Defence
The Shamlaji fair is held in which state?
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Answer: Option A — Gujarat
Detailed Solution
The Shamlaji Mela is held at Shamlaji in Aravalli district of Gujarat (the area was part of Sabarkantha district until Aravalli district was created in 2013). It takes place around Kartik Purnima (the full moon of Kartik, in November) and lasts for about three weeks.
The fair is centred on the Shamlaji temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu (Krishna) in the form of Gadadhar (the bearer of the mace), here called Shamlaji ("the dark one"). The temple stands on the bank of the Meshwo river. It is an important Vaishnava pilgrimage centre and is believed to be over 500 years old, though the site has much older sculptures.
The fair is attended by a huge number of people, especially tribal communities such as the Bhils, along with the Garasias and others from Gujarat and Rajasthan. Many pilgrims walk long distances singing devotional songs. The Bhils hold Shamlaji in great reverence and call the deity "Kalia Dev". Pilgrims bathe in the Meshwo river and worship at the temple.
Like other Indian fairs, Shamlaji combines religion with trade. There are stalls selling cloth, silver jewellery, utensils, farm tools and cattle, and folk dances and music add colour to the event.
Other fairs of Gujarat:
- Chitra Vichitra Mela at Gunbhakhari (Sabarkantha), a tribal fair after Holi.
- Tarnetar Mela near Than (Surendranagar) in Bhadrapada.
- Madhavpur Ghed Mela in Porbandar on Ram Navami.
- Bhavnath Mela at Junagadh on Maha Shivaratri.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Rajasthan has the Pushkar and Kolayat fairs on Kartik Purnima.
- ✗Madhya Pradesh has the Simhastha and Bhagoria.
- ✗Maharashtra has the Pandharpur Wari.
Quick tip
Remember: Shamlaji Mela = Aravalli district (formerly Sabarkantha), Gujarat, Kartik Purnima, Vishnu as Gadadhar, Meshwo river, Bhil devotees.
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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.