UPSC Prelims 2016 Q94: Geography – Indian Physical Geography
Consider the following pairs: Famous place : Region
1. Bodhgaya : Baghelkhand
2. Khajuraho : Bundelkhand
3. Shirdi : Vidarbha
4. Nasik (Nashik) : Malwa
5. Tirupati : Rayalaseema
Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
- (a) 1, 2 and 4
- (b) 2, 3, 4 and 5
- (c) 2 and 5 only
- (d) 1, 3, 4 and 5
Answer: (c) 2 and 5 only
Explanation
Famous places and their regions
| Pair | Verdict | Actual region |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bodhgaya : Baghelkhand | Incorrect | Magadh region of Bihar; Baghelkhand is in north-east Madhya Pradesh (Rewa, Satna) |
| 2. Khajuraho : Bundelkhand | Correct | Chhatarpur district, Madhya Pradesh |
| 3. Shirdi : Vidarbha | Incorrect | Ahmednagar district, western Maharashtra; Vidarbha is the eastern part |
| 4. Nasik (Nashik) : Malwa | Incorrect | North Maharashtra; Malwa is the plateau around Indore and Ujjain |
| 5. Tirupati : Rayalaseema | Correct | Southern Andhra Pradesh |
The regions:
| Region | Location |
|---|---|
| Bundelkhand | Parts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh |
| Rayalaseema | Kurnool, Anantapur, Kadapa, Chittoor area |
| Vidarbha | Nagpur and Amravati divisions |
The bank earlier stored (d) as the key; the official key is (c).
Answer: (c) 2 and 5 only.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Bodhgaya is in Bihar and Nashik is in Maharashtra, so pairs 1 and 4 fail.
- (b) Incorrect. Shirdi is not in Vidarbha and Nashik is not in Malwa.
- (c) CORRECT. Only Khajuraho - Bundelkhand and Tirupati - Rayalaseema are correctly matched.
- (d) Incorrect. Pairs 1, 3 and 4 are all wrong; the famous place and region do not match.
Key point
Khajuraho - Bundelkhand; Tirupati - Rayalaseema; Bodhgaya - Magadh (Bihar); Shirdi - Ahmednagar; Nashik - north Maharashtra.
Remember
Khajuraho = Bundelkhand; Tirupati = Rayalaseema.
Common mistakes
- Confusing Baghelkhand with Bundelkhand; both are in central India.
- Placing Shirdi in Vidarbha; it is in western Maharashtra.
- Thinking Malwa extends into Maharashtra.
Exam tip
Fix the State first: Bodhgaya is in Bihar, so a Madhya Pradesh region cannot fit.
Sources
- NCERT Class XI — India: Physical Environment (physiographic and cultural regions)
- Oxford School Atlas — India: States and regions