Art & Culture Current Affairs MCQs

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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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Arunachal Pradesh will host the first-ever Sunrise Festival in Dong village, Anjaw district, from 29 December 2025 to 2 January 2026. Dong is the first place in India to receive sunrise daily and lies at the tri-junction of India, China, and Myanmar at 1,240 m altitude. Chief Minister Pema Khandu announced the festival and invited people nationwide to witness the first dawn of the New Year. The festival will feature ethnic cuisine, adventure sports, cultural programs, and ecotourism events. Dong is accessible by road from Tezu (200 km), Dibrugarh (360 km), and Tinsukia (310 km).

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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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The Ministry of Culture has started consultations to include Chhath Mahaparva in UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The meeting was held at Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), New Delhi, under UNESCO’s 2003 Convention. Diplomats from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Suriname, and the Netherlands supported the multinational nomination. UNESCO recognition will help global awareness, documentation, and preservation of Chhath Mahaparva. The festival is dedicated to Sun God and Goddess Chhathi Maiya, celebrated in Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and by diaspora worldwide. India currently has 15 cultural elements inscribed in UNESCO’s Representative List.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the redeveloped five-century-old Tripura Sundari Temple at Udaipur, Gomati district. The temple, built in 1501 by Maharaj Dhanya Manikya Bahadur, is one of the 51 Shaktipeethas and a major pilgrimage site. The redevelopment project cost Rs 52 crore, mainly funded under the PRASAD (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive) scheme of the Ministry of Tourism, with Rs 7 crore from the state government. The project added replicas of all 51 Shaktipeethas, stalls, halls, dormitories, Prasad ghar, a museum, food court, parking, and other amenities. The revamp aims to boost tourism and strengthen Tripura’s cultural heritage.

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A new geoarchaeological study shows that Egypt’s Karnak Temple complex was originally built on an island amid Nile floods and later became a major sacred center. The Karnak Temple complex is located in Luxor, Egypt, on the east bank of the Nile River. It was constructed between 2055 BC and 100 AD as a cult temple dedicated to the gods Amun, Mut, and Khonsu. It is the largest religious building ever built and was called “The Most Select of Places” by ancient Egyptians. Along with Luxor Temple and the Valley of the Kings, it is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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Tihar, a five-day Hindu festival, is mainly celebrated in Nepal. The second day of the festival is called Kukur Tihar, which means “day of the dogs.” On this day, dogs are worshipped and honoured with flower garlands, tika on their foreheads, and special food offerings. In Nepalese belief, dogs are considered messengers of Yamraj, the god of death. The ritual is performed to appease Yamraj and seek protection and blessings. The festival symbolises respect for animals and the bond between humans and dogs.

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Every year, the Department of Fisheries, Manipur, organises the Annual Fish Fair cum Fish Crop Competition before the Ningol Chakouba festival. Ningol Chakouba is celebrated on the second day of Hiyangei month of the Meitei calendar. ‘Ningol’ means married woman and ‘Chakouba’ means invitation for feast; married women are invited to their parental homes for a feast. The festival dates back to King Nongda Lairen Pakhangba’s rule in Manipur.

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Recently, archaeologists discovered a 4,000-year-old temple on Failaka Island in Kuwait, linked to the ancient Dilmun Civilization. The Dilmun Civilization, also known as Telmun, flourished in the eastern Arabian Peninsula. Its main centers were the islands of Bahrain and Failaka Island in Kuwait. It also extended to regions of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, and the Iranian coast along the Persian Gulf. Dilmun was a powerful Bronze Age trading hub connecting Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley. Though ancient and influential, it is less known than major early civilizations like Mesopotamia, Egypt, Indus Valley, and Yellow River.

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The President of India was recently presented with a Ramman mask at a special session of the Uttarakhand Assembly. Ramman is an annual religious festival celebrated in late April in the twin villages of Saloor-Dungra, Uttarakhand, honouring the local deity Bhumiyal Devta. It features rituals, Ramayana recitations, songs, and masked dances, with each caste having specific roles. The performances combine Rama Katha stories with local legends through dance and drama. It is held in the courtyard of the Bhumiyal Devta temple.