Art & Culture Current Affairs MCQs

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Archaeologists in southeastern Turkey discovered a 12,000-year-old T-shaped pillar with a carved human face at Karahantepe, Turkey. It was announced in October 2025 as part of the Taş Tepeler (Stone Hills) Project, which studies early human settlements and spiritual practices. Previously, T-shaped limestone pillars had symbolic arm and hand carvings, but no full human face had been found. The pillar shows deeply carved eyes, broad nose, and sharp facial lines, representing personalized human depiction.

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UNESCO recently launched the Virtual Museum of Stolen Cultural Objects at the MONDIACULT 2025 conference. It is a digital platform reconnecting communities with their stolen cultural treasures. The project aims to create the first virtual immersive reality museum of stolen cultural objects globally. It raises public awareness about illicit trafficking of cultural property and aids in recovery of stolen objects. The museum is financially supported by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and developed in collaboration with INTERPOL. It currently displays around 240 missing objects from 46 countries. From India, it features two 9th-century sandstone sculptures from Mahadev Temple, Pali, Chhattisgarh.

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The Bathou religion of the Bodo community in Assam has been officially given a separate code in the upcoming national census. Bathouism is the indigenous faith of the Bodos, mainly in Assam and parts of North Bengal, forming a key part of their cultural identity. The term “Bathou” means “Five Principles”, representing Ha (Earth), Dwi (Water), Or (Fire), Bar (Air), and Okhrang (Sky). The religion focuses on nature worship, maintaining balance between humans and the environment through household and community rituals. Sacred Sijou plants and elemental symbols are central to Bathou practices.

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The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) conducted Operation Fire Trail to stop illegal smuggling of Chinese firecrackers into India. Officers intercepted a 40-foot container at Nhava Sheva Port, declared as carrying “leggings.”
Import of firecrackers is ‘Restricted’ under the ITC (HS) Code of the Foreign Trade Policy. Such imports need license from DGFT (Directorate General of Foreign Trade) and PESO (Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization). Smuggling these hazardous goods threatens public safety, national security, and port infrastructure. The DRI continues efforts to protect trade integrity and prevent organized smuggling.

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Tihar, a five-day Hindu festival, is mainly celebrated in Nepal. The second day of the festival is called Kukur Tihar, which means “day of the dogs.” On this day, dogs are worshipped and honoured with flower garlands, tika on their foreheads, and special food offerings. In Nepalese belief, dogs are considered messengers of Yamraj, the god of death. The ritual is performed to appease Yamraj and seek protection and blessings. The festival symbolises respect for animals and the bond between humans and dogs.

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The traditional ‘Hingot war Festival’ takes place annually in Gautampura, Madhya Pradesh. The festival is organised every year on ‘Dhok Padwa,’ the day after Diwali, to commemorate Mughal–Maratha conflicts of the 17th–18th centuries. According to local folklore, the Hingot War originated from warrior customs of Gurjar soldiers and evolved into a symbolic sport after wars ceased. The region is inhabited mainly by the Gurjar community, known for martial traditions, bravery, and horsemanship. The festival begins after sunset with villagers offering prayers at a temple. Hingot is a local fruit stuffed with gunpowder, tied to a wooden stick, lit, and thrown at opponents like a rocket.

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Recently, archaeologists discovered a 4,000-year-old temple on Failaka Island in Kuwait, linked to the ancient Dilmun Civilization. The Dilmun Civilization, also known as Telmun, flourished in the eastern Arabian Peninsula. Its main centers were the islands of Bahrain and Failaka Island in Kuwait. It also extended to regions of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, and the Iranian coast along the Persian Gulf. Dilmun was a powerful Bronze Age trading hub connecting Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley. Though ancient and influential, it is less known than major early civilizations like Mesopotamia, Egypt, Indus Valley, and Yellow River.

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A 16-day Global Peace Prayer Festival (GPPF) began on November 4, 2025, in Thimphu, Bhutan, to pray for world peace and healing of humanity amid global conflicts. The festival was launched by Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk and Chief Abbot Trulku Jigme Choedra at Changlimithang ground. It is organized by the Royal Government of Bhutan with support from the Government of India. The event marks the 70th birth anniversary of the Fourth King, Jigme Singye Wangchuk, who introduced democracy in Bhutan.

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The President of India was recently presented with a Ramman mask at a special session of the Uttarakhand Assembly. Ramman is an annual religious festival celebrated in late April in the twin villages of Saloor-Dungra, Uttarakhand, honouring the local deity Bhumiyal Devta. It features rituals, Ramayana recitations, songs, and masked dances, with each caste having specific roles. The performances combine Rama Katha stories with local legends through dance and drama. It is held in the courtyard of the Bhumiyal Devta temple.

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103 punch-marked gold coins from the Vijayanagara era were unearthed at the Later Chola-era Shiva temple in Kovilur hamlet, near Jamunamarathur village, Jawadhu Hills, Tiruvannamalai district, Tamil Nadu. The coins were found during restoration work worth ₹2.5 crore undertaken by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department. Revenue and police officials secured the find; the coins will be assessed by Tamil Nadu State Archaeology Department (TNSAD) before being handed to the district treasury under the Indian Treasure Trove Act, 1878. The discovery reflects the temple-building and revival initiatives during the reign of Krishnadevaraya of the Vijayanagara Empire.