Ratijaga, in the folk tradition of Rajasthan, refers to
- A.A night of folk singing held before a ceremony
- B.A fair held at a temple in the rainy season
- C.A type of embroidered skirt
- D.A tax once levied on village artisans
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is A, a night of folk singing held before a ceremony. On the night before a wedding, a naming or another household rite, the women of the family stay awake and sing songs in honour of the family deities; the word itself means keeping watch through the night. Option B is wrong because a fair at a temple is a mela, such as the Pushkar or the Ramdevra fair, and not a household observance. Option C is wrong because the pleated skirt of Rajasthan is the ghagra, and no garment carries this name. Option D is wrong because this is not a revenue term; levies on artisans had other names altogether. Ratijaga is usually mentioned in papers alongside banna and banni, the songs sung for the groom and the bride.
Read the full article: Rajasthan Costumes, Ornaments and Customs: Exam Notes
Practice Questions
View allThe borla, also known as rakhdi, is an ornament worn on which part of the body?
- A.The head
- B.The nose
- C.The waist
- D.The feet
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The borla is a small round ornament that hangs at the parting of the hair and rests at the centre of the forehead; it is a sign of a married woman and belongs above all to Marwar, where it is also called rakhdi.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following ornaments is worn on the waist in Rajasthan?
- A.Timaniya
- B.Kardhani
- C.Bajuband
- D.Nevari
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The kardhani, also called tagdi, is the belt of linked metal worn round the waist by women; the corresponding ornament worn by men is the kandora.
Read the full explanation →The pomcha, a yellow odhni printed with lotus flowers, is traditionally presented to a woman
- A.After the birth of a child
- B.At the time of a death in the family
- C.When she leaves for her parents' home
- D.On the first day of the agricultural year
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The name comes from the word for the lotus, which is the chief motif of the print, and the yellow ground marks an auspicious event; the garment is given to a mother after childbirth and is also worn at Teej and other festive occasions.
Read the full explanation →The lahariya pattern of Rajasthan is particularly associated with which season?
- A.Winter
- B.The monsoon
- C.Summer
- D.Autumn
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Lahariya takes its name from the word for a wave, and its diagonal stripes, produced by rolling the cloth and tying it before dyeing, are said to stand for the running water of the rains; safas and odhnis of this pattern are worn in Sawan and at the Teej festival…
Read the full explanation →The famous Sanganeri block print belongs to which district of Rajasthan?
- A.Jaipur
- B.Barmer
- C.Chittorgarh
- D.Bikaner
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Sanganer lies just south of Jaipur city and is known for its fine floral block printing on a white or cream ground, worked with delicate outlines and soft colours, and the neighbouring village of Bagru in the same district prints bolder motifs in black and red.
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