In which of the following districts is the Gotmar fair organised?

Question

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Correct — C, Chhindwara. The Gotmar Mela ('stone-pelting fair') is held every year on the banks of the Jam river at Pandhurna, on the day after Pola (Bhadrapada amavasya), pitting the villagers of Pandhurna against those of neighbouring Sawargaon in a ritual stone-throwing contest across the river. Pandhurna falls within (undivided) Chhindwara district — the district under which this fair is traditionally and administratively identified.

Why the other options are wrong — (a) Indore, MP's largest city and commercial hub, has no connection to the Gotmar fair; it is known instead for its street food and as the state's economic capital.  (b) Mandsaur, in northwestern MP, is unrelated to the Gotmar fair; it is known instead for its ancient sites and opium cultivation, not this Jam river festival.  (d) Khargone, in the Nimar region, is unrelated to the Gotmar fair; it is known for cotton cultivation, not this stone-throwing ritual.

Concept: The Gotmar Mela is a centuries-old folk fair unique to Pandhurna, where two villages divided by the Jam river — Pandhurna and Sawargaon — pelt each other with stones in a ritualised, legend-linked contest held annually around the Pola festival. It is one of MP's distinctive local fairs tested alongside other district-linked festivals.

State PCS 2021 Q69 — Madhya Pradesh GK PYQ with Answer

State PCS 2021 Q69 — Madhya Pradesh GK PYQ with Answer