Art & Culture Current Affairs MCQs

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Bagad Rath Yatra is a vibrant festival in Wai, Maharashtra, celebrated on Rang Panchami. It honors Lord Bhairavnath with a unique ritual where a devotee, ‘Bagadya,’ is suspended from a tall wooden chariot. The festival symbolizes community unity and deep-rooted cultural traditions. It has a 350-year-old history, showcasing seamless collaboration among participants. Powerful invocations and rituals reflect the strength and inspiration drawn from cultural heritage. The festival’s demanding tasks appear effortless due to devotion and collective spirit.

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The Ministry of Culture is dedicated to preserving public art installations created under the Public Art of India (PARI) project. PARI, launched by the Ministry of Culture, aims to celebrate and enhance India’s public art scene. It is executed by the Lalit Kala Akademi and the National Gallery of Modern Art. The project showcases diverse regional art forms like Phad, Thangka, Gond, and Warli through over 200 artists. Currently, PARI is implemented only in Delhi. The project blends India’s cultural heritage with contemporary themes, fostering dialogue and reflection in public spaces.

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Goa is celebrating the Shigmo Festival from March 15 to March 29. This two-week cultural event marks the arrival of spring in the Konkan region with colorful parades, folk dances, and cultural performances. Goa Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte highlighted its cultural importance as part of Goa’s heritage alongside Carnival. The festival, also called Shigmotsav, is a Hindu celebration coinciding with Phalgun, the month of spring. It is celebrated across 18 constituencies in Goa, honoring both cultural and spiritual traditions.

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Bithoor Mahotsav was held in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, from 21st to 23rd March 2025. It is an annual festival celebrated at Bithoor, a place with historical and mythological significance. The festival highlights the Revolution of 1857 through imagery, theatre, music, drama, and cultural performances. The 2025 edition focused on the shared culture and historical heritage of Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.

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Sarhul Festival is celebrated by Adivasi communities in Jharkhand and the Chotanagpur region to mark spring and the new year. Sarhul means “worship of the Sal tree”, symbolizing the union of the Sun and Earth for life. The Sal tree is sacred and believed to be the abode of Sarna Maa, the village deity. Three-day celebration includes cleaning, gathering Sal flowers, fasting, rituals at Sarna Sthals (Sacred Groves), sacrifices, prayers, and a community feast with Handia (rice beer). Tribes like Oraon, Munda, Santal, Khadia, and Ho celebrate it.

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Cheiraoba is considered to be one of the most important festivals of Manipur and it marks the beginning of the lunar new year for the people of Meitei community of Manipur and across the globe. The festival is also called as Sajibu Nongma Pānba which means “First day of Sajibu Month”.

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During his recent visit to Thailand, the Indian Prime Minister gifted a Dokra Brass Peacock Boat to the Thailand’s Prime Minister as a symbol of cultural friendship. The sculpture is shaped like a peacock boat and decorated with detailed patterns and colorful lacquer inlays, showcasing traditional craftsmanship. Dokra or Dhokra art is an ancient Indian metal casting technique that uses the lost wax method and dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization. The art is named after the Dhokra Damar tribes and is also practiced by the Gadwas, Gonds, and Dhurwas tribes in Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Odisha, and Jharkhand. Each piece is unique as the mold used is destroyed after one casting.

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Rongali Bihu, also called Bohag Bihu, is celebrated in Assam from April 14 to April 20, 2025, marking the Assamese New Year. It signals the start of the agricultural season and holds great cultural importance in the state. The word “Rongali” comes from “Rong,” meaning joy, showing the happy and colourful nature of the festival. Rongali Bihu welcomes spring and marks the beginning of sowing activities for farmers. It is a time of gratitude and hope when farmers pray for a good harvest and celebrate nature’s blessings with dance, music, and traditional feasts.

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The classical Indian texts Natyashastra by Bharat Muni and Shrimad Bhagavad Gita have been added to the Memory of the World Register by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). This announcement was made by Union Minister for Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on 18 April 2025. With this, India now has a total of 14 inscriptions in the UNESCO Memory of the World Register. UNESCO’s Executive Board met in Paris, France, on 17 April 2025 and approved 74 new entries. These 74 documentaries come from 72 countries and four international organisations. The new entries include topics like the scientific revolution, women’s historical contributions, and global cooperation.

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The Bamiyan Buddhas were two massive statues carved in the 6th century CE into sandstone cliffs of the Bamiyan Valley in central Afghanistan. They stood at 174 feet and 115 feet tall and were named Salsal, meaning “light shines through the universe,” and Shamama, meaning “Queen Mother.” These statues belonged to the Gandhara School of Buddhist Art, known for mixing Indian, Persian, and Greco-Roman art styles. They symbolized a blend of Gupta, Sassanian, and Hellenistic influences and represented the cultural exchange along the Silk Road. The statues marked the spread of Buddhism across Central and South Asia from the 1st to 13th centuries. In recent context, the Taliban—who destroyed the statues in 2001—are reportedly showing a shift in their attitude toward heritage preservation, suggesting possible support for restoring historical sites.