Art & Culture Current Affairs MCQs

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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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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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Narali Purnima was celebrated by the fishermen community especially the Kolis, in Mumbai, Thane, and Palghar. Narali Purnima marks the end of the monsoon season in Maharashtra. The Koli community, original inhabitants and mainly fishermen, observed the festival with great enthusiasm. As tradition, coconuts were offered to the sea to pray to Lord Varuna for calm waters and protection from natural calamities. Koliwadas (fishermen colonies) in Mumbai were decorated with colourful traditional rangolis. Groups of Koli men and women performed dances in traditional costumes across lanes of Koliwada.

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Scientists recently discovered possible artefacts of the oldest known Wallacean hominids on Sulawesi island, Indonesia. Earlier, Homo erectus in Wallacea were believed to have settled only on Flores and Luzon islands about 1.02 million years ago. They were thought incapable of long-distance sea travel, making the Sulawesi discovery important for migration theories. Archaeologists from Australia and Indonesia found small, chipped tools in Soppeng, South Sulawesi, used for cutting small animals and carving rocks. Wallacea is a region in Eastern Indonesia, including Sulawesi, Lombok, Flores, Timor, and Sumbawa.

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Samvatsari was recently celebrated as the most important day of Paryushan Parva, a holy observance in Jainism. The festival embodies the spirit of forgiveness, compassion, atonement, and self-purification. On Samvatsari, Jains seek forgiveness from family, friends, and strangers for any harm caused knowingly or unknowingly. It is a day of reunion, humility, and reflection on personal actions. The occasion reinforces the Jain principles of ahimsa (non-violence) and spiritual cleansing.

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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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Telangana government will host Bathukamma, the nine-day floral festival, from September 21-30, 2025 on air, land, and water. The festival precedes Dasara and involves women worshipping Goddess Gowri on floral arrangements. Celebrations will be inspired by Brazil’s Rio Carnival to attract international tourists and showcase Telangana’s cultural heritage. The state will attempt a Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of women. The nine-day festivities will begin at the Thousand Pillar Temple, Warangal. The initiative highlights Telangana’s efforts to promote tourism, culture, and global recognition of its traditional festivals.

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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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Tiwa tribesmen celebrated Langkhun Festival in Umsowai village, Karbi Anglong district, Assam. Langkhun, also called Lankhong Festival, is a harvest festival with sacred offerings to Ramsa Devota and other deities. The community prays for protection of paddy from pests, abundant yield, family prosperity, and village health. Tiwa people, also called Lalung, are a Tibeto-Burmese group found in Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. In Assam, they are recognized as a Scheduled Tribe and practice traditional agriculture, including jhum cultivation.

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Manipur inaugurated the 14th Sirarakhong Hathei Chilli Festival in Ukhrul district on 17 September. The festival lasts 14 days and promotes Sirarakhong Hathei, a Geographical Indication (GI)-tagged chilli. Sirarakhong Hathei is famous for its unique aroma and flavour across India. Cultural performances were organised to showcase the rich heritage of the region. A Buyer-Seller Meet was held to enhance economic opportunities for farmers.A tree plantation drive was also held under the national initiative ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’.