RAS question
The Pushkar Fair (Kartik Mela) is held annually at Pushkar in which month?
Correct answer: (A) Kartik (October-November).
The Pushkar Fair, also called Kartik Mela, is held at Pushkar in Kartik, which falls around October-November.
Explanation
Pushkar Fair is linked to Kartik Purnima, the full moon of the Kartik month, so the month asked in the question is Kartik, roughly October-November. The official Rajasthan Tourism page supports the same timing by describing Pushkar Fair, or Pushkar Mela, as an annual five-day camel and livestock fair held in Pushkar between October and November. This also explains why the fair is prominent in Rajasthan culture questions: it is not only a major camel and livestock fair, but also a religious gathering at the sacred Pushkar Lake. Therefore, the calendar clue in the name Kartik Mela directly points to option A.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) Baisakh falls in April-May, while Pushkar Fair is tied to Kartik Purnima and is held around October-November.
- (C) Shravan falls in July-August, but the official timing of Pushkar Fair is between October and November.
- (D) Chaitra falls in March-April, whereas Pushkar Fair is identified with Kartik and the October-November period.
Concept
This tests Rajasthan fairs and festivals, especially the link between a festival's local name and the Hindu calendar month. It recurs in RAS because Pushkar Fair combines Rajasthan's livestock-fair tradition with a major religious gathering.