SSC Stenographer 2026 PYQ — Question 2

Solution: The correct answer is Varanasi.
Explanation:
☛ The Kumbh Mela is a major pilgrimage and festival in Hinduism, which rotates among four sacred riverbank pilgrimage sites every 12 years.
☛ The four designated locations are Prayagraj, Haridwar, Nashik, and Ujjain.
☛ Varanasi is not one of the four host cities of the Kumbh Mela.
☛ At each location, the festival is celebrated along specific sacred rivers:
- Haridwar: On the banks of the Ganga river.
- Prayagraj: At the Triveni Sangam (confluence of Ganga, Yamuna, and mythical Saraswati).
- Nashik: On the banks of the Godavari river.
- Ujjain: On the banks of the Shipra river.
Extra Exam-Relevant Facts:
☛ In December 2017, UNESCO inscribed Kumbh Mela on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
☛ The celebration dates are determined according to astrological positions of the Sun, the Moon, and Jupiter (Brihaspati).
☛ Ardh Kumbh Mela is held every 6 years only at two locations: Haridwar and Prayagraj.
☛ Maha Kumbh Mela occurs once every 144 years (after 12 Purna Kumbh cycles) exclusively at Prayagraj.
Important One-Liners for Upcoming Exams:
☛ On the banks of which river is the Kumbh Mela celebrated in Ujjain? → Shipra River
☛ In which year was the Kumbh Mela inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list? → 2017
☛ Which two sites host the Ardh Kumbh Mela every six years? → Haridwar and Prayagraj
☛ At which holy river's banks is the Kumbh Mela held in Nashik? → Godavari River
☛ How many years after a full cycle of 12 Purna Kumbh Melas is the Maha Kumbh Mela held? → 144 years