Art & Culture Current Affairs MCQs

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Recently, sacred Piprahwa relics of Lord Buddha were returned to India on July 30, 2025, after 127 years. These relics were about to be auctioned by Sotheby’s in Hong Kong on May 7, 2025. Government of India intervened and halted the auction by issuing a legal notice on May 5, 2025. The relics were originally discovered in 1898 by British engineer William Claxton Peppé in Piprahwa, Uttar Pradesh. They include bone fragments, soapstone and crystal caskets, sandstone coffer, gold ornaments, and gemstones. An inscription in Brahmi script confirmed these as relics of Bhagwan Buddha deposited by the Sakya clan.

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Recently, a tragic stampede near Mansa Devi Temple in Haridwar, Uttarakhand claimed 8 lives and injured 28 others. Mansa Devi Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Goddess Mansa Devi, a form of Shakti or Goddess Durga. It is situated atop Bilwa Parvat on the Sivalik Hills, the southernmost range of the Himalayas. The temple is also called Bilwa Tirth and is one of the Panch Tirth (Five Pilgrimages) in Haridwar. It symbolizes the deep-rooted tradition of Shakti worship in Northern India.

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Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha unveiled the teaser and brochure for the upcoming Basohli Utsav. The five-day festival is scheduled from 28th September to 2nd October 2025 in Kathua border district, Jammu and Kashmir. Basohli, a hilly town in Kathua, is famous for its Basohli painting, which received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2023. The event is being organised with support from Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA) and Vishwasthali organisation. This third edition will focus on Ramayana traditions, featuring related exhibitions, booklets, folk arts, and cultural competitions.

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A Marathi-Hindi language row has emerged recently at the Vitthal-Rukhmini Temple in Pandharpur, Maharashtra. The temple is dedicated to Lord Vithoba, a form of Lord Vishnu or Krishna, and his consort Rukhmini. It is located on the banks of the river Bhima (also called Chandrabhaga). The temple is one of the 108 Abhimana Kshethrams of the Vaishnavate tradition. The temple follows Hemadpanti style architecture, rebuilt in the 17th century in Deccan style by Peshwas, Shindes, and Holkars.

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The Kodali Karuppur silk sari, once a luxury garment patronised by the Maratha kings of Thanjavur, is now facing a crisis due to declining traditional handloom weavers. It is named after Karuppur, a village near Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu. These handwoven saris, dhotis, and furnishings combined hand painting, block printing, and brocade weaving, popular till the 19th century. They evolved under Serfoji Raja Bhonsle Chhatrapati II (1787-1832) and were made for the Ranis of Thanjavur. The sari does not have a GI (Geographical Indication) tag.

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The annual Mela Patt festival recently began in Doda district, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). The festival is dedicated to Lord Vasuki Nag, the presiding deity of Bhaderwah Valley. Rooted in Nag culture, it commemorates the historic meeting between Mughal Emperor Akbar and King Nag Pal of Bhaderwah. The festival has been celebrated since the 16th century. It was first observed when Bhaderwah was known as Bhadarkashi. The festival is observed every year on Nag Panchami, seven days after the Kailash Yatra, it is inclusive of all communities. Dhakku dance, the traditional dance of Dogras, is also performed. The festival highlights religious traditions, historical legacy, and cultural pride of Bhaderwah.

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Assam will likely get the 16th-century “Vrindavani Vastra” from the British Museum in London for exhibition in 2027. The Vrindavani Vastra is a silk textile woven in Assam. It depicts childhood stories and divine pastimes of Lord Krishna in Vrindavan. It was created under the guidance of Vaishnav saint Srimanta Sankardeva. Koch king Nara Narayan commissioned it and gave refuge to Sankardeva after conflict with the Ahom kingdom. The textile travelled from Assam to Tibet and was acquired by the British Museum in 1904. It is a sacred masterpiece and central to Assamese Vaishnavism.

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The newly constructed Royal Bhutan Buddhist Temple in Rajgir, Bihar, was inaugurated on 5 September 2025. The inauguration followed traditional rituals and Bhutanese Buddhist customs. Rajgir is historically significant as a place of penance of Lord Buddha and holds great importance in Buddhism. The ceremony was attended by the Prime Minister of Bhutan, Union Minister for Minority Affairs, and representatives from both countries. The temple aims to strengthen cultural and spiritual ties between India and Bhutan. It will serve as a center for Buddhist learning, meditation, and promoting bilateral friendship and cooperation

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Union Agriculture Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Delhi Chief Minister Smt. Rekha Gupta inaugurated the SARAS Livelihood Fair at Major Dhyan Chand Stadium, Delhi. The fair is organised by the Union Ministry of Rural Development from September 5 to 22, 2025. More than 400 ‘Lakhpati Didis’ from Self-Help Groups are showcasing their products, food, and crafts.

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Members of the Raj Gond Tribe from Adilabad, Telangana, performed Gussadi dance for the 78th Hyderabad Liberation Day. Gussadi is a traditional dance of the Raj Gond tribe, also found in parts of Maharashtra. The dance is performed by men, organized into groups called Dandari, with smaller groups called Gussadi. Performers wear saffron and turmeric-colored clothes, bandages on legs and waist, and turbans with peacock feathers, deer horns, and goat skins.