Indian Fairs
Indian Fairs – Complete GK Capsule for Railway Exams
India’s vibrant fairs blend religion, trade, culture and adventure. Questions on where, when, why and unique records are common in RRB NTPC, Group-D, JE, ALP, RPF & Technician papers. Revise this capsule in 15 minutes and score full marks.
1. Mega Fairs at a Glance
| Fair (State) | Held at | Month | River Bank / Feature | 2024 Dates | Guinness / Asia Book Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kumbh Mela (Prayagraj, UP) | Sangam | Jan-Feb | Ganga-Yamuna-Saraswati confluence | 15 Jan – 8 Mar | Largest human gathering (2019: 24 crore) |
| Kumbh Mela (Haridwar, UK) | Har-ki-Pauri | April | Ganga | Next: 2025 | — |
| Kumbh Mela (Ujjain, MP) | Ram Ghat | April-May | Shipra | Next: 2028 | — |
| Kumbh Mela (Nashik-Trimbak, MH) | Godavari | Aug-Sept | Godavari | Next: 2027 | — |
| Ardh Kumbh | Half-way between 2 full Kumbhs | — | — | 2027 (Haridwar) | — |
| Magh Mela | Allahabad | Jan-Feb | Sangam | 2 Jan-21 Feb | Mini-Kumbh |
| Pushkar Fair (Rajasthan) | Pushkar, Ajmer | Kartik Purnima | Pushkar Lake | 16-24 Nov | Largest camel fair (50,000+) |
| Sonepur Mela (Bihar) | Sonepur | Kartik Purnima | Gandak-Holy confluence | 16-24 Nov | Asia’s largest cattle fair |
| Kolkata Book Fair | Milan Mela ground | Jan-Feb | — | 18 Jan-4 Feb | Largest attended book fair (2.2 m) |
| Surajkund Craft Mela (Haryana) | Faridabad | 1-15 Feb | — | 2-18 Feb | Theme state concept (1987) |
| Goa Carnival | Panaji-Margao | Feb | — | 10-13 Feb | Portuguese legacy (1510) |
| Torgya Monastery Fair (Arunachal) | Tawang | 10-13 Jan | — | 11-14 Jan | Mask dance (Cham) |
| Hemis Festival (Ladakh) | Hemis Gompa | June-July | Indus valley | 16-17 Jun | Largest Buddhist fair in Himalaya |
| Nauchandi Mela (UP) | Meerut | March-April | Ganga canal | 16 Mar-15 Apr | Started 1672 post-Maratha war |
| Ambubachi Mela (Assam) | Kamakhya, Guwahati | June | Brahmaputra | 22-26 June | Tantric Shakti fair |
2. Key Facts & Figures
- Kumbh Mela 2019 – UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage (inscribed 2017).
- Maha Kumbh occurs every 144 years (last: Prayagraj 2013).
- Shahi Snan (royal bath) days: Makar Sankranti, Paush Purnima, Mauni Amavasya, Basant Panchami, Maghi Purnima, Maha Shivratri.
- Pushkar has only Brahma temple in India (built 14th c.).
- Sonepur Mela was shifted to Hajipur (rail-cum-road) 2018 onward for better infra.
- Kolkata Book Fair – non-trade fair; started 1976.
- Surajkund – 2024 theme state Gujarat; crafts from 30 countries.
- Goa Carnival – King Momo (legendary king of chaos) starts parade.
- Hemis – birth anniversary of Guru Padmasambhava; 12-storey Thanka unveiled every 12 yrs (next 2025).
3. Railways & Fairs – Special Trains
| Fair | Indian Rail Initiative | Year Started |
|---|---|---|
| Kumbh Mela (Prayagraj) | Kumbh Special (700 extra trains) | 2019 |
| Pushkar | Pushkar Express (old name: Marudhar Exp) | 2013 (re-branded) |
| Sonepur | Sonepur Mela Special from Patna, Muzaffarpur | 2018 |
| Kolkata Book Fair | Book Fair MEMO (local EMU) | 2018 |
| Surajkund | Mela Special from Nizamuddin | 2012 |
4. One-Liner Quick Revision
- Kumbh cycle: Prayagraj (6 yr), Haridwar (12 yr), Ujjain (12 yr), Nashik (12 yr).
