Art & Culture Current Affairs MCQs

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The annual Mela Patt festival recently began in Doda district, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). The festival is dedicated to Lord Vasuki Nag, the presiding deity of Bhaderwah Valley. Rooted in Nag culture, it commemorates the historic meeting between Mughal Emperor Akbar and King Nag Pal of Bhaderwah. The festival has been celebrated since the 16th century. It was first observed when Bhaderwah was known as Bhadarkashi. The festival is observed every year on Nag Panchami, seven days after the Kailash Yatra, it is inclusive of all communities. Dhakku dance, the traditional dance of Dogras, is also performed. The festival highlights religious traditions, historical legacy, and cultural pride of Bhaderwah.

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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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Ladakh is preparing for the 10th Zanskar Festival on 20th–21st September, a key cultural event of the region. The Zanskar Festival is celebrated in the Zanskar valley, located in the Kargil district of the Union Territory of Ladakh. The festival aims to preserve Ladakh’s heritage, ethnic diversity, and traditions while promoting tourism.

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Members of the Raj Gond Tribe from Adilabad, Telangana, performed Gussadi dance for the 78th Hyderabad Liberation Day. Gussadi is a traditional dance of the Raj Gond tribe, also found in parts of Maharashtra. The dance is performed by men, organized into groups called Dandari, with smaller groups called Gussadi. Performers wear saffron and turmeric-colored clothes, bandages on legs and waist, and turbans with peacock feathers, deer horns, and goat skins.

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Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will review the progress of the National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) at Lothal, Gujarat during his one-day Gujarat visit. NMHC is a flagship project under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways’ Sagarmala Programme, with an estimated cost of ₹4,500 crore. Lothal, a 5,000-year-old Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC) port town, is the site of the world’s oldest man-made dockyard. The complex will showcase 5,000 years of India’s maritime history through history, research, education, and entertainment. It will include the world’s tallest lighthouse museum (77 m), floating restaurant, tent city, e-car facilities, and four theme parks.

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Archaeologists in southeastern Turkey discovered a 12,000-year-old T-shaped pillar with a carved human face at Karahantepe, Turkey. It was announced in October 2025 as part of the Taş Tepeler (Stone Hills) Project, which studies early human settlements and spiritual practices. Previously, T-shaped limestone pillars had symbolic arm and hand carvings, but no full human face had been found. The pillar shows deeply carved eyes, broad nose, and sharp facial lines, representing personalized human depiction.

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UNESCO recently launched the Virtual Museum of Stolen Cultural Objects at the MONDIACULT 2025 conference. It is a digital platform reconnecting communities with their stolen cultural treasures. The project aims to create the first virtual immersive reality museum of stolen cultural objects globally. It raises public awareness about illicit trafficking of cultural property and aids in recovery of stolen objects. The museum is financially supported by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and developed in collaboration with INTERPOL. It currently displays around 240 missing objects from 46 countries. From India, it features two 9th-century sandstone sculptures from Mahadev Temple, Pali, Chhattisgarh.

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The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) conducted Operation Fire Trail to stop illegal smuggling of Chinese firecrackers into India. Officers intercepted a 40-foot container at Nhava Sheva Port, declared as carrying “leggings.”
Import of firecrackers is ‘Restricted’ under the ITC (HS) Code of the Foreign Trade Policy. Such imports need license from DGFT (Directorate General of Foreign Trade) and PESO (Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization). Smuggling these hazardous goods threatens public safety, national security, and port infrastructure. The DRI continues efforts to protect trade integrity and prevent organized smuggling.

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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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The traditional ‘Hingot war Festival’ takes place annually in Gautampura, Madhya Pradesh. The festival is organised every year on ‘Dhok Padwa,’ the day after Diwali, to commemorate Mughal–Maratha conflicts of the 17th–18th centuries. According to local folklore, the Hingot War originated from warrior customs of Gurjar soldiers and evolved into a symbolic sport after wars ceased. The region is inhabited mainly by the Gurjar community, known for martial traditions, bravery, and horsemanship. The festival begins after sunset with villagers offering prayers at a temple. Hingot is a local fruit stuffed with gunpowder, tied to a wooden stick, lit, and thrown at opponents like a rocket.