RAS question
Sanwalji Temple at Mandaphia is famous for:
Correct answer: (C) Black stone Krishna idol.
Sanwalji Temple at Mandaphia in Chittorgarh is famous for its black stone idol of Bhagwan Krishna, also worshipped as Shri Sanwariya Seth.
Explanation
Sanwalji, or Sanwaliya Ji, Temple at Mandaphia is associated with Bhagwan Krishna, not with Jain, Buddhist, or Shaiva traditions. The Mandaphia temple in Chittorgarh is known for a famous black stone idol of Lord Krishna. BhaktiBharat.com identifies the temple as dedicated to Bhagwan Krishna, also known as Shri Sanwariya Seth, and describes it as a grand temple dedicated to the black stone of Bhagwan Krishna. That is why the exam answer is the black stone Krishna idol. The location detail also fits the question, with Sanwaliya Ji Temple placed around Bhadsora, Mandaphia and Chhapar near Chittorgarh.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Jain architecture is not the defining association here; the temple is identified with Bhagwan Krishna and the black stone Krishna idol.
- (B) Buddhist relics are not part of this temple's identity; it is presented as a Krishna shrine.
- (D) Shiva worship is not the temple's main identity; it is dedicated to Bhagwan Krishna, also known as Shri Sanwariya Seth.
Concept
This tests the Rajasthan art-and-culture habit of linking major religious sites with their presiding deity or distinctive idol. Such temple-location associations recur in RAS because they are compact, high-yield facts from Rajasthan's cultural geography.