Religious Life: Saints, Sects and Folk Deities: RAS Prelims MCQs
112 RAS Prelims MCQs on religious life in Rajasthan cover sects, saints, seats and philosophies. The Pushti Marg and Nathdwara, the Ramanandi seat at Galtaji, the Dadupanth, the Nath sampraday and the Nirguna tradition of Kabir are all part of the set, so learn each sect with its founder, its seat and its philosophy.
Practice questions based on the RPSC RAS Prelims syllabus. They follow the exam pattern but are not past-paper questions.
Showing 11–20 of 112 questions
RAS PrelimsRajasthan History, Art and Culture · Religious Life: Saints, Sects and Folk Deities
Q11. Consider the following statements regarding the Nath Sampraday: Statement I: The Bairag Panth of the Nath Sampraday has its primary center at Rata Dunga in Pushkar. Statement II: The Mananthi Panth is centered around the Maha Mandir in Jodhpur. Which of the following is correct?
Explanation
The Bairag Panth has its centre at Rata Dunga in Pushkar, and the Mananthi Panth is centred at the Maha Mandir in Jodhpur. Both statements are correct.
RAS PrelimsRajasthan History, Art and Culture · Religious Life: Saints, Sects and Folk Deities
Q12. Consider the following statements regarding the Shaiva traditions in Rajasthan: I. Harit Rashi was a prominent sage of the Pashupata sect who influenced the establishment of the Guhila dynasty in Mewar. II. Eklingji is considered the ruling deity (Diwan) of the Mewar rulers. III. The Kapalika sect was known for its extreme tantric practices and flourished widely among the mercantile classes of Rajasthan. IV. Jalandharnath is highly revered in the Jalore region of Rajasthan. Which of the above statements is/are the incorrect combination?
Explanation
Harit Rashi of the Pashupata sect is linked with the Guhila dynasty, Eklingji is regarded as the real ruler (Diwan) of Mewar and Jalandharnath is revered in Jalore. The Kapalika sect did not flourish mainly among the mercantile classes, so III is incorrect.
RAS PrelimsRajasthan History, Art and Culture · Religious Life: Saints, Sects and Folk Deities
Q13. Which of the following places is NOT traditionally associated with the Nath Sampraday in Rajasthan?
Explanation
Sire Mandir in Jalore, the Maha Mandir in Jodhpur and Rata Dunga in Pushkar are Nath centres. Salemabad in Ajmer belongs to the Nimbarka sect, not the Nath Sampraday.
RAS PrelimsRajasthan History, Art and Culture · Religious Life: Saints, Sects and Folk Deities
Q14. The concept of ‘Shunya Samadhi’ and the awakening of the Kundalini are central philosophical tenets of which sect prevalent in medieval Rajasthan?
Explanation
Shunya Samadhi and the awakening of the Kundalini are central to the Nath Sampraday, whose practices follow Hatha Yoga.
RAS PrelimsRajasthan History, Art and Culture · Religious Life: Saints, Sects and Folk Deities
Q15. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the codes given below:
Nath/Shaiva Centre
Associated Figure/Detail
A. Maha Mandir
i. Jalandharnath
B. Sire Mandir
ii. Bappa Rawal
C. Rata Dunga
iii. Ayasji Nath
D. Eklingji
iv. Bharthari
Explanation
The Maha Mandir is linked with Ayasji Nath, Sire Mandir with Jalandharnath, Rata Dunga with Bharthari and Eklingji with Bappa Rawal. This gives A-iii, B-i, C-iv, D-ii.
RAS PrelimsRajasthan History, Art and Culture · Religious Life: Saints, Sects and Folk Deities
Q16. The philosophical foundation of the Pushti Marg, founded by Vallabhacharya, is known as:
Explanation
Vallabhacharya’s Pushti Marg rests on the philosophy of Shuddhadvaita, or pure non-dualism.
RAS PrelimsRajasthan History, Art and Culture · Religious Life: Saints, Sects and Folk Deities
Q17. In the context of Vallabhacharya’s Pushti Marg, what does the term ‘Pushti’ literally mean?
