Police
Which Tamil festival is marked by temple idols being taken in procession to the sea or a water body for a ceremonial bath?
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)View answer ā¾Hide ā“
Answer: Option A ā Masi Magam
Detailed Solution
Masi Magam is a Hindu festival of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, celebrated on the day of the Magam (Magha) star in the Tamil month of Masi (February-March), which usually falls on or near the full moon day. On this day, the processional idols (utsava murtis) of temples are taken in grand processions to the sea, rivers or temple tanks for a ceremonial bath, called "theerthavari".
According to tradition, Masi Magam is an especially auspicious day for bathing in sacred waters, and it is believed that taking a holy dip on this day washes away sins and brings blessings. The deities themselves are believed to bathe in the sea or tank to purify themselves and to bless the people. Devotees gather in large numbers at the seashore and riverbanks to watch the processions and to bathe with the deities. Several legends are linked with the day. In one, Lord Shiva is believed to have appeared as a child to a king on this day, and in another, Lord Varuna, the god of the sea, was freed from a curse by bathing on Masi Magam.
The festival is celebrated with special grandeur in Puducherry and at coastal towns in Tamil Nadu, where the idols of dozens of temples are brought to the beach in decorated palanquins and chariots. It is also celebrated at Kumbakonam, where, once every 12 years, it becomes the great Mahamaham festival, with lakhs of devotees bathing in the Mahamaham tank. In the other years, a smaller Masi Magam festival is held there.
Other important festivals of Tamil Nadu include Pongal (January), Thaipusam (Thai month, for Murugan), Panguni Uthiram (the marriage of deities), Chithirai Thiruvizha (Madurai), Aadi Perukku (the worship of rivers in the month of Aadi) and Karthigai Deepam (the festival of lamps, at Tiruvannamalai).
Why not the other options?
- āThaipusam is the festival of Lord Murugan in the month of Thai, with kavadis.
- āAadi Perukku is the festival in which women worship rivers during the monsoon, in the month of Aadi.
- āKarthigai Deepam is the festival of lamps, when a huge lamp is lit on the Tiruvannamalai hill.
Quick tip
Remember: Masi Magam = the Tamil month of Masi, the Magam star and the ceremonial bath of temple idols (theerthavari). Every 12 years, it becomes the Mahamaham at Kumbakonam.
š¬ Discussions on this question
Ask a doubt āŗStill stuck on this question? Ask our faculty and fellow students ā answers appear here.
Ask a doubtMore Festivals & Fairs of India Questions
View all āŗ- Q1.The Sarhul festival of Jharkhand, celebrated with traditional dances when the sal trees blossom, is especially associated with which tribe?
- Q2.'Chad Sukra', a popular traditional dance festival of the Pnar (Jaintia) people of Meghalaya, is celebrated as a:
- Q3.Which festival, celebrated in Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh, honours Gogaji, the folk deity worshipped as a protector against snakes?
- Q4.The 'Doul Utsav', a celebration of Holi linked with the Vaishnava satras, is mainly celebrated in which state?
- Q5.The Bhagoria festival of the Bhil tribes of Madhya Pradesh is associated with which major festival?
More General Knowledge Questions
- Q1.The techniques of Rasa and Bhava used in Indian classical dance trace their origin to which ancient text?Indian Dance Forms
- Q2.Lavani, Powada, Koli, Waghya Murali and Dhangari Gaja are folk dances of which state?Indian Dance Forms
- Q3.The one-act play associated with the Sattriya tradition of Assam is called:Indian Dance Forms
- Q4.Which dance form of Goa is known as the 'Warrior Dance'?Indian Dance Forms
- Q5.Manipuri dance is based on the Rasleela themes of:Indian Dance Forms
Festivals & Fairs of India ā 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.