UPSC Mains 2023 GS1 Q7: model answer
Why is the South-West Monsoon called ‘Purvaiya’ (easterly) in Bhojpur Region? How has this directional seasonal wind system influenced the cultural ethos of the region?
What the question wants
Explain why the south-west monsoon reaches Bhojpur from the east, and its cultural imprint.
How to structure it
Intro: Bhojpur region (western Bihar, eastern UP). Body: (1) Why easterly: Bay of Bengal branch strikes the Arakan hills and the Himalaya, is deflected west up the Ganga plain, and is drawn by the low over north-west India, so it arrives from the east; (2) Cultural influence: Purvaiya in folk songs (kajari, chaiti), farming calendar and paddy transplanting, festivals like Teej and Shravani, migration songs (bidesia), longing and romance. Conclusion: a wind that shapes livelihoods and literature.
- 1(1) Why easterly: Bay of Bengal branch strikes the Arakan hills and the Himalaya, is deflected west up the Ganga plain, and is drawn by the low over north-west India, so it arrives from the east
- 2(2) Cultural influence: Purvaiya in folk songs (kajari, chaiti), farming calendar and paddy transplanting, festivals like Teej and Shravani, migration songs (bidesia), longing and romance
Model answer
The Bhojpur region spans western Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh in the middle Ganga plain.
- 1Bay of Bengal branch moves north
- 2Blocked by Arakan hills and Himalaya
- 3Turned west up the Ganga plain
- 4Pulled by the low over north-west India
- 5Arrives in Bhojpur as Purvaiya
Why the monsoon blows from the east
- The Bay of Bengal branch of the south-west monsoon moves north towards Bengal and Myanmar.
- The Arakan hills and the Himalaya block it and turn it westwards.
- A low-pressure trough over north-west India pulls it up the Ganga valley.
- So in Bhojpur the rain-bearing wind arrives from the east, and people call it Purvaiya, the eastern wind.
Influence on cultural ethos
- Farming rhythm: its arrival signals paddy sowing and transplanting; farmers read the wind to forecast rain.
- Folk songs: kajari and other rainy-season songs speak of Purvaiya, longing and love.
- Migration: bidesia songs of wives waiting for husbands working far away carry the Purvaiya as a messenger.
- Festivals: Teej, Nag Panchami and Shravan rituals fall in this season.
The Purvaiya is thus both a weather system and a living part of Bhojpuri identity.
Keywords, cases and data to drop in
Bay of Bengal branch deflection by the Himalaya monsoon trough kajari bidesia
Where most answers lose marks
- Saying the monsoon itself changes origin.
- Skipping the cultural part.
Learn the concept
Question text as printed in the official UPSC question paper: https://www.upsc.gov.in/sites/default/files/QP-CSM-23-GENERAL-STUDIES-PAPER-I-180923.pdf The model answer is original Battle IAS work; use it to learn structure, not to memorise.