Art & Culture Current Affairs MCQs

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A newly found unidentified early hominin fossil may represent a new species. It confirms that Australopithecus and Homo species coexisted in the same African region and timeframe. Australopithecus is a genus of extinct primates, closest relatives of humans (genus Homo). They lived between 4.4 million to 1.4 million years ago during the Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs. Fossils were discovered in eastern, north-central, and southern Africa. The name means “southern ape,” first identified in South Africa. The most famous specimen is “Lucy,” a 3.2-million-year-old fossil from Ethiopia.

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The Nagpur city of Maharashtra recently celebrated the iconic Marbat festival, attracting lakhs of devotees. The festival featured colourful processions and satirical effigies targeting issues like US import tariffs, Pakistan-backed terrorism, and local civic concerns. ‘Marbat’ and ‘Badgya’ are symbolic of evil and are taken out in a procession during Tanha Pola. The effigies are called Pili (Yellow) Marbat and Kaali (Black) Marbat. They are carried on a 10 km procession through the lanes of Itwari and East Nagpur before being burnt. The burning of these effigies is believed to remove all negativity.

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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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Ladakh is preparing for the 10th Zanskar Festival on 20th–21st September, a key cultural event of the region. The Zanskar Festival is celebrated in the Zanskar valley, located in the Kargil district of the Union Territory of Ladakh. The festival aims to preserve Ladakh’s heritage, ethnic diversity, and traditions while promoting tourism.

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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.

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In Manipur, the Mera Hou Chongba festival is celebrated on 7th October 2025, symbolising Hill-valley unity. Village chiefs from various indigenous hill districts arrived at the Manipur Royal Palace, Imphal to participate. The festival occurs on the 15th lunar day of the Mera month of the Meitei calendar every year. Mera Hou Chongba is the only festival in Manipur with participation from all indigenous communities.

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Devaragattu Banni Utsavam in Holagunda Mandal, Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh witnessed violence, leaving two devotees dead and over 100 injured. The crowd surged over 2 lakh, attracting devotees from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka. Devaragattu Banni Utsavam is an ancient festival celebrated in Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh. This ancient festival culminates on the night of Vijaya Dasami (Dussehra) and features a ritualistic stick fight where thousands of devotees, divided into groups, carry sticks and clash with them in a symbolic battle to claim the idol of the deity.

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Archaeologists in southeastern Turkey discovered a 12,000-year-old T-shaped pillar with a carved human face at Karahantepe, Turkey. It was announced in October 2025 as part of the Taş Tepeler (Stone Hills) Project, which studies early human settlements and spiritual practices. Previously, T-shaped limestone pillars had symbolic arm and hand carvings, but no full human face had been found. The pillar shows deeply carved eyes, broad nose, and sharp facial lines, representing personalized human depiction.