RAS question
The 'Garasia' tribe of Rajasthan is primarily found in which districts?
Correct answer: (C) Sirohi and Udaipur (Abu Road area).
The Garasia tribe of Rajasthan is primarily found around Sirohi and southern Udaipur, especially the Abu Road-Aravalli belt.
Explanation
Garasia is a Rajasthan tribal group associated with the hilly Abu Road area of Sirohi and southern Udaipur. Garasia inhabit Abu Road tehsil of Sirohi and the Kotra, Gogunda and Kherwara tehsils of Udaipur, matching the district pair in option C. The tribe is placed in the Aravalli hills around Sirohi and southern Udaipur. Their habitat is the hilly Bhakar region, and their distinctive social and cultural practices include village-level panchayat control, tribal dances, fairs, and marriage-related customs. Their origin traditions also connect them with Chauhan Rajputs and Bhils, reinforcing why the tribe is studied as part of Rajasthan's south-western tribal belt.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Jaipur and Alwar are not the Aravalli-Abu Road and southern Udaipur belt identified for the Garasia tribe.
- (B) Jodhpur and Barmer belong to western Rajasthan's desert zone, not the hilly Sirohi-Udaipur region associated with Garasia.
- (D) Bikaner and Churu are northern desert districts and do not match the Garasia distribution given for Sirohi and southern Udaipur.
Concept
This tests the tribal geography of Rajasthan, especially the district-wise distribution of scheduled tribes. RAS repeatedly asks such questions because tribes, regions, livelihood patterns and cultural markers are core to Rajasthan geography and society.