UPSC Prelims 2014 · Question 56 of 100
UPSC Prelims 2014 question on Weaving Towns Chanderi Kancheepuram
- ExamUPSC CSE
- Year2014
- PaperGeneral Studies Paper I
- SubjectGeography
- TopicIndian Geography
- DifficultyHard
- TypeStatement
Consider the following towns of India:
1. Bhadrachalam
2. Chanderi
3. Kancheepuram
4. Karnal
Which of the above are famous for the production of traditional sarees/fabric?
Show answer
Answer: B. 2 and 3 only
Verdict
The answer is 2 and 3 only. Chanderi and Kancheepuram are famous weaving towns; Bhadrachalam and Karnal are not.
Analysis
Statement 2 is CORRECT. Chanderi in Madhya Pradesh gives its name to the fine cotton and silk Chanderi saree. Statement 3 is CORRECT. Kancheepuram in Tamil Nadu is the home of the heavy silk Kanjeevaram saree with its contrast zari borders. Statement 1 is INCORRECT. Bhadrachalam in Telangana is known as a temple town on the Godavari and for its paper industry, not for traditional weaving. Statement 4 is INCORRECT. Karnal in Haryana is an agricultural research and grain belt town with no traditional saree tradition.
How to crack it
This is an unconventional question and the honest strategy is elimination by regional plausibility. The saree as a woven speciality belongs overwhelmingly to a belt running from Gujarat through Madhya Pradesh and the Deccan to Tamil Nadu and Bengal, so a Haryana town is implausible before you know anything specific. Rejecting Karnal alone removes the last option, and confirming Kancheepuram, the most famous silk town in India, removes the first. Two moves close a question that looks unapproachable. Geographical Indication tags are the natural revision list for this whole area.