Art & Culture Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
Seven day International Shivratri Festival of Mandi district in Himachal Pradesh has begun and will continue till 21 February 2026. More than 216 palanquins of local deities have been invited to stay in Mandi during the week. The festival started with worship and first Jaleb ceremony at Shri Raj Madhav Rai Temple. The grand procession includes local deities, Gurus, folk artists and thousands of devotees. International Cultural Parade on 20 February will feature troupes from France, United States, Nigeria, Tanzania, Tajikistan and Sri Lanka. The festival showcases Mandi Dev culture, folk traditions and global cultural exchange.

Notes:
India’s first Chadar Mahotsav of the Jain community will be held from 6–8 March 2026 in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. The festival will honor the 872-year-old garments of Dada Shri Jindatt Suri Maharaj, kept in the Jain temple library. more than 150 Jain saints and 30,000 devotees are expected. The garments, preserved since VS 1945, are believed to have remained intact during cremation and an epidemic.

Notes:
The lost city of Charax Spasinou has been discovered in the deserts of Iraq. It was an ancient port city located at the meeting point of the Tigris and Choaspes rivers near the Iraq–Iran border. It was founded in 324 Before Common Era during the Hellenistic period, initially by Alexander the Great. Later, Hyspaosines rebuilt it and founded the Kingdom of Characene with Charax as its capital. Its strategic location made it a major trade hub between Mesopotamia and India through the Persian Gulf. Its importance declined around 224–228 After Death with the rise of the Sassanian Empire.

Notes:
The North East Spring Festival 2026, also known as the Festival of the North East, is inaugurated at the NEZCC Complex in Dimapur, Nagaland. The festival is organised by the North East Zone Cultural Centre in collaboration with the South-Central Zone Cultural Centre under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. It is celebrated alongside Madhya Dakshini Festival 2026, creating cultural exchange between Northeastern and South-Central regions. The event promotes and preserves folk and tribal heritage and strengthens national integration. Around 130 folk artistes from eight Northeastern states present traditional art forms.

Notes:
Ministry of Tribal Affairs is organising Tribes Art Fest 2026 in New Delhi under the vision of Narendra Modi. It is organised with Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry and National Gallery of Modern Art. More than 75 artists and 1,000 artworks from 30+ tribal traditions are showcased. Key initiatives highlighted include PM JANMAN for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups, DAJGUA, Eklavya Model Residential Schools and Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India. Festival promotes fair markets, direct sales and sustainable livelihoods.

Notes:
Attukal Pongala is celebrated on 3 March at Attukal Bhagavathy Temple. Attukal Pongala is celebrated in Kerala. It is one of the largest gatherings of women in the world and entered Guinness World Records in 2009 with over 2.5 million participants. The festival honours Goddess Attukal Bhagavathy, incarnation of Kannaki, symbolising women power and devotion. The 10 day festival begins with Kappukettu ritual and ends with priests blessing the offering and sprinkling holy water.

Notes:
Gyan Bharatam, announced in Union Budget 2025-26, is a flagship initiative of the Ministry of Culture (MoC), India, aimed at safeguarding and preserving India’s manuscript heritage. Standing Finance Committee (SFC) sanctioned Rs.491.66 crore for 2025-2031 for activities including survey, registration, documentation, conservation, digitization, publication, technology infrastructure, partnerships, and capacity building. Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) uses advanced technologies like LiDAR, Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), and drone surveys before excavations at sites like Rajgir (Bihar), Rakhigarhi (Haryana), Bhismaknagar (Arunachal Pradesh), and Warangal Fort (Telangana). Information was shared by Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in Lok Sabha.

Notes:
The Indian Orchid Festival 2026, themed ‘Orchids for Beauty & Prosperity’, was organised by ICAR-National Research Centre for Orchids (ICAR-NRCO) in Pakyong district, Sikkim. Renowned nurseries, tissue culture companies, and marketing firms interacted with growers to share knowledge on cultivation, marketing, and collaboration in the orchid industry. The four-day festival included technical sessions where experts shared practical knowledge to benefit growers. The festival’s theme, ‘Orchids for Beauty & Prosperity’, is intended to inspire growers and stakeholders for future development.

Notes:
A Telugu medieval inscription linked to the Gajapati Empire was discovered at Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple. The Gajapati Empire was a medieval Hindu dynasty from Odisha, ruling roughly from 1434 to 1541. It was founded by Kapilendra Deva of the Suryavamsa lineage after the death of Bhanu Deva IV of the Eastern Ganga dynasty. The early capital was Cuttack, later shifted during Prataparudra Deva’s reign. At its peak in the 15th century, the empire extended from the Ganges River near Hooghly to the Kaveri River. Gajapati rulers strongly supported art, architecture, literature, and Odia culture.

Notes:
The Kalinjar Fort hill region in Banda, Uttar Pradesh, has been officially declared a National Geo-Heritage Site by the Geological Survey of India (GSI). Kalinjar Fort is located on an isolated hilltop, surrounded by the Vindhya Mountains and the Ken River, making it a strategically important location. It is one of the oldest and most impressive forts in India, witnessing many decisive battles across ancient, medieval, and modern times. The fort has a history of over 1,500 years, with evidence of its establishment during the Gupta period (4th–6th century).