RAS question
Ravidas (Raidas), a Bhakti saint from the cobbler (chamar) community, was from:
Correct answer: (A) Varanasi.
Ravidas, also known as Raidas, was a Bhakti saint from the chamar community who was born in Varanasi.
Explanation
Ravidas is associated with Varanasi, not merely as a place of later memory but as his birthplace. The Press Information Bureau release on the 647th birth anniversary of Sant Guru Ravidas says the Prime Minister addressed the occasion in Varanasi and visited the Sant Guru Ravidas Janmasthali temple at Seer Govardhanpur near BHU. Ravidas, a 15th-16th century Bhakti saint from the chamar community, was born at Varanasi. He belongs within the Bhakti movement and is remembered for challenging social division. That is why Varanasi is the historically relevant answer, while the other cities are not linked to his birth.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) Mathura is not Ravidas's birthplace; his Janmasthali is identified with Varanasi.
- (C) Allahabad is not linked to Ravidas's birth; his birthplace is anchored in Varanasi.
- (D) Agra is not the place identified for Ravidas; his Janmasthali is connected with Varanasi.
Concept
This tests the Bhakti movement through saint-location associations, a recurring RAS history pattern because such questions connect social reform, devotional traditions and regional cultural memory. Ravidas is also important for questions on equality, anti-caste critique and the Ramananda tradition.