- Mauni Amavasya records highest single-day crowd at Kumbh.
- Pushkar lake has 52 ghats.
- Sonepur Mela originated Chandragupta Maurya’s horse-trade.
- Kamakhya temple remains closed for 3 days during Ambubachi.
- Hemis festival mask dance is called Chams.
- Goa Carnival introduced by Portuguese in 1510.
- Surajkund got its name from 2000-yr old Sun reservoir.
- Kolkata Book Fair theme country 2024: France.
- Magh Mela is annual mini-Kumbh.
5. Practice MCQs
Attempt all; answers hidden below.
-
The largest human gathering ever recorded (2019) was at
A. Sonepur Mela
B. Pushkar Fair
C. Kumbh Mela, Prayagraj
D. Magh Mela -
Kumbh Mela at Nashik-Trimbak is held on the banks of river
A. Narmada
B. Tapti
C. Godavari
D. Krishna -
Which fair is recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage?
A. Hemis Festival
B. Kumbh Mela
C. Goa Carnival
D. Surajkund Mela -
The only Brahma temple of India is located at
A. Varanasi
B. Pushkar
C. Ujjain
D. Nashik -
Asia’s largest cattle fair is
A. Pushkar
B. Sonepur
C. Nagaur
D. Bateshwar -
Kolkata Book Fair was started in the year
A. 1947
B. 1968
C. 1976
D. 1982 -
Surajkund Craft Mela is organised in which state?
A. Punjab
B. Haryana
C. Rajasthan
D. Delhi -
Hemis festival commemorates the birth anniversary of
A. Dalai Lama
B. Guru Padmasambhava
C. Tsongkhapa
D. Atisha -
“King Momo” is associated with
A. Goa Carnival
B. Sonepur Mela
C. Pushkar Fair
D. Magh Mela -
Ardh Kumbh is held at
A. Ujjain
B. Nashik
C. Haridwar
D. Prayagraj -
The next Maha Kumbh (144-yr cycle) will be held in
A. 2025
B. 2048
C. 2057
D. 2157 -
Ambubachi Mela is celebrated at Kamakhya temple in
A. West Bengal
B. Assam
C. Tripura
D. Manipur -
Which river confluence is the venue for Magh Mela?
A. Ganga-Yamuna
B. Ganga-Yamuna-Saraswati
C. Ganga-Ghaghra
D. Ganga-Gandak -
“Cham” dance is performed during
A. Torgya & Hemis
B. Pushkar
C. Sonepur
D. Nauchandi -
Sonepur Mela was shifted to Hajipur in 2018 for better
A. Weather
B. Road-rail connectivity
C. Security
D. River front -
The theme state for Surajkund Mela 2024 was
A. Gujarat
B. Maharashtra
C. Tamil Nadu
D. Madhya Pradesh -
How often is the full Kumbh Mela held at Ujjain?
A. 6 years
B. 12 years
C. 144 years
D. Annually -
Which fair is also called “Mini-Kumbh”?
A. Magh Mela
B. Ardh Kumbh
C. Nauchandi
D. Ambubachi -
The largest camel fair of world is
A. Nagaur Cattle Fair
B. Pushkar Fair
C. Sonepur Mela
D. Bateshwar Fair -
Indian Railways runs maximum number of special trains during
A. Goa Carnival
B. Hemis Festival
C. Kumbh Mela
D. Surajkund Mela
Answers: (Click to expand)
1-C | 2-C | 3-B | 4-B | 5-B | 6-C | 7-B | 8-B | 9-A | 10-C | 11-C (2057) | 12-B | 13-B | 14-A | 15-B | 16-A | 17-B | 18-A | 19-B | 20-CLast-minute tip: Remember the “3-6-12-144” Kumbh cycle and “Pushkar-camel, Sonepur-cattle, Kumbh-people” to crack any twist in shift-1 / shift-2 RRB papers.
BETA
