Art & Culture Current Affairs MCQs

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Jodhpur’s nearly 200-year-old Mojari craft has received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, boosting its identity and global branding. The GI certificate was awarded to the Jodhpur Handicraft Exporters Association and Gram Vikas Seva Sansthan after the application submitted in 2021.
Jodhpuri Mojari is traditionally crafted by the Jinagar (Jingar) community, who were historically saddle (jeen) makers. Around 400 manufacturers and 35,000 artisans are associated with the craft, which is practiced in over 5,000 households in Jodhpur.

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A massive Dhimsa dance performance at Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport, Bhogapuram (Andhra Pradesh) entered the Guinness World Records. 13,000 tribal girls from Classes VIII, IX, and X participated in the event. Dhimsa is a traditional tribal folk dance of the Araku Valley in Andhra Pradesh. It symbolises nature, unity, and community life.

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Aadi Perukku is a traditional festival celebrated in Tamil Nadu on the 18th day of the Tamil month of Aadi. The festival is dedicated to Goddess Amman and celebrates the importance of water for agriculture and prosperity. Devotees offer prayers on riverbanks and near water bodies, especially along the Cauvery River. Major celebrations take place in Tiruchirappalli (Tiruchi) and Dharmapuri.

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In August 2026, Kalaburagi MP Radhakrishna Doddamani met Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat seeking approval for a ₹20 crore conservation and rejuvenation project for Kalaburagi Fort under AMRUT 2.0 (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation 2.0. Kalaburagi Fort is a historic medieval fort located in North Karnataka. It was originally built in the 12th century and was expanded in 1347 by Ala-ud-Din Bahman Shah. It became the first capital of the Bahmani Sultanate before the capital shifted to Bidar in 1424. The fort combines Persian and Hindu-Islamic architectural elements.

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The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has clarified that a structure recently discovered near Golconda Fort, Hyderabad, is not a tunnel but a small rectangular chamber. Golconda Fort is a historic fortress complex located on the western outskirts of Hyderabad, Telangana. Its origins date back to the 12th–13th century, when it was built as a mud fort by the Kakatiya rulers. It was later strengthened by the Bahmani Sultanate and extensively developed under the Qutb Shahi dynasty. Golconda became an important diamond-trading centre, associated with famous diamonds such as the Koh-i-Noor. The fort was conquered by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1687 after a prolonged siege.

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The Gollalagudi (Gollala Gudi) Temple at Palampet has been declared a Monument of National Importance under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act, 1958. The temple is located in Mulugu district, Telangana, near the famous Ramappa Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It represents the architectural and cultural heritage of the Kakatiya dynasty. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) under the Ministry of Culture will oversee its conservation and preservation.

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Lakkundi is an ancient heritage center situated in the Gadag district of Karnataka. It is highly renowned for its stepwells (locally known as Kalyanis) and transitional Deccan-style temples built during the rule of the Western Chalukyas (Kalyana-Chalukyas) between the 10th and 12th centuries CE. Recently, a LiDAR-based geospatial survey was initiated here to discover buried archaeological structures. It houses several major monuments, including the famous Kasivisvesvara temple, showcasing the architectural transition of the Kalyana Chalukya dynasty.

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The historic Shekhawati Havelis of Rajasthan have been added to UNESCO’s Tentative List, marking a step towards their possible inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The listed havelis are located across 14 places, including Alsisar, Churu, Fatehpur, Jhunjhunu, Mandawa, Nawalgarh and Sikar. Shekhawati Havelis are famous for their colourful fresco paintings, distinctive architecture and cultural heritage. Their paintings provide insights into Rajasthan’s artistic traditions and social and cultural life. The inclusion is expected to promote heritage conservation and tourism in the Shekhawati region.

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the ‘Ganesh Gyanarthi Exhibition’ in Mumbai. It was organised by the Asiatic Society of Mumbai. The exhibition focused on the preservation, digitisation and wider dissemination of India’s rich knowledge traditions. India’s memory, history, values, languages, records and traditions were highlighted as important pillars of national identity. The Shruti and Smriti traditions were cited as examples of ways through which knowledge has been preserved across generations.

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Nuakhai is a major harvest festival of Odisha, especially celebrated in western Odisha. The festival celebrates farmers, the new harvest and community togetherness. The word “Nua” means new and “Khai” means food, referring to the consumption of the new harvest. People traditionally offer the newly harvested crop to the deity before consuming it. “Nuakhai Juhar” is the traditional greeting exchanged during the festival. Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended greetings on the occasion, highlighting farmers, crops and unity.