RAS question
Phad painting, a scroll-based folk art of Rajasthan, traditionally depicts the legends of which deity/hero?
Correct answer: (A) Pabuji and Devnarayan.
Phad painting in Rajasthan traditionally depicts the life and heroic exploits of the folk heroes Pabuji and Devnarayan.
Explanation
Phad is Rajasthan's ancient scroll-painting tradition, made on a long rectangular piece of cloth. Rajasthan Tourism identifies a typical Phad as a 15-to-30-foot cloth painting that illustrates the life and heroic exploits of the two popular folk heroes, Pabuji and Devnarayan. The tradition is associated with Shahpura near Bhilwara and narrates the epics of local folk deities on long cloth scrolls. Its performance context also matters for RAS: these painted narratives are not just decorative art; they are traditionally presented by Bhopa priest-singers, so the art form combines visual storytelling with oral performance.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) Maharana Pratap is a major Rajput historical figure, but the Phad tradition here is tied to the folk heroes Pabuji and Devnarayan, not to his legend.
- (C) Rajasthan Tourism links Lord Krishna to Pichwai through Shrinathji, whereas Phad is associated with Pabuji and Devnarayan.
- (D) Lord Rama is not the pair named in the Phad tradition, which focuses on Pabuji and Devnarayan.
Concept
This tests the Rajasthan art-and-culture link between a folk painting form, its region, and its narrative subject. RAS repeats such questions because local deities, performance traditions and craft geography are core state-culture markers.