Fairs of India

Choose the Correct Answer

Correct Answer : Option b

Explanation
Row 1 is correct: The Sonepur cattle fair, organised near Patna in Bihar, is Asia’s largest cattle fair. People have celebrated it since the Mauryan Empire, dating back to a thousand years ago. Held in November, you can observe the sale and purchase of different livestock, including birds, goats, buffalo, donkeys, and horses.

Row 2 is correct: Marking the birth of Guru Padmasambhava, Hemis Festival is not only one of the most important Buddhist celebrations in Ladakh but is also the most popular festival amongst tourists. Held in one of the most-visited monasteries in Ladakh, Hemis Gompa, the festival is a two-day event that is celebrated on the 10th day of the fifth month of Tibetan Calendar, which is the month of June/July in Gregorian Calendar.
On this popular festival in Ladakh, Cham Dance and other traditional dances are performed in Hemis Monastery on the beats of drums and cymbals and on the tunes of long pipes like Tibetan music instruments. On both days, giant thangkas (Buddhist paintings) are unfurled for the public. In fact, every 12th year, the largest thangka in Ladakh is unfurled in Hemis on the first day of the festival for the public to see.

Row 3 is not correct: During Chillai Kalan, the Kashmir Valley undergoes a profound transformation. Nights become intensely cold, with daytime temperatures struggling to rise above single digits. The snowfall during this period is substantial, often leading to the freezing of water bodies like the Dal Lake and causing water supply lines to freeze, disrupting daily life. This freezing is good news as it indicates prosperity and chances of bumper crops particularly for farmers from the apple-growing segment.
Hence, Chillai Kalan is specific to the Kashmir Valley in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, not Leh, which is in Ladakh.