RAS question
Henna (Mehndi) production in India is led by which state?
Correct answer: (B) Rajasthan.
Rajasthan leads henna production in India, with Sojat in Pali district recognised as the country’s main henna-producing centre.
Explanation
Rajasthan is the right answer because it is India’s largest producer of henna, and the official Rajasthan government profile of Sojat supports the same geography. Nagar Palika Sojat City, Government of Rajasthan describes Sojat, in Pali district, as India’s largest henna production city and a hub of henna cultivation. This directly matches the standard RAS fact that Pali, especially Sojat, is the main henna-producing region. Sojat henna also has a GI tag, which is why the location is not just a crop fact but a Rajasthan economic geography marker. For an exam question asking which state leads henna production, the state-level answer is therefore Rajasthan, with Sojat as the anchor region behind the fact.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Madhya Pradesh is not supported by the official Sojat profile as the leading henna-producing state.
- (C) Uttar Pradesh is not the state linked to the main henna-producing region; that role is placed in Pali, Rajasthan.
- (D) Gujarat is not identified as a major henna producer, while Sojat in Rajasthan is identified as the key henna centre.
Concept
This tests Rajasthan’s economic geography, especially region-specific crops and GI-linked products. It recurs in RAS because questions often connect a state crop fact with its district-level production centre, here Rajasthan and Sojat in Pali.