Art & Culture Current Affairs MCQs

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Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted Meghalaya’s Eri Silk in the 123rd episode of Mann Ki Baat radio show. Eri Silk from Meghalaya has received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag. Eri Silk is a heritage of Meghalaya, preserved by the Khasi community. It is called Ahimsa Silk because its production does not harm silkworms. The fabric symbolizes sustainability, tradition, and craftsmanship.

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Recently, the Suna Besha festival took place during the Jagannath Rath Yatra festival in Puri, Odisha. It is a grand ritual where Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Goddess Subhadra are decorated with magnificent gold ornaments. The term Suna Besha comes from Odia words suna (gold) and besha (attire). This ritual is a highlight of the world-famous chariot festival Jagannath Rath Yatra.

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Thousands of devotees recently witnessed the grand consecration of the Subramanya Swamy Temple in Tiruchendur after 16 years. The temple is dedicated to Lord Murugan, son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. It is located in Thoothukudi district, Tamil Nadu. It is one of the six sacred abodes of Lord Murugan and the only one situated on the seashore. The temple faces the Bay of Bengal and is touched by waves from the Gulf of Mannar. It is over 2,000 years old and showcases beautiful Tamil architecture.

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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, Nashik rural police exposed a major black-marketing racket involving darshan passes at the famous Trimbakeshwar Shiva Temple. The Trimbakeshwar Temple is a revered Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, located in Trimbak town, 28 km from Nashik city, Maharashtra. It is situated near Brahamagiri mountain, the origin point of the river Godavari. The temple was built by the third Peshwa Balaji Bajirao on the site of an older shrine. It is one of the twelve sacred Jyotirlingas in India, making it a significant pilgrimage site.

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A photo exhibition on the Gavri festival of the Bhil tribe of Mewar is being showcased for the first time at the India International Centre Art Gallery. Gavri is a 40-day ritual held annually after Raksha Bandhan by the Bhil community in Rajasthan to honour Gorkhiya Mata. Bhil troupes perform khels (dance-dramas), songs, and religious rituals in villages, especially where their married sisters and daughters live. The drama combines dialogue, music, and vibrant costumes, also called Gavri or Rai Nach.

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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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The first-ever Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Traditional Music Festival was held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The event was inaugurated by External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar. It was organised by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) under the theme ‘SaptaSur: Seven Nations, One Melody’. Artists from India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand performed. The festival celebrated the unique traditional music of all seven BIMSTEC countries.

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The Supreme Court of India has agreed to hear a petition to repeal the Bodh Gaya Temple Act of 1949. The petition demands replacing it with a central law for better governance of the Mahabodhi Temple in Bihar. The Mahabodhi Temple marks the site where Gautama Buddha attained Enlightenment (Bodhi). It is one of the four most sacred Buddhist sites, along with Lumbini, Sarnath, and Kushinagar. It is located in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, on the banks of the Niranjana River.