RAS question
Pabuji ki Phad narrates the story of Pabuji Rathore, who is revered as a protector of:
Correct answer: (D) Cattle (especially camels) and the poor/downtrodden.
Pabuji Rathore is revered as a protector of cattle, especially camels, and of the poor and downtrodden.
Explanation
Pabuji ki Phad belongs to Rajasthan's Phad scroll-painting tradition, which Rajasthan Tourism describes as long rectangular cloth paintings that illustrate the lives and heroic exploits of folk heroes such as Pabuji and Devnarayan. Pabuji's cult context provides the decisive clue: he is a 14th-century figure from Kolu near Phalodi, revered by the Rebari camel-herding community as a protector of cattle, especially camels. His Phad narrative reinforces that identity through episodes of battle, his she-camel Kesar Kalmi, and his sacrifice, performed orally by Nayak Bhopas. The theme is livestock protection and social guardianship, not monuments, mines, or river navigation.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Forts and palaces belong to Rajasthan's built heritage, whereas Pabuji's Phad narrative is centred on a folk hero revered for protecting cattle, especially camels, and the vulnerable.
- (B) Gold mines are not linked to Pabuji, the Rebari camel-herding community, or the Phad episodes around Kesar Kalmi and sacrifice.
- (C) River navigation is outside the Pabuji tradition; he is tied to camel-herding and cattle protection, not waterways or transport on rivers.
Concept
Rajasthan's folk-deity and Phad-painting tradition is part of art and culture. In RAS, such material connects a named art form with the community memory, occupation, and worship pattern it carries.