Art & Culture Current Affairs MCQs

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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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A portion of Hampi’s Virupaksha Temple in Karnataka, specifically the ‘saalu mantap’ pavilion, collapsed due to torrential rains. Dedicated to Lord Virupaksha, a form of Shiva, the temple is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Hampi, the former capital of the Vijayanagara kingdom. It showcases Dravida temple architecture with grand gopuras, Vimana, intricate carvings, and pillared halls.

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Recently, Purana Qila was handed over to the Sabhyata Foundation of the Dalmia Group under the ‘Adopt a Heritage’ scheme by the Ministry of Tourism. Located in New Delhi, it’s one of the oldest forts built on the banks of the Yamuna River, also known as Qila-e-Kohna. Built under Humayun and Sher Shah Suri, it reflects a blend of Islamic and Hindu architecture. The rectangular fort boasts three gates, notably the Bara Darwaza, combining Islamic and Hindu elements.

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The Dubai Art Centre hosted the “Hunar” exhibition, showcasing India’s rich folk and tribal art heritage. Organized by Videsha Pandey, the exhibition features diverse works including a Ramayana painting, Aipan art from Uttarakhand, Madhubani art from Bihar, Warli art from Maharashtra, and Muria art from Chhattisgarh. The exhibition aims to highlight India’s cultural diversity and underrepresented art forms, offering visitors an immersive experience of India’s artistic traditions.

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With the south-west monsoon setting in, Nouka Baich boat races will soon begin in rural West Bengal. These traditional races occur from September to November, with increasing female participation. Linked to the worship of the Hindu deity Manasa, goddess of snakes, these races use various traditional boats, including the 90 ft long Sorengi. The races celebrate agrarian culture and the swollen rivers of the monsoon season.

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A high-level committee led by an Orissa High Court judge has accelerated the process of opening the Ratna Bhandar treasury of Shree Jagannath Temple after 46 years. Located in Puri, Odisha, the Hindu temple is dedicated to Lord Jagannath and dates back to the 12th century under the Eastern Ganga dynasty. Known for its Kalinga architecture, the temple houses idols of Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra, and hosts the famous Ratha Yatra festival annually.

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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.

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A geospatial analysis using satellite images and ground surveys revealed “huge architectural wealth” buried in the Mahabodhi temple complex in Bodh Gaya, Bihar. The Mahabodhi Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2002, marks the Buddha’s Enlightenment spot. Built by Emperor Asoka in the 3rd century B.C., the current structure dates to the 5th-6th centuries and is a key example of early brick architecture and sculptural reliefs.

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The Prime Minister of India recently extended wishes for Kharchi Puja, a key festival in Tripura celebrated in July-August on the eighth day of the new moon. The festival, meaning “cleansing of sins,” involves the worship of fourteen deities by the Royal priest, Chantai. Held at the Chaturdasha Devata temple in old Agartala, the seven-day festival includes bathing the deities’ heads in the Saidra river and returning them to the temple.

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The anti-encroachment drive at Vishalgad Fort turned violent as miscreants attacked local shopkeepers and pelted stones at police. Vishalgad Fort, located in Kolhapur district, Maharashtra, is an ancient fort built in 1058 by Shilahara king Marsinh. It was later captured by various dynasties, including the Yadavas, Khiljis, Vijayanagar, and Adil Shahi. In 1659, Shivaji seized it and renamed it Vishalgad, meaning “grand fort.”