RAS question
Guru Nanak's birth anniversary is celebrated as:
Correct answer: (D) Guru Nanak Gurpurab (Kartik Purnima).
Guru Nanak's birth anniversary is celebrated as Guru Nanak Gurpurab, also called the Prakash Parv of Guru Nanak, on Kartik Purnima.
Explanation
Guru Nanak's birth anniversary is observed as Guru Nanak Gurpurab. It falls on the full moon day of Kartik, usually in October-November, and is among the most important Sikh festivals, marked by Nagar Kirtan processions, prayers and langars. Press Information Bureau refers to Gurupurab as the Prakash Parv of Guru Nanak and states that the same day is Kartik Purnima. That is why the option naming Guru Nanak Gurpurab with Kartik Purnima is the precise match, while the other options are different festivals associated with other seasonal or Sikh traditions.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Lohri is a harvest festival, so it does not name Guru Nanak's birth anniversary.
- (B) Baisakhi is linked to the creation of the Khalsa, not to the annual observance of Guru Nanak's birth.
- (C) Hola Mohalla is a martial festival, so it is not the Gurpurab marking Guru Nanak's birth anniversary.
Concept
This tests medieval Indian religious history through Sikh festivals and their calendar associations. RAS repeats such items because festivals, founders and community practices are compact ways to test cultural history without asking only chronology.