SSC
The Sheorinarayan (Shivrinarayan) fair is held in which state?
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)View answer ▾Hide ▴
Answer: Option D — Chhattisgarh
Detailed Solution
The Shivrinarayan (Sheorinarayan) Mela is held at Shivrinarayan in Janjgir-Champa district of Chhattisgarh. It begins on Magh Purnima (the full moon of Magh, in February) and lasts for about two weeks.
The fair takes place near the confluence of the Mahanadi, Shivnath and Jonk rivers, which makes the site sacred. The town is known for the Narayan temple (Shivrinarayan temple), and local tradition connects it with Lord Jagannath. Believers say that Lord Jagannath appears here on Magh Purnima, so the place is sometimes called the "Gupt Tirth" (hidden pilgrimage) of Jagannath. It is also linked with the Ramayana: the place is traditionally associated with Shabari, the devotee who offered berries to Lord Rama, and the name "Shivrinarayan" is often explained as coming from "Shabari" and "Narayan".
Like many Indian fairs, Shivrinarayan combines religion and trade. Pilgrims take a holy dip, visit the temple, and buy household goods, tools, cloth and handicrafts. Tribal and rural people from the surrounding districts attend in large numbers.
Other important fairs of Chhattisgarh:
- Rajim Kumbh Kalp (Rajim Mela) at the confluence of the Mahanadi, Pairi and Sondur rivers, also beginning on Magh Purnima.
- Bastar Dussehra, a 75-day festival of the tribal people of Bastar.
- Madai festivals of the tribal regions.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Jharkhand is known for the Shravani Mela at Deoghar and the Sarhul festival.
- ✗Odisha is known for the Rath Yatra at Puri and the Bali Jatra at Cuttack.
- ✗Madhya Pradesh is known for the Simhastha at Ujjain.
Quick tip
Remember: Shivrinarayan Mela = Janjgir-Champa, Chhattisgarh, Magh Purnima, Mahanadi-Shivnath-Jonk confluence, linked to Shabari and Jagannath; Rajim Kumbh = Mahanadi-Pairi-Sondur.
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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.