Art & Culture Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
The Prime Minister of India attended Jhumoir Binandini 2025, a grand cultural event featuring 8,000 performers. Jhumoir, also known as Jhumur, is a traditional folk dance of Assam’s Adivasi tea tribes, performed during the harvest season. It is accompanied by instruments like the Madal, Dhol, Taal, and Flute. Dancers perform in a circular formation with rhythmic footwork and swaying movements. Women wear colorful sarees, while men wear dhotis and kurtas. The dance symbolizes unity, inclusivity, and Assam’s rich cultural heritage, fostering social bonding and community celebration.

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Mahashivratri is a major festival for Shiva devotees worldwide. In Kashmir, it is uniquely celebrated as “Herath” by the Kashmiri Pandit community. The festival begins on the 13th day of Phalgun (February/March) and lasts until the new moon. “Herath” comes from “Hara” (Shiva) and “Ratri” (night). It symbolizes the unity of divine forces, consciousness, and feminine energy. The festival honors the sacred union of Shiva and Parvati, reflecting the broader significance of Mahashivratri.

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A 4,000-year-old Neolithic wooden circle was discovered in Denmark, similar to Stonehenge. It consists of 45 wooden piles arranged in a 30-meter diameter, likely for rituals or sun worship. A nearby Bronze Age (1700–1500 BCE) settlement included a chieftain’s grave and a bronze sword. The Bronze Age (2000–700 BCE) was when people widely used bronze tools. The discovery suggests cultural links between Denmark and Britain through shared artifacts. Stonehenge (3100–1600 BCE) in England is a prehistoric monument with massive stone circles.

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The Matho Nagrang Festival is a two-day Buddhist celebration held at the Matho Monastery in Ladakh. It takes place on the 14th and 15th days of the first month of the Tibetan calendar, typically falling in February or March. The festival is known as the “Festival of Oracles” and involves two oracles, or “Rongtsans,” who deliver prophetic guidance to the community. The festival is a significant cultural and spiritual event for the people of Ladakh.

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India has a vast tangible heritage, including monuments, sites, and antiquities from prehistoric to colonial times. Many organizations like Archaeological Survey of India and State Archaeology Departments have documented heritage, but much remains scattered or undocumented. The absence of a unified database makes research, conservation, and management difficult. The National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities (NMMA) was established in 2007 to document and digitize India’s built heritage and antiquities. Rs. 20 lakh was allocated for NMMA in FY 2024-25. NMMA aims to create a national database and enhance collaboration between ASI, state departments, and stakeholders.

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Ministry of Culture launched an initiative to preserve Kamba Ramayana recitals in Tamil Nadu. Kamba Ramayana is a Tamil epic, based on Valmiki Ramayana, written by Kambar in the 12th century CE. The epic is celebrated for its poetic excellence and unique spiritual interpretations. Written in classical Tamil, it has 6 Kandams, 113 Padalams, and 10,569 verses. The epic integrates Tamil folk elements and spiritual symbolism, traditionally recited by Kamba Ramayana Mandali in temples. The initiative aims to revive and promote this cultural heritage.

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Bagad Rath Yatra is a vibrant festival in Wai, Maharashtra, celebrated on Rang Panchami. It honors Lord Bhairavnath with a unique ritual where a devotee, ‘Bagadya,’ is suspended from a tall wooden chariot. The festival symbolizes community unity and deep-rooted cultural traditions. It has a 350-year-old history, showcasing seamless collaboration among participants. Powerful invocations and rituals reflect the strength and inspiration drawn from cultural heritage. The festival’s demanding tasks appear effortless due to devotion and collective spirit.

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The North and South Blocks in New Delhi will house the Yuge Yugeen Bharat National Museum. This project is part of the Central Vista Redevelopment Project. The museum will showcase India’s thousands-year-old civilizational and cultural heritage. An agreement was signed on 19th December 2024 between the National Museum and France Museums Development for technical cooperation. The project timeline and budget depend on the feasibility study and further formalities. The museum aims to celebrate India’s heritage, connect the past with the present, and inspire the future. Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat shared this information in Lok Sabha.

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Bithoor Mahotsav was held in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, from 21st to 23rd March 2025. It is an annual festival celebrated at Bithoor, a place with historical and mythological significance. The festival highlights the Revolution of 1857 through imagery, theatre, music, drama, and cultural performances. The 2025 edition focused on the shared culture and historical heritage of Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.

Notes:
Unprecedented wildfires in South Korea’s southern regions recently destroyed large parts of the 1,300-year-old Gounsa Temple complex, including two national treasure buildings. Gounsa Temple, meaning “Solitary Cloud Temple,” is a Buddhist temple located at the foot of Deungun Mountain in Uiseong, South Korea. It was built in the 7th century during the Shilla dynasty. Though it lacks ancient buildings, it houses significant cultural heritages. It survived Japanese invasions but was reconstructed after the Imjin War in 1695. It serves as the Headquarters Temple of the 16th District of the Jogye-jong Order.