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Poa Mecca, a holy place for Muslims, is situated on the Garurachal Hill at Hajo in:
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Answer: Option C — Assam
Detailed Solution
Poa Mecca is a holy Muslim shrine located on top of the Garurachal Hill at Hajo, in the Kamrup district of Assam, about 30 km from Guwahati, on the northern bank of the Brahmaputra river.
About Poa Mecca:
"Poa" means "one-fourth" ("quarter") in Assamese. It is believed that offering prayers at Poa Mecca earns one-fourth of the spiritual merit of a pilgrimage to Mecca.
It contains the "dargah" (tomb) of the Sufi saint Pir Giasuddin Aulia, who is believed to have come from Iraq and preached Islam in this region.
According to tradition, the mosque was built using a lump of earth (soil) brought from Mecca.
The present mosque was built in 1657 by Mir Lutfullah Shiraji, during the reign of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, when Shuja (Shah Jahan's son) was governor of Bengal.
It is visited by people of all faiths and is a symbol of communal harmony.
About Hajo:
It is a sacred pilgrimage centre for Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims.
Hindus: the "Hayagriva Madhava Temple", dedicated to Vishnu (in the Hayagriva form), on the Monikut Hill. It was rebuilt in 1583 by King Raghudev Narayan of the Koch dynasty.
Buddhists: some Buddhists believe that the Buddha attained "nirvana" at the Hayagriva Madhava Temple, and Bhutanese and Tibetan Buddhists visit it.
Muslims: Poa Mecca.
Hajo also has the Kedareswar Temple and the Kameswar Temple, and is known for bell metal and brass craft.
Other famous religious places in Assam:
- Kamakhya Temple (Nilachal Hill, Guwahati): one of the most important Shakti Peethas; famous for the "Ambubachi Mela".
- Umananda Temple: on Peacock Island in the Brahmaputra, one of the smallest inhabited river islands.
- Majuli: the largest river island in India; centre of the "Satras" (Vaishnavite monasteries) founded by Srimanta Sankardeva.
- Batadrava Than (Nagaon): the birthplace of Srimanta Sankardeva.
- Navagraha Temple (Guwahati): dedicated to the nine planets.
Why not the other options?
- ✗West Bengal has the Furfura Sharif shrine (Hooghly).
- ✗Bihar has the Maner Sharif dargah.
- ✗Tripura has the Tripura Sundari Temple, a Shakti Peetha.
Quick tip
Remember: Poa Mecca = Garurachal Hill, Hajo, Kamrup, Assam ("Poa" = one-fourth of the merit of Mecca; dargah of Pir Giasuddin Aulia; built 1657); Hajo = Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim pilgrimage centre (Hayagriva Madhava Temple); Kamakhya = Guwahati.
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Monuments & Religious Places — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Monuments & Religious Places, 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 India's important monuments, temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras and pilgrimage sites, who built them and when, their architectural styles, and India's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Questions ask who built a monument, where it is located, or which dynasty or style it belongs to. For example, the Qutub Minar was begun by Qutbuddin Aibak, and the Sun Temple at Konark was built by the Eastern Ganga king Narasimhadeva I. Revise the UNESCO World Heritage Sites as a list, noting the most recent additions. Practise the monuments and religious places 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.