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RAS question

The Charbhuja temple in Rajsamand district is dedicated to which deity?

Correct answer: (D) Lord Vishnu (four-armed form).

The Charbhuja temple at Garhbor in Rajsamand is dedicated to Shri Charbhuja Ji, the four-armed form of Lord Vishnu.

  1. (A)

    Goddess Durga

  2. (B)

    Lord Ganesha

  3. (C)

    Lord Shiva

  4. (D)

    Lord Vishnu (four-armed form)

Explanation

Charbhuja literally points to the four-armed deity, and the Devasthan Department profile identifies the Rajsamand temple's worshipped god as Shri Charbhuja Ji, Lord Vishnu. Shri Charbhuja Ji is the four-armed Lord, none other than Lord Vishnu himself. The temple therefore belongs in the Vaishnava tradition, not in Shaiva, Shakta or Ganesha worship. The icon bears Vishnu's familiar attributes: conch, discus, mace and lotus. The Garhbor shrine houses a four-armed Vishnu idol and is an important Mewar pilgrimage site, with large gatherings associated with Dev Uthani Ekadashi.

Why the other options are wrong

  • (A) Goddess Durga is wrong because the Devasthan Department profile places the shrine in Vaishnava worship and names Shri Charbhuja Ji, Lord Vishnu, as the deity.
  • (B) Lord Ganesha is wrong because the worshipped god is Shri Charbhuja Ji, Lord Vishnu, not Ganesha.
  • (C) Lord Shiva is wrong because Charbhuja refers here to the four-armed Vishnu form, and Shri Charbhuja Ji is Lord Vishnu himself.

Concept

This tests Rajasthan's temple-culture map, especially the link between local shrine names and sectarian identity. RAS often asks such questions because major Mewar pilgrimage sites connect geography, art and religious tradition in one fact.

Source

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