Art & Culture Current Affairs MCQs

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The Controller General of Patents, Designs, and Trademarks awarded the Geographical Indication certificate to ‘Kutch Ajrakh’ artisans from Gujarat. Ajrakh, a textile craft deeply rooted in Gujarat’s culture, especially in Kutch, Sindh, and Barmer, involves intricate hand-block printing on cotton cloth. Its name derives from ‘Azrak’, meaning indigo, a key dye used. Traditionally, Ajrakh prints symbolize sky (blue), land and fire (red), and stars (white), reflecting rich symbolism and history.

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The Sri Madhava Perumal Temple reveals a historic trade route from over 1,000 years ago. Submerged in the Bhavanisagar dam, lowered water levels now unveil the temple in Erode district, Tamil Nadu. Hoysala King Veera Ballala III appointed Madhava Perumal Dhandanayaka to govern, who constructed the Dhandanayaka Fort 680 years ago. His son, Veera Siddha Keththaya Dhandanayaka, built the temple within. Later ruled by Vijayanagara Empire, Ummattur chiefs, and Tipu Sultan, the fort witnessed the Battle of Sathyamangalam in 1790.

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The Koothandavar festival in Koovagam, Tamil Nadu, unfolds a narrative of marriage and widowhood within a day during the Tamil month of Chithirai. Lasting 18 days, it honors Lord Aravan’s sacrifice from the Tamil Mahabharata. Transgender individuals marry Aravan on the 17th day, symbolizing devotion. On the final day, Aravan is ritually sacrificed, and his widowed spouses mourn, echoing Lord Krishna’s lament for Aravan’s plight. This unique celebration draws global attention to transgender identity.

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Sikkim celebrated Saga Dawa, the ‘Triple Blessed Festival’, on May 23, 2023, coinciding with Buddha Purnima. This sacred Buddhist festival marks the birth, enlightenment, and passing of Buddha Shakyamuni. Celebrated on the 15th day of the fourth month of the Tibetan Buddhist calendar, Buddhists in Sikkim offer prayers in monasteries to honor these significant events in the life of Siddhartha Gautama as Lord Buddha.

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Thousands of Kashmiri Pandits gathered at the Kheer Bhawani temple in Tulmulla, Ganderbal, for the annual Zeisht Ashtami festival. Built by Maharaja Pratap Singh in 1912 and renovated by Maharaja Hari Singh, the temple is dedicated to Goddess Ragnya Devi, an incarnation of Durga. It sits above a sacred spring that changes colors. The Kheer Bhawani Mela is also celebrated at shrines in Kupwara, Anantnag, and Kulgam.

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A hidden chamber was recently discovered beneath the inner layers of Ghodbunder Fort during restoration work. Ghodbunder Fort, located in Thane, Maharashtra, on the Ulhas River, was built by the Portuguese and completed in 1730. Initially used for horse trading, it was later occupied by the Marathas and the British. The fort features a Portuguese church from the early 16th century and various historical structures.

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Devotees nationwide are gathering at Assam’s Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati for the annual Ambubachi Mela. The Kamakhya Temple, one of India’s 51 Shaktipeeths, is located atop Nilachal Hills and is dedicated to Goddess Kamakhya, a form of Goddess Parvati. The Ambubachi Mela celebrates the goddess’s annual menstruation. The temple’s architecture uniquely combines the traditional Nagara and Mughal styles, known as the Nilachala Style.

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Historians and enthusiasts are restoring Srikakulam’s ancient history in Andhra Pradesh. Known for its prominent Buddhist sites like Dantapuri and Salihundam, Neolithic-era caves, and ancient temples, Srikakulam was once part of the Kalinga Dynasty and later ruled by the Gajapati Kingdom, Eastern Chalukyas, Kakatiya, and Vijayanagara empires. Key sites include the Sri Suryanarayana Swamy Temple in Arasavalli and the Srimukhalingam Temple by the Vamsadhara River.

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Kalamkari art, a once-flourishing hand-painted or block-printed cotton textile tradition, now struggles due to power looms and rising raw material costs. Practiced in Andhra Pradesh, Kalamkari originated in the Tilang region (now Andhra Pradesh and Telangana) during the 16-17th century under the Qutb Shahis of Golconda. The term “Kalamkari” combines “Kalam” (pen) and “Kari” (craftsmanship). It features two distinct styles: Srikalahasti and Pedana.

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President Droupadi Murmu visited Odisha for four days, exploring the Khandagiri and Udayagiri caves in Bhubaneswar. These caves, built around the 2nd century BC by King Kharavela of the Meghavahana dynasty, are early examples of rock-cut cave tradition in Odisha. Udayagiri is notable for the Hathigumpha inscription in Brahmi script, detailing Kharavela’s military campaigns. Murmu also engaged with students from Bibhuti Kanungo College of Art & Crafts and Utkal University of Culture.