Fairs and Festivals in India MCQs for UPPSC (UP) Exam

Statement Analysis:
Let's analyze each statement one by one:

Statement 1: At Haridwar and Allahabad, Ardh-Kumbh Mela is held every sixth year
The statement states that Ardh-Kumbh Mela is held every sixth year at Haridwar and Allahabad.

Statement 2: A Maha Kumbh takes place once in 100 years
According to this statement, a Maha Kumbh takes place once every 100 years.

Statement 3: Maagh Kumbh is celebrated every year in the month of Maagh in Ujjain
The statement suggests that Maagh Kumbh is celebrated every year in the month of Maagh in Ujjain.

Correct Statements:
From the given statements, the correct ones are:
- Statement 1: At Haridwar and Allahabad, Ardh-Kumbh Mela is held every sixth year

Explanation:
- Ardh-Kumbh Mela: Ardh-Kumbh Mela is a Hindu festival celebrated at Allahabad and Haridwar. It is held every sixth year, midway between two Purna Kumbh Melas.
- Purna Kumbh Mela: Purna Kumbh Mela is a grand Hindu festival that takes place at four locations - Haridwar, Allahabad, Nashik, and Ujjain. It is held once every 12 years.
- Maha Kumbh Mela: Maha Kumbh Mela is an even larger and more significant celebration that occurs once every 144 years. It is held at Prayagraj (formerly known as Allahabad) and is considered the most sacred of all Kumbh Melas.

Conclusion:
From the given statements, only Statement 1 is correct. Ardh-Kumbh Mela is indeed held every sixth year at Haridwar and Allahabad. The other statements are incorrect as a Maha Kumbh takes place once every 144 years, and Maagh Kumbh is not celebrated every year in Ujjain.

Lui-Ngai-Ni Festival: Almost all branches of the Naga tribes celebrate this festival. It is celebrated all over in Nagaland and in some of the Naga inhabited parts of Manipur State too. The festival is celebrated after the end of the harvest season. It falls on the 15 of February every year. It is also rejoiced as the mark for seed sowing season. The festival brings the agricultural branches of Naga tribes closer to the non-agricultural based communities of Nagas. The festival is marked with huge amount of celebration and pomp and show.

Maghi: It is the seasonal gathering of the Sikhs and it is celebrated annually. It is celebrated in Muktsar in the memory of forty Sikh martyrs (Chalis Mukte) who fought with the Mughals. The 10th Guru Govind Singh died while fighting with Wazir khan, the mughal emperor in 1705. The Sikhs take a procession to the site of this Sikh - Muslim War and take a bath in the sacred water of Muktsar. It is celebrated on 14th of January every year.

Sarhul: Sarhul marks the beginning of the New Year for the tribals of Jharkhand. It is mainly celebrated by the Munda, Oraon and Ho tribes. Sarhul literally means 'Worship of Sal. It is celebrated in the spring season i.e. in the month of Phagun according to the Hindu calendar. Tribals hold nature in great reverence and Mother Earth is worshipped during the festival. Sarhul is celebrated for several days during which the main traditional dance Sarhul is performed.

Bihu Festival: Bohag Bihu is one of the most popular festivals of Assam and helds for celebrating the Assamese New year. Although the Assamese celebrate Bihu thrice in a year, the Bohag Bihu is the most anticipated one.

Gangasagar Mela: It is conducted in the month of January-February at the mouth of the river Hooghy in Bengal. A holy dip in the Ganges especially on the day of Makar Sankranti is considered very auspicious by the Hindus. Thousands of pilgrims throng the site. The presences of Naga sadhus lend a unique identity to the fair. Shamlaji Fair: It is celebrated by a tribal community in Gujarat to revere Lord Shamlaji "the Dark Divine" who is thought to be the incarnate of Krishna or Vishnu. Devotees come in large numbers to worship the deity and take a holy bath in the Meshno river. The 'Bhils' have immense faith in powers of Shamlaji who they lovingly call “Kaliyo Dev'. It lasts for about three weeks in the month of November, with Kartik Poornima being the most important day of the fair. Chitra Vichitra Fair: It is the largest tribal fair in Gujarat celebrated mainly by the 'Gharasia' and 'Bhil tribe. The tribals wear their traditional costumes and showcase the local tribal culture. On the Amavasya' after Holi, the tribal women go to the river to mourn for their near and dear departed ones. The festivities start from the next day. Lively dance performances, best of rural handicrafts and exquisite silver jewelry attract thousands of tourists every year.

Navapad Oli: The nine-day Oli is a period of semi-fasting. During this period, Jains take only one meal a day of very plain food. It comes twice a year during March/April and September/October.

A answer explanation is right

Buddha Purnima: The Buddha Purnima or the Buddha Jayanti is celebrated as the birth annivers Buddha. It falls in the month of April May and is celebrated widely in the par east India. It is called Saga Dawa (Dasa) in Sikkim and Vishakha Puja in the theravada tradition. The main areas of celebration in northern India, is in Sarnath in Uttar Pradesh and Bodh Gaya in Bihar. The celebrations include ritualistic prayers and listening to sermons on the life of Gautam Buddha. The day also includes chanting of Buddhist scriptures, worshipping the image of Buddha and the Bodhi tree and meditation.

Place - River Allahabad - At the Confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati Haridwar -Ganga Nasshik (Maharashtra) - Godavari Ujjain - Shipra Kumbh Mela: The Kumbh Mela is the largest religious gathering in the world. Every day millions of people come to take a dip in the holy river. The mela (gathering) is held on a rotational basis at four auspicious Hindu pilgrimage sites-Allahabad, Haridwar, Nashik-Trimbak and Ujjain, According to Hindu mythology, during the Samudra Manthan' i.e. churning of the ocean. "Amrit' i.e. drink of immortality was produced and stored in a 'Kumbh' (pot). In the battle of the Devas and the Asuras, Lord Vishnu dropped drops of Amrit while transporting the Kumbh. These places are the four sites where the Kumbh Mela is held. The mela is held once in three years at different places and at any given place after a time interval of twelve years. The exact dates are determined according to the zodiac positions of the Sun, Moon and the planet Jupiter. At Nashik and Ujjain, if the mela is held when a planet is in Leo (Simha in Hindu astrology), it is called as Simhastha Kumbh.

This is one of the biggest festivals of the state of Odisha. The Rath Yatra or the Chario festival of Lord Jagannath takes place once in a year in the holy town of Puri, the Neelachal Srikshetra. The festival falls on the second day of the month of Ashadha (June/July). The festival is dedicated to three main deities Lord Balabhadra, Goddess Subhadra and Lord Jagannath.