Art & Culture Current Affairs MCQs

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Harela festival is celebrated in Uttarakhand, with a pledge to plant over 5 lakh saplings across the state. This traditional Hindu festival, also celebrated in parts of Himachal Pradesh, is especially popular in Uttarakhand’s Kumaon region. Harela marks the beginning of the Sawan season. It symbolizes peace, prosperity, and the celebration of nature.

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Recently, the Saaral Vizha 2025 was celebrated in Courtallam, Tamil Nadu as a monsoon festival highlighting culture, tradition, and community welfare. It was inaugurated by Revenue Minister K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran. The festival featured cultural performances, a flower exhibition, and various public competitions. The festival reflects Tamil Nadu’s commitment to inclusive cultural growth and community participation.

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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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Recently, the Prime Minister offered prayers at Brihadeeswara Temple in Tamil Nadu. The Prime Minister was welcomed by temple priests with “poorana kumbham”, a traditional temple honour. Brihadeeswara Temple is also called Peruvudaiyar Kovil and is located in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. It is a fine example of Dravidian architecture from the Chola Period. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, represented by a massive Lingam. It was built around 1010 AD by Chola king Rajaraja Chola I.

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Recently, a Harappan site was discovered at Ratadiya Ri Dheri in Jaisalmer district, Rajasthan, marking the first Indus Valley settlement in the Thar Desert region. The site belongs to the mature urban phase of Indus Valley Civilization, dated between 2600 to 1900 BCE. It is a 4,500-year-old rural Harappan settlement located near the India-Pakistan border. The discovery connects earlier Harappan sites in northern Rajasthan and Gujarat, filling a major gap in the archaeological map. It provides evidence of cultural and trade continuity across desert regions of northwest India.

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Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha unveiled the teaser and brochure for the upcoming Basohli Utsav. The five-day festival is scheduled from 28th September to 2nd October 2025 in Kathua border district, Jammu and Kashmir. Basohli, a hilly town in Kathua, is famous for its Basohli painting, which received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2023. The event is being organised with support from Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA) and Vishwasthali organisation. This third edition will focus on Ramayana traditions, featuring related exhibitions, booklets, folk arts, and cultural competitions.

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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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Karma Puja, a traditional folk festival, is observed on Ekadashi Tithi of the bright fortnight in Bhadrapada (Bhado) month. In 2025, the Karam Festival was celebrated on Wednesday, September 3. Sisters observe a fast for the long life of their brothers and worship the sacred Karam branch. The Karam branch symbolizes divinity and nature, revered by tribal communities. The festival is significant in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha.

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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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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.