Art & Culture Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
During his recent visit to Thailand, the Indian Prime Minister gifted a Dokra Brass Peacock Boat to the Thailand’s Prime Minister as a symbol of cultural friendship. The sculpture is shaped like a peacock boat and decorated with detailed patterns and colorful lacquer inlays, showcasing traditional craftsmanship. Dokra or Dhokra art is an ancient Indian metal casting technique that uses the lost wax method and dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization. The art is named after the Dhokra Damar tribes and is also practiced by the Gadwas, Gonds, and Dhurwas tribes in Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Odisha, and Jharkhand. Each piece is unique as the mold used is destroyed after one casting.

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A fire broke out at Daulatabad Fort in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, Maharashtra, prompting the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to assess the damage and plan disaster management. It is located in Maharashtra. Specifically, it is situated near the city of Aurangabad, also known as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Daulatabad Fort was originally called Devgiri, meaning “Hill of Gods”, and was renamed by Muhammad bin Tughlaq in the 14th century when he shifted his capital there. It served as the capital for many dynasties like the Yadavas, Tughlaqs, Bahmanis, Nizam Shahis, Mughals, Marathas, and the Nizams of Hyderabad. It is a UNESCO-nominated heritage site known for its rich history, architecture, and ecology. The fort has three-layered defense walls called Ambarkot, Mahakot, and Kalakot, with moats, bastions, and iron-spiked gates.

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Rongali Bihu, also called Bohag Bihu, is celebrated in Assam from April 14 to April 20, 2025, marking the Assamese New Year. It signals the start of the agricultural season and holds great cultural importance in the state. The word “Rongali” comes from “Rong,” meaning joy, showing the happy and colourful nature of the festival. Rongali Bihu welcomes spring and marks the beginning of sowing activities for farmers. It is a time of gratitude and hope when farmers pray for a good harvest and celebrate nature’s blessings with dance, music, and traditional feasts.

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The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has discovered four ancient rock art sites in Mizoram, dating between the 16th and 19th centuries. In Maite village, Saitual, a cliff showed carvings of human figures, animals, gongs, mithun heads, and symbols. In Lianpui, Champhai, carvings included fish, dao (a machete), hornbills, weapons, and rectangular chambers. In Tualte, Khawzawl, mithun heads, humans, and geometric shapes were etched on rocks. At Chhawrtu, carvings included circular motifs, rows of heads, and fish. These artworks show the cultural and artistic legacy of ancient Mizo inhabitants. The ASI linked these sites to the Vangchhia region in Champhai, earlier identified as a major ancient settlement or lost civilisation. The ASI has submitted a report, and the sites are proposed for official protection.

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The Thrissur Pooram has officially begun with the ceremonial flag hoisting called Kodiyettam at the participating temples. Thrissur Pooram is an annual Hindu temple festival celebrated in Thrissur, Kerala during April-May. It was started by Shakthan Thampuran, the Maharaja of Kochi. Ten temples participate in the festival, including Paramekkavu, Thiruvambadi, Kanimangalam, Karamucku, Laloor, Choorakottukara, Panamukkampally, Ayyanthole, Chembukkavu, and Neythilakavu. The festival features grand Poorams or processions of decorated elephants with traditional percussion music.

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The fifth State-level Shirui Lily Festival 2025 is scheduled to take place in Ukhrul district, Manipur, from May 20 to 24. It is the first State-level festival in Manipur since violence erupted in May 2023. The festival is organised by the Department of Tourism, Government of Manipur. It aims to raise awareness about the endangered Shirui Lily, scientifically known as Lilium mackliniae, the State flower of Manipur. The flower blooms only at Shirui Kashong (Shirui Peak) in Shirui village, around 95 km from the State capital Imphal. The festival promotes sustainable tourism and honours Manipur’s natural heritage.

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After 12 years, Uttarakhand is hosting the Pushkar Kumbh Mela at Keshav Prayag in Mana village. Pushkar Kumbh is a sacred Vaishnavite pilgrimage held every 12 years when Jupiter enters Gemini. It takes place at the confluence of the Alaknanda and Saraswati rivers in Mana village, Uttarakhand. The site is spiritually important as Ved Vyas composed the Mahabharata here. Saints like Ramanujacharya and Madhvacharya are believed to have received divine knowledge from Goddess Saraswati at this place. Though smaller than other Kumbh Melas, it attracts many devotees, especially from South India.

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The Supreme Court has recently allowed the Uttar Pradesh government to carry out its ₹500 crore development plan for the Shri Banke Bihari Temple Corridor in Vrindavan. Shri Banke Bihari Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Krishna, located in Vrindavan, Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh. The word “Banke” means bent in three places, and “Bihari” refers to the supreme enjoyer, describing the idol’s posture. The temple was established by Swami Haridas, guru of the legendary musician Tansen. Built in 1864, it showcases fine Indian craftsmanship with oil paintings of deities.

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The Shirui Lily Festival 2025 was held after a two-year gap caused by ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities in Manipur. It is a five-day cultural and ecological festival celebrated in Ukhrul district, home to the Tangkhul Naga tribe. The festival honors the Shirui Lily, or Lilium mackliniae, a rare bluish-pink flower found only in the Shirui Hills. The festival promotes cultural pride and raises awareness about the flower’s ecological importance and the need for conservation.

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A rare Kannada inscription was discovered in Haveri, Karnataka, dating back to 18th August 1539 CE. It records a mass humanitarian disaster due to “bara” (drought), resulting in 6,307 deaths. This is India’s earliest known inscription that explicitly mentions the human toll of a natural disaster. The deceased were buried with respects paid to God Basaveshwara. Inscriptions are historical texts carved on stone or metal to record important events, decrees, or donations. This finding gives rare insight into how ancient societies documented and responded to climate-related tragedies.