Art & Culture Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
The Jadayaswamy festival was recently celebrated in Tamil Nadu. It is observed by the Badagas, an aboriginal tribe of the Nilgiris. The Badagas live in villages called Hattis and speak the Badugu language. The festival is dedicated to Jadayaswamy, a revered deity, symbolizing faith and tradition. Eight villages organize a procession to the Jadayaswamy temple and perform a firewalk every year.

Notes:
The Matho Nagrang Festival is a two-day Buddhist celebration held at the Matho Monastery in Ladakh. It takes place on the 14th and 15th days of the first month of the Tibetan calendar, typically falling in February or March. The festival is known as the “Festival of Oracles” and involves two oracles, or “Rongtsans,” who deliver prophetic guidance to the community. The festival is a significant cultural and spiritual event for the people of Ladakh.

Notes:
Attukal Pongala is a 10-day festival in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, dedicated to Goddess Attukal Devi. It is the world’s largest gathering of women, emphasizing peace, prosperity, and community spirit. The most auspicious day, Attukal Pongala Mahotsavam, falls on March 13. The festival began on March 5 and concludes on March 15, 2025. It is a grand religious and cultural event celebrated with devotion across South India.

Notes:
Ministry of Culture launched an initiative to preserve Kamba Ramayana recitals in Tamil Nadu. Kamba Ramayana is a Tamil epic, based on Valmiki Ramayana, written by Kambar in the 12th century CE. The epic is celebrated for its poetic excellence and unique spiritual interpretations. Written in classical Tamil, it has 6 Kandams, 113 Padalams, and 10,569 verses. The epic integrates Tamil folk elements and spiritual symbolism, traditionally recited by Kamba Ramayana Mandali in temples. The initiative aims to revive and promote this cultural heritage.

Notes:
President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the Purple Fest 2025 at Amrit Udyan, Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi, on March 21, 2025. Purple Fest celebrates the talents, achievements, and aspirations of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), also called Divyangjan in India. The first Purple Fest was held in Panjim, Goa, in January 2023. Organized by the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in association with Rashtrapati Bhavan. The event is becoming a flagship programme of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment for Divyangjan in India.

Notes:
The North and South Blocks in New Delhi will house the Yuge Yugeen Bharat National Museum. This project is part of the Central Vista Redevelopment Project. The museum will showcase India’s thousands-year-old civilizational and cultural heritage. An agreement was signed on 19th December 2024 between the National Museum and France Museums Development for technical cooperation. The project timeline and budget depend on the feasibility study and further formalities. The museum aims to celebrate India’s heritage, connect the past with the present, and inspire the future. Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat shared this information in Lok Sabha.

Notes:
Nepal celebrated “Ghode Jatra”, the Horse Racing Day, with a special ceremony at the Army Pavilion in Kathmandu. The Nepal Army Cavalry organizes the festival annually, attended by the President, Vice President, Prime Minister, and other officials. The festival falls on Chaitra Krishna Aunsi, the last month of the Nepali Bikram Sambat calendar. It commemorates the death of the demon Tundi, who terrorized Tundikhel, and was believed to be trampled by horses. King Pratap Malla (787 BCE) started the horse procession in Kathmandu, later spreading to Patan and Bhaktapur. Farmers sow beans and cucumbers to mark the festival and welcome the Nepali New Year.

Notes:
Sarhul Festival is celebrated by Adivasi communities in Jharkhand and the Chotanagpur region to mark spring and the new year. Sarhul means “worship of the Sal tree”, symbolizing the union of the Sun and Earth for life. The Sal tree is sacred and believed to be the abode of Sarna Maa, the village deity. Three-day celebration includes cleaning, gathering Sal flowers, fasting, rituals at Sarna Sthals (Sacred Groves), sacrifices, prayers, and a community feast with Handia (rice beer). Tribes like Oraon, Munda, Santal, Khadia, and Ho celebrate it.

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The Kodungalloor Bharani is a vibrant annual festival held at the Sree Kurumba Bhagavathy Temple in Kodungalloor, Thrissur, Kerala during the Malayalam month of Meenam (March–April). It celebrates the birth of Goddess Bhadrakali, who, according to legend, emerged from Lord Shiva’s third eye to destroy the demon Darika. The festival is marked by the intense presence of Oracles (called Komaram or Velichappadu) dressed in red attire who perform sacred rituals. The celebration is one of Kerala’s most mystical and culturally rich traditions, drawing large crowds every year.

Notes:
Union Home Minister spoke at Bastar Pandum festival in Dantewada, Chhattisgarh, to celebrate tribal culture and progress. Bastar Pandum is a three-day festival that revives and showcases the tribal traditions, customs, arts, and food of the Bastar region, Chhattisgarh. Events included competitions in tribal dance, folk songs, dramas, musical instruments, traditional costumes, jewelry, crafts, and cuisine. The festival aims to bring tribal culture to national and international attention. The minister also highlighted government efforts to end Naxalism and promote complete development in tribal areas, ensuring peace, culture, and growth go hand-in-hand.