Art & Culture Current Affairs MCQs

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Kerala’s Agriculture Minister recently inaugurated the Njattadi Festival, also known as the Sapling Festival, marking its cultural and agricultural significance. Njattadi is a traditional festival celebrated by farming communities in Kerala to welcome the paddy cultivation season. The word “Njattadi” comes from “Njattuvela”, a term in the Malayalam calendar that indicates the best time for sowing rice seeds. This festival is not just about farming but also celebrates Kerala’s heritage with folk songs like Vanchipattu and Njattu Pattu, along with traditional dances. It reflects the deep link between agriculture, tradition, and seasonal rhythms in Kerala.

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A ‘Maha Kumbhabhishekam’, a grand ritual for temple purification and consecration, was recently performed at the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala after 270 years. The temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and is one of the most revered Hindu temples in India. The city’s name, Thiruvananthapuram, means “The City of Lord Ananta” in Malayalam, referring to the deity of this temple.

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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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Recently, the annual Kataragama Esala festival began in Sri Lanka with a flag hoisting ceremony. Devotees completed a long Pada Yatra, walking over 500 kilometers from Jaffna in Sri Lanka’s northern peninsula to Kataragama. The festival is celebrated by people of different faiths and strengthens cultural ties between India and Sri Lanka. The main temple, Maha Devala, is dedicated to Skanda, the Hindu God of War, who has six heads, twelve arms, twenty names, and two wives. Skanda is also worshipped by Buddhists as Katharagama Deviyo, and Muslims associate the place with Hazrat Khizr.

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Recently, a rare 15th-century antique lamp with Shaiva (Lord Shiva) and Vaishnavaite (Lord Vishnu) carvings was discovered at the Anantapadmanabha temple in Perduru, Udupi district, Karnataka. Historian T. Murugeshi confirmed it was donated by Basavannaras Banga in 1456 Common Era, based on a stone inscription inside the temple. The lamp has two faces with detailed narrative sculptures. One face shows Lord Shiva as Nataraja performing Pralaya Tandava, with Parvati, Ganapati, Bringi, Khadga Ravana, and Kumara. The second face shows Brahma, Indra, Anantapadmanabha, Agni, and Varuna, describing gods praying to Lord Anantapadmanabha to calm Shiva’s destructive dance.

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The three-day Sakambari festival began on July 7, 2025, at Kanaka Durga Temple on Indrakeeladri hill, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. The presiding deity is decorated as Sakambari Devi, goddess of nourishment and vegetation, using vegetables, fruits, green leaves, and flowers. The festival is observed every year from ‘Ashada Shuddha Trayodashi’ to ‘Ashada Pournami’, aligned with the farming season.

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Recently, the Maratha Military Landscapes of India were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, becoming India’s 44th World Heritage Site. The landscapes include 12 forts from the 17th to 19th centuries CE, showcasing the strategic brilliance and architectural skill of the Maratha Empire. These forts are located in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu and include Salher, Shivneri, Lohgad, Khanderi, Raigad, Rajgad, Pratapgad, Suvarnadurg, Panhala, Vijaydurg, Sindhudurg, and Gingee Fort.

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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.

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Recently, more than 300 people were killed in a week of violent clashes between Syria’s Druze minority and Sunni Bedouin tribes in and around Sweida city. The Bedouins are nomadic, Arabic-speaking tribes who have lived in the Middle East and North Africa deserts for centuries. The word Bedouin comes from Arabic “badawi”, meaning “desert dweller”. They survive mainly by herding camels, sheep, and goats, moving seasonally across arid lands. Bedouin tribes are often classified based on the animal species they herd.

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The Sri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara Temple in Karnataka recently welcomed the Karnataka government’s formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe alleged mass secret burials of unidentified bodies at the pilgrimage centre. SIT was formed after public demand to investigate alleged secret burials of unidentified bodies at Dharmasthala between 1998 and 2014. The temple is a major Hindu pilgrimage site located in the town of Dharmasthala, Karnataka. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva, worshipped here as Lord Manjunatha. The temple has a history of around 800 years.