RAS question
The 'Chhatri' architectural style is unique to Rajasthan. What are Chhatris?
Correct answer: (D) Elevated dome-shaped pavilion cenotaphs built at cremation sites.
Chhatris in Rajasthan are elevated dome-shaped pavilion cenotaphs built at cremation sites to honour and remember Rajput rulers and nobles.
Explanation
Chhatris are not utility buildings; they are memorial architecture. They are elevated, dome-shaped pavilion cenotaphs built at the cremation sites of Rajput rulers and nobles, symbolising honour and remembrance. The Rajasthan Foundation's Bikaner document describes Devi Kund as a royal crematorium with several chhatris, explicitly called cenotaphs, each dedicated to the memory of a Bikaji dynasty ruler and placed where that ruler was cremated. That is why the defining clue in the option is the combination of cremation site, memorial purpose, and pavilion-like domed form. Well-known chhatri sites in the MCQ context include Ahar in Udaipur, Gaitor in Jaipur, and Mandore in Jodhpur.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Granaries are storage structures, while chhatris are cenotaphs linked to cremation sites and royal memory.
- (B) Water tanks do not match the memorial function of chhatris; the MCQ itself contrasts water structures with baolis, not chhatris.
- (C) Market halls are commercial public spaces, whereas chhatris are commemorative structures built to honour rulers and nobles after cremation.
Concept
This tests Rajasthan art and architecture, especially the ability to identify a structure by its function rather than only by its appearance. Chhatris recur in RAS because they connect Rajput memorial culture with major heritage sites such as Ahar, Gaitor, Mandore, and Devi Kund.