RAS question
The Beneshwar Fair is mainly attended by which tribal community of Rajasthan?
Correct answer: (B) Bhil.
The Beneshwar Fair at Dungarpur is mainly attended by the Bhil tribal community of Rajasthan.
Explanation
The Beneshwar Fair is held in Dungarpur at the confluence of the Som, Mahi and Jakham rivers and is chiefly associated with the Bhil community. The Department of Tourism, Government of Rajasthan describes it as a popular tribal festival at Beneshwar Temple, where Bhils from Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh gather to bathe at the confluence of the Mahi and Som rivers. For this reason, it is called the Kumbh of the Adivasis. The name does not mean that every tribal community is equally associated with the fair; it reflects the fair's particularly strong link to the Bhils. Sant Mavji Maharaj is linked to the origin of the fair.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Garasia is not the best answer. Members of the Garasia community may attend the fair, but its primary tribal association is with the Bhil community.
- (C) Meena is not the best answer because the fair is held in Dungarpur and is chiefly associated with the Bhil community, whereas the Meena community is associated mainly with eastern Rajasthan.
- (D) Saharia is incorrect because the Saharia community is associated mainly with Baran rather than with the Dungarpur setting of the Beneshwar Fair.
Concept
This tests understanding of Rajasthan's tribal fairs and cultural geography. Candidates must connect a fair with its location and the community chiefly associated with it. Such links recur in RAS culture questions because they combine knowledge of places with an understanding of community-specific traditions.