SSC
The 'Sair-e-Gul Faroshan' (Phool Walon Ki Sair) festival is held in which city?
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Answer: Option B — Delhi
Detailed Solution
Sair-e-Gul Faroshan, popularly known as Phool Walon Ki Sair ("the procession of the flower sellers"), is an annual festival held in the Mehrauli area of Delhi, usually in September-October, after the monsoon. It is a celebration of communal harmony.
The festival began in 1812, during the reign of the Mughal emperor Akbar Shah II. His son, Mirza Jahangir, was exiled to Allahabad by the British. His mother, Mumtaz Mahal Begum, vowed that if her son was released, she would offer a chaadar (sheet) of flowers at the dargah of the Sufi saint Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki in Mehrauli. When the prince was released, she fulfilled her vow, and the people of Delhi, Hindus and Muslims alike, joined her in a joyful celebration with flowers, music and festivities that lasted several days. The emperor, who respected all faiths, ensured that a floral offering, in the form of a large "pankha" (fan) made of flowers, was also made at the nearby Yogmaya temple, a Hindu temple dedicated to Goddess Yogmaya, believed to be the sister of Lord Krishna. The festival became an annual tradition.
The British banned the festival in 1942, during the Quit India Movement. It was revived in 1961-62 with the encouragement of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, and it is now organised by the Anjuman Sair-e-Gul Faroshan. Each year, the festival includes a procession of flower-decorated pankhas to the Yogmaya temple and the dargah of Bakhtiyar Kaki, accompanied by music and dance, as well as kite flying, wrestling, swings and cultural programmes. Pankhas are also presented to the Prime Minister, the President and the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Lucknow is known for its Mahotsav and its Muharram processions.
- ✗Hyderabad is known for the Deccan Festival and Bonalu.
- ✗Agra is known for the Taj Mahotsav.
Quick tip
Remember: Phool Walon Ki Sair = Delhi (Mehrauli), Akbar Shah II, the Yogmaya temple, the dargah of Bakhtiyar Kaki and communal harmony.
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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.