Art & Culture Current Affairs MCQs

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The Archaeological Survey of India recently found one of the earliest rock grooves in Kanniyakumari district, made during the Neolithic Age to sharpen weapons. The Neolithic Age, also known as the New Stone Age, was the last phase of prehistoric human development. It marked the shift from hunting and gathering to farming and animal domestication. This period began around 10,000 BCE during the Holocene Epoch. The Neolithic Revolution started in the Fertile Crescent in the Middle East and later spread to India and other regions.

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Recently, a joint excavation by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the Raigad Development Authority unearthed a rare ‘yantraraj’ or astrolabe at Raigad Fort, the capital of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Raigad Fort is located in Raigad district of Maharashtra in the Sahyadri mountain ranges, also known as the Western Ghats. The Hirkani Buruj, a famous tower, is built on a high valley near the fort.

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Recently, the Kheer Bhawani festival was celebrated on Jyeshta Ashtami at the Kheer Bhawani Temple in Ganderbal, Jammu and Kashmir. The temple is located near Srinagar and is dedicated to Goddess Ragnya Devi, an incarnation of Goddess Durga. It was originally built by Maharaja Pratap Singh around 1912 and later renovated by Maharaja Hari Singh. At the centre of the temple is a sacred hexagonal spring, known for its holy water. The temple and the festival are named after the sweet dish ‘kheer’, which is served as prasad to the devotees.

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An 800-year-old Shiva temple of the later Pandya period was recently discovered at Udampatti village in Melur taluk, Madurai district, Tamil Nadu. The Pandya dynasty was an ancient Tamil dynasty that flourished during the Sangam Age. It was one of the Three Crowned Kings of Tamilakam along with the Chola and Chera dynasties. The Early Pandyas ruled from at least the 4th century BCE and their rule lasted till the first half of the 16th century CE.

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Sri Lanka is currently celebrating the sacred Poson Poya festival, which marks the historic arrival of Buddhism to the island over 2,000 years ago. The festival is observed on the full moon day of June and commemorates the first sermon preached by Arahat Mahinda, son of Emperor Ashoka, to King Devanampiyatissa at Mihintale. A central message of the Poson Poya festival is ‘Ahimsa’ or non-violence, reminding people of the timeless value of peace, life, and mutual respect in today’s conflict-ridden world.

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Lucknow, the cultural capital of Uttar Pradesh, is famous for its architecture, poetry, etiquette, and especially its culinary heritage. The city’s rich food culture is now gaining global attention with its nomination for UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network (UCCN) under the Gastronomy category. If selected, Lucknow will become only the second Indian city after Hyderabad to be honored in the gastronomy field.

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Traditional construction methods will be used to restore and preserve the Simhachalam Temple. The temple, also called Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Temple, is located in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. It is dedicated to Narasimha, the man-lion avatar of Lord Vishnu. The temple shows a mix of Orissan and Chalukyan architectural styles. Unusually, it faces west instead of east, symbolising the victory of divine forces over evil.

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Recently, a debate on folk music aesthetics emerged after the Goa State Cabinet declared the Ghumot as the state’s heritage instrument in 2019, without using monitor lizard skin. Ghumot, also called Ghumat, is a traditional percussion instrument used in Goa’s religious and cultural practices. It is made from a clay pot with one side open and the other covered with animal skin, now mostly goat hide instead of the banned Indian monitor lizard skin. The instrument is also important during festivals like Zagor and Shigmo, organized by village committees.

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India’s Defence Minister recently gifted a Madhubani painting to his Chinese counterpart during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Qingdao, China. Madhubani painting, also called Mithila painting, comes from the Madhubani district in the Mithila region of Bihar. It is traditionally made by women using fingers, twigs, nib-pens, matchsticks, and brushes with natural dyes and bright earthy colours.

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Delhi Chief Minister recently warned that no nuisance will be tolerated during the Kanwar Yatra, after glass shards were found on the yatra route in Shahdara. Kanwar Yatra is a yearly Hindu pilgrimage during the month of Shravan (July–August). Devotees called Kanwariyas collect Gangajal (holy Ganga water) from places like Haridwar, Gangotri, Gaumukh, and Ajgaivinath (Bihar). They carry it in Kanwars—bamboo poles with pots hanging on both sides—on their shoulders. The water is offered to Lord Shiva in temples like Kashi Vishwanath, Baba Baidyanath (Jharkhand), and 12 Jyotirlingas.