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, also known as Raidas, was a 15th-16th-century Bhakti saint from the Chamar community who was born in Varanasi. A Press Information Bureau release for Sant Guru Ravidas's 647th birth anniversary states that the Prime Minister addressed a programme in Varanasi and visited the Sant Guru Ravidas Janmasthali temple at Seer Govardhanpur, near Banaras Hindu University (BHU). Varanasi is therefore associated with Ravidas as his birthplace, not merely as a place where he was commemorated later. Ravidas belonged to the Bhakti movement, was a disciple of Ramananda, and preached devotion and equality. He challenged social divisions and spoke against untouchability, class distinctions, and discrimination. His verses are included in the Guru Granth Sahib, and tradition regards Mirabai as his disciple. Thus, Varanasi is the historically relevant answer; the other cities are not associated with his birth.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) Mathura is an important centre of the Krishna devotional tradition, but it is not Ravidas's birthplace; his Janmasthali is identified with Varanasi.
- (C) Allahabad is not associated with Ravidas's birth; his birthplace is identified with Varanasi.
- (D) Agra is not identified as Ravidas's birthplace; his Janmasthali is associated with Seer Govardhanpur in Varanasi.
Concept
This question tests the Bhakti movement through the association between a saint and a place. Such questions recur in RAS history because they connect devotional traditions with social reform and regional cultural traditions. For Ravidas, the key themes are his birthplace, the Ramananda tradition, equality, and opposition to caste-based discrimination.