Art & Culture Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
Recently, a debate on folk music aesthetics emerged after the Goa State Cabinet declared the Ghumot as the state’s heritage instrument in 2019, without using monitor lizard skin. Ghumot, also called Ghumat, is a traditional percussion instrument used in Goa’s religious and cultural practices. It is made from a clay pot with one side open and the other covered with animal skin, now mostly goat hide instead of the banned Indian monitor lizard skin. The instrument is also important during festivals like Zagor and Shigmo, organized by village committees.

Notes:
Recently, a rare 15th-century antique lamp with Shaiva (Lord Shiva) and Vaishnavaite (Lord Vishnu) carvings was discovered at the Anantapadmanabha temple in Perduru, Udupi district, Karnataka. Historian T. Murugeshi confirmed it was donated by Basavannaras Banga in 1456 Common Era, based on a stone inscription inside the temple. The lamp has two faces with detailed narrative sculptures. One face shows Lord Shiva as Nataraja performing Pralaya Tandava, with Parvati, Ganapati, Bringi, Khadga Ravana, and Kumara. The second face shows Brahma, Indra, Anantapadmanabha, Agni, and Varuna, describing gods praying to Lord Anantapadmanabha to calm Shiva’s destructive dance.

Notes:
India’s Defence Minister recently gifted a Madhubani painting to his Chinese counterpart during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Qingdao, China. Madhubani painting, also called Mithila painting, comes from the Madhubani district in the Mithila region of Bihar. It is traditionally made by women using fingers, twigs, nib-pens, matchsticks, and brushes with natural dyes and bright earthy colours.

Notes:
The three-day Sakambari festival began on July 7, 2025, at Kanaka Durga Temple on Indrakeeladri hill, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. The presiding deity is decorated as Sakambari Devi, goddess of nourishment and vegetation, using vegetables, fruits, green leaves, and flowers. The festival is observed every year from ‘Ashada Shuddha Trayodashi’ to ‘Ashada Pournami’, aligned with the farming season.

Notes:
The Behdienkhlam festival recently celebrated in Jowai, Meghalaya with vibrant celebrations and religious devotion by the Pnar (Jaintia) community. It is the most important indigenous religious festival of the Jaintias tribe. and is celebrated annually in mid-July after the sowing season. ‘Behdienkhlam’ means “driving away the plague or pestilence” using sticks.

Notes:
Lungphun Ropui in Lianpui village, Champhai district, Mizoram, was officially declared a Monument of National Importance by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on July 14, 2025. This is the second site in Mizoram to receive this recognition. The declaration came after a site visit on July 7, 2025 by ASI Director (Monuments) A.M.V. Subramanyam. The site is protected under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958. Known for its ancient menhirs (carved stone structures), it reflects early Mizo life, rituals, and beliefs.

Notes:
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.

Notes:
The 11th Malabar River Festival, an international white-water kayaking championship, held on July 27, 2025, in Kerala. The three-day event is organized by Kerala Adventure Tourism Promotion Society (KATPS) and Kozhikode District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC). It is supported by Indian Kayaking & Canoeing Association (IKCA) and local panchayats. Events are held on Iruvazhinjipuzha and Chalippuzha rivers.

Notes:
A Marathi-Hindi language row has emerged recently at the Vitthal-Rukhmini Temple in Pandharpur, Maharashtra. The temple is dedicated to Lord Vithoba, a form of Lord Vishnu or Krishna, and his consort Rukhmini. It is located on the banks of the river Bhima (also called Chandrabhaga). The temple is one of the 108 Abhimana Kshethrams of the Vaishnavate tradition. The temple follows Hemadpanti style architecture, rebuilt in the 17th century in Deccan style by Peshwas, Shindes, and Holkars.

Notes:
The Kodali Karuppur silk sari, once a luxury garment patronised by the Maratha kings of Thanjavur, is now facing a crisis due to declining traditional handloom weavers. It is named after Karuppur, a village near Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu. These handwoven saris, dhotis, and furnishings combined hand painting, block printing, and brocade weaving, popular till the 19th century. They evolved under Serfoji Raja Bhonsle Chhatrapati II (1787-1832) and were made for the Ranis of Thanjavur. The sari does not have a GI (Geographical Indication) tag.