RAS question
The 'Sammelan' at Dadu Dayalji's ashram at Naraina is:
Correct answer: (A) An annual religious gathering of Dadu Panthi followers.
The Sammelan at Dadu Dayalji's ashram at Naraina is an annual religious gathering of Dadu Panthi followers.
Explanation
Naraina, near Jaipur on the Sambhar route, is central to the Dadu tradition because the Rajasthan Tourism brochure identifies it as the principal seat of the Acharya of the Dadu Sect and records that Dadu Dayal spent his last days there. The Phulvari or Sammelan held at Naraina on Phalguni Shukla Ashtami is therefore not a cultural show or market event; it is a sectarian religious gathering. Dadu Panthi devotees assemble to sing bhajans and listen to discourses from Dadu Vani. The source also notes the Dadu Anubhav Vaani as a compilation of Dadu's verses, which explains why recitation and discourse are at the heart of the gathering.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) A musical concert does not capture the event's purpose, because the singing of bhajans is part of a Dadu Panthi religious gathering at Naraina.
- (C) An art exhibition is wrong because the Sammelan is centred on Dadu Panthi devotion, bhajans and Dadu Vani discourses, not the display of artworks.
- (D) A trade fair is wrong because the Naraina Sammelan is described as a religious event of Dadu Panthi followers, not a commercial market.
Concept
This tests Rajasthan's Bhakti sects, especially Dadu Dayal and the Dadu Panth. RAS often asks such questions because sect centres, fairs and ritual practices link religious history with Rajasthan's living cultural geography.