SSC
Asia's largest wholesale spice market, Khari Baoli, is located in:
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Answer: Option C — Delhi
Detailed Solution
Khari Baoli, in Old Delhi near the Fatehpuri Masjid at the western end of Chandni Chowk, is regarded as Asia's largest wholesale spice market. It has been a busy trading centre since the 17th century.
About Khari Baoli:
Its name comes from a "baoli" (stepwell) with "khari" (salty) water that once existed in the area. The stepwell was built in the 16th century, in the time of Sher Shah Suri's son, Islam Shah Suri.
The market grew during the reign of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, who built the walled city of Shahjahanabad (Old Delhi) and Chandni Chowk in the 17th century.
It sells a huge variety of spices, as well as dry fruits, nuts, herbs, rice, tea, and other food products, mostly in bulk.
The narrow lanes are crowded with porters, carts and shops, and the smell of chillies and spices fills the air. The Gadodia Market building, built in the 1920s, is the hub of the spice trade.
Spices and India:
India is the world's largest producer, consumer and exporter of spices. It produces about 75 of the 109 spices listed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
Kerala is called the "Spice Garden of India" and was the centre of the ancient spice trade with Arabs, Romans and later Europeans. Vasco da Gama reached Calicut in 1498 in search of spices.
The Spices Board of India has its headquarters in Kochi, Kerala.
Unjha in Gujarat is the largest market for cumin (jeera), and Guntur in Andhra Pradesh is famous for its chilli market, one of the largest in Asia.
Major spices of India include black pepper (the "king of spices"), cardamom (the "queen of spices"), turmeric, chilli, ginger, cumin and coriander.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Kochi is home to the Spices Board and the old spice trading area of Mattancherry.
- ✗Mumbai is a major port for spice exports.
- ✗Guntur is famous for its chilli market.
Quick tip
Remember: Asia's largest wholesale spice market = Khari Baoli, Old Delhi (near Fatehpuri Masjid); Spices Board = Kochi; Guntur = chilli market; Unjha = cumin market.
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Firsts in India & World — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Firsts in India & World, 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 first persons and events in India and the world: the first Indian to win a Nobel Prize, the first woman to hold major offices, the first to climb Everest or reach space, and India's first institutions, newspapers, railways and satellites. It also covers the largest, longest, highest and smallest records in India and the world. These are pure memory questions, so revise them as short lists by theme: first women, first in sports, first in science and space, and first in governance. Be careful with the exact wording, such as 'first Indian' versus 'first person of Indian origin', or 'first woman President' versus 'first woman Prime Minister', since options are often designed to exploit this. Practise the firsts in India and the world 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.