Explanation
Pushti means the grace (Kripa) of God. The sect holds that salvation comes through divine grace and loving devotion.
RAS PrelimsRajasthan History, Art and Culture · Religious Life: Saints, Sects and Folk Deities
Q18. The idol of Shrinathji, the principal deity of the Pushti Marg in Rajasthan, was brought to Mewar to protect it from the iconoclastic policies of which Mughal Emperor?
Explanation
The idol of Shrinathji was brought to Mewar to save it from the iconoclastic policies of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
RAS PrelimsRajasthan History, Art and Culture · Religious Life: Saints, Sects and Folk Deities
Q19. Which ruler of Mewar provided refuge to the Goswamis carrying the idol of Shrinathji and granted the village of Sihad for establishing the temple?
Explanation
Maharana Raj Singh of Mewar gave refuge to the Goswamis carrying Shrinathji and granted the village of Sihad, where the temple was built, now Nathdwara.
RAS PrelimsRajasthan History, Art and Culture · Religious Life: Saints, Sects and Folk Deities
Q20. Consider the following statements about the Pushti Marg in Rajasthan: I. The sect emphasizes the worship of Lord Krishna in his child form (Bala Krishna). II. The temples of this sect are traditionally called ‘Havelis’. III. The musical tradition associated with the temple rituals is known as Haveli Sangeet. IV. Pichhwai paintings originated as backdrops for the deity in these temples. V. The sect strictly prohibits householders from attaining salvation, emphasizing asceticism. Which of the above statements is/are the correct combination?
Explanation
The Pushti Marg worships Bala Krishna, calls its temples Havelis, has Haveli Sangeet and Pichhwai paintings. It does not forbid householders from salvation, so V is incorrect.
Answer key for these questions
Q
Correct answer
11
(a) Both Statement I and Statement II are correct.
12
(b) III only
13
(d) Salemabad, Ajmer
14
(a) Nath Sampraday
15
(a) A-iii, B-i, C-iv, D-ii
16
(b) Shuddhadvaita
17
(a) The grace (Kripa) of God
18
(c) Aurangzeb
19
(d) Maharana Raj Singh
20
(a) I, II, III and IV
Key facts from Religious Life: Saints, Sects and Folk Deities
The Pushti Marg was founded by Vallabhacharya; its philosophy is Shuddhadvaita.
The Shrinathji idol was brought to Mewar to escape Aurangzeb’s iconoclasm, and Maharana Raj Singh gave refuge.
The Ashta Chhap are the eight poets of the Pushti Marg.
Galtaji is the main seat of the Ramanandi sect in Rajasthan; Krishnadas Payahari established its Peeth.
Dadu Dayal, called the Kabir of Rajasthan, had his main seat at Naraina.
The Maha Mandir in Jodhpur, with 84 carved pillars, is a seat of the Nath sampraday.
Frequently asked questions
How many RAS Prelims practice MCQs are there on Religious Life: Saints, Sects and Folk Deities?
This page has 112 practice MCQs on Religious Life: Saints, Sects and Folk Deities (Rajasthan History, Art and Culture). Each has the correct answer, and most have an explanation.
Who founded the Pushti Marg?
Vallabhacharya founded the Pushti Marg, whose philosophy is Shuddhadvaita. Pushti means the grace of God, and the sect holds that devotion and divine grace, not rigid ritual, lead to salvation. Its principal deity in Rajasthan is Shrinathji at Nathdwara.
Where is Dadu Dayal’s principal seat?
At Naraina (Narayana) in Rajasthan, where the Dadupanth has its main centre. Dadu Dayal is often called the Kabir of Rajasthan because he preached formless, nirguna devotion in the spirit of Kabir.
What are the Ashta Chhap?
The Ashta Chhap are the group of eight saint-poets associated with the Pushti Marg who composed devotional hymns for Shrinathji. Their songs became part of the daily worship of the sect and shaped the Braj devotional tradition.
