Art & Culture Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
Hilly villages of Garhwal in Uttarakhand celebrate Mangsir Bagwal, a post-Diwali folk festival rooted in agrarian life and local history. It is held in the lunar month of Mangsir (Margashirsha), about one month after Kartik Diwali, marking a delayed festival of lights. The celebration honours Garhwali commander Madho Singh Bhandari, who returned victorious from battle against Tibetan forces after Diwali. The festival coincides with the end of the winter-harvest season, when villagers gather for feasting, music and dance.

Notes:
The Chhattisgarh government is preparing the 5th-century Sirpur Archaeological Site for nomination as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Digital exhibits and battery-operated vehicles are being added for eco-friendly tourism. Sirpur is a multi-religious city dating from the 5th to 12th century. It is located on the banks of the Mahanadi River in Mahasamund district near Raipur, Chhattisgarh. It was the capital of Dakshina Kosala under Panduvanshi and Somavamshi rulers.

Notes:
The famous Karthigai Deepam festival began at Sri Arunachaleshwar Temple in Tiruvannamalai. The ten-day festival is held during the Tamil month of Karthigai and attracts huge public participation. Karthigai Deepam festival is primarily celebrated in Tamil Nadu.

Notes:
Italy has become the first country in the world to receive UNESCO recognition for its entire national cuisine. UNESCO inscribed “Italian cooking” on its Intangible Cultural Heritage List. Recognition was awarded by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage during its 20th session in New Delhi. The official title of the recognition is “Italian cooking: Between sustainability and biocultural diversity.”

Notes:
Ponduru Khadi, a traditional handspun and handwoven cotton fabric from Andhra Pradesh, has recently been granted the Geographical Indication (GI) tag by the Geographical Indications Registry under the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Ponduru Khadi is locally known as Patnulu and is produced exclusively in Ponduru village of Srikakulam district, reflecting the region’s rich textile heritage. The fabric has also been nominated under the One District One Product (ODOP) scheme for Srikakulam district, highlighting its economic and cultural importance.

Notes:
The Aiyanoor Ammanoor festival of the Kota tribe was celebrated at Solur Kokkal village near Udhagamandalam in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu. The Kota tribe is classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) in Tamil Nadu. The festival is a traditional annual or periodic event reflecting the living cultural heritage of the community. Aiyanoor Amman is worshipped as the central village and guardian deity. Women play a central role by performing ritual dances in traditional white attire with distinctive borders.

Notes:
Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Grand International Exposition of Sacred Piprahwa Relics of Bhagwan Buddha in New Delhi. The exhibition titled The Light and the Lotus displays relics repatriated after about 125 years. The Piprahwa relics were discovered in 1898 and are directly linked to Bhagwan Buddha. The Piprahwa site is associated with ancient Kapilavastu, where Buddha spent his early life. The government stopped their international auction, considering them sacred heritage, not artifacts.

Notes:
In Jaipur, nearly 250 families continue to preserve Kathputli, one of Rajasthan’s oldest folk art traditions. Kathputli is a traditional string puppet theatre form that originated in Rajasthan. Historically, travelling performers used Kathputli shows to narrate stories of Rajput kings, brave warriors, folk heroes, and moral tales to village audiences. The word Kathputli comes from kath meaning wood and putli meaning doll, highlighting its simple wooden structure. A Kathputli puppet is made using wood, cloth, thread, and metal wire, with a wooden upper body and cotton and fabric below.

Notes:
“Boda Tyohar”, the biggest annual festival of the Hatti tribe, recently began with traditional fervour in Sirmour district of Himachal Pradesh. The Hatti tribe is located along the Himachal Pradesh–Uttarakhand border in the Giri and Tons river basin, tributaries of the Yamuna River. Their name comes from selling farm produce in local markets called Haat. They live in Trans-Giri area of Sirmaur and Jaunsar Bawar region of Uttarakhand with shared traditions.

Notes:
Makaravilakku, also called Makara Jyothi or Makara Vilakku, is the most sacred festival of Sabarimala Temple in Kerala. It is celebrated on Makara Sankranti, usually on 14–15 January, marking Lord Ayyappa’s divine presence. Devotees believe a holy light appears on Ponnambalamedu hills, symbolising Lord Ayyappa’s blessings. Lord Ayyappa is believed to have settled in Sabarimala after defeating demoness Mahishi. Makaravilakku represents victory of light over darkness and spiritual self-realisation.