performed during the Dandari festival.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Bhil tribe celebrates the Bhagoria festival.
- ✗Santhal tribe celebrates Sohrai.
- ✗Baiga tribe is known for its dances, such as the Karma and Bilma.
Quick tip
Remember: Laru Kaj = the Gond tribe, Narayan Dev and its occasional celebration (every few years). Remember Rani Durgavati and Gond 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.