Art & Culture Current Affairs MCQs

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The Rüsoma Orange Festival is a two-day festival held in Rüsoma Village, Kohima, Nagaland. The festival’s goal is to encourage rural farmers to promote organic products and generate income. The festival also helps to strengthen the village’s economy.

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Shumang Leela, a traditional Manipuri theatre form, faces challenges due to ethnic violence, impacting its artists and jeopardizing the state’s cultural richness. Originating as a comic genre for royalty, it has evolved into a powerful medium for mass education and entertainment. In this unique theatre, male actors portray female roles (Nupi Shabis), and transgender actors take on female characters. The plays aim to educate the public on social, political, and economic issues, with two types – Nupa Shumang Leela (performed only by men) and Nupi Shumang Leela (performed only by women).

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Tamil Nadu’s Republic Day Parade 2024 featured the Kudavolai System, an ancient electoral method dating back to the 10th century Chola era. Documented in Uthiramerur inscriptions, it was employed to elect village administration representatives. The system involved dividing villages into wards, with residents choosing their representatives through a unique process: contestants’ names on palm leaf tickets (volai) placed in a pot (kuda), and a boy selecting tickets to declare elected leaders. Tamil Nadu’s tableau showcasing this historical system earned the third-best award.

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The Subika painting style, intricately linked to Meitei cultural history, faces near extinction due to neglect. Its survival depends on six manuscripts—Subika, Subika Achouba, Subika Laishaba, Subika Choudit, Subika Cheithil, and Thengrakhel Subika. Subika Laishaba is a vital continuation of Meitei tradition through visual images. Despite Manipur’s historical significance, Subika paintings, estimated to date back to the 18th or 19th century, highlight a decline in visual arts, emphasizing the need for preservation efforts.

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The Ministry of Tourism has added Ajanta and Ellora caves in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar to its Swadesh Darshan Scheme II. Located in Maharashtra, these UNESCO World Heritage sites boast 29 Ajanta and 34 Ellora caves, showcasing ancient rock-cut marvels from 2nd century BC to 11th century AD. Ajanta, predominantly Buddhist, served as a retreat, while Ellora displays a mix of Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist structures. The Kailash Temple in Ellora, a monolithic marvel, took 18 years to carve and is designated as a UNESCO site.

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Chhattisgarh’s Ocher Studio is championing the preservation of India’s 4,000-year-old craft, Dhokra Shilpkala. Derived from the Dhokra Damar tribes, traditional metal smiths of Central India, this art form originated in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Odisha. Dhokra Shilpkala stands out for its unique metal casting technique, employing the lost wax casting method. Artisans draw inspiration from nature and mythology, creating intricate designs featuring animals, birds, deities, and tribal symbols. However, the craft faces threats from urbanization and mechanized production, endangering traditional livelihoods.

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On February 14, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) Mandir in Abu Dhabi. BAPS, a socio-spiritual Hindu faith rooted in the Vedas, was formally established in 1907 CE. It promotes practical spirituality and addresses spiritual, moral, and social challenges. BAPS followers adhere to five lifetime vows, and the organization is involved in global humanitarian activities, education, women’s development, and holds NGO status with the UN Economic and Social Council.

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Archaeologists recently uncovered Morodharo, a Harappan-era fortified settlement in Kutch District, Gujarat. Dating from 2,600 to 1,300 BCE, the settlement spans the mature to late Harappan period. The fortification, measuring 102m east to west and 58m north to south, boasts a 3.3m thick wall. Features include a 10x10m platform, a well, burial cairns, and Harappan pottery with perforated jar sherds. Resembling finds from Dholavira, the discovery sheds light on this ancient civilization.

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Four bone fragments of Lord Buddha, known as Kapilvastu Relics, discovered by William Claxton Peppé in 1898 at Piprahwa, Uttar Pradesh, will be taken to Thailand after 30 years. The relics were excavated from the ancient city of Kapilavastu. According to Buddhist beliefs, Buddha attained salvation in Uttar Pradesh’s Kushinagar at the age of 80, and his relics were divided among different communities to erect stupas, with Ashoka later enshrining them in numerous stupas to spread Buddhism.

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The 50th Khajuraho Dance Festival, 2024, commenced on February 20, inaugurated by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav. Scheduled until the 26th, the festival features diverse classical dance styles performed by over 1500 Kathak artistes. Originating in 1975, the festival is organized by the Ustad Alauddin Khan Academy of Music and Arts, promoting various dance forms and drawing renowned artists like Padmashree Ranjana Gauhar and Pandit Rajendra Gangani, aiming to boost tourism in Madhya Pradesh.