Art & Culture Current Affairs MCQs

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Exploring the Chandravalli cave complex in Karnataka, also known as Ankali Math, reveals a historical site with multiple chambers including a puja area with a shivlinga. Excavations uncovered artifacts from the Hoysala, Satavahana, and Vijayanagara dynasties, and a rock inscription from the Kadamba dynasty. The site shows connections to Rome and China through discovered coins and features paintings done in organic paint.

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The world’s largest Ramayan temple is being built in East Champaran, Bihar. It will be three times larger than the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and taller than Angkor Wat in Cambodia. The temple features a 33-foot tall shivling, made of black granite from Mahabalipuram, and includes 22 smaller temples dedicated to key deities from the Ramayana. The main shikhar rises to 270 feet, with architectural inspiration drawn from notable temples in India and Cambodia.

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A geospatial analysis using satellite images and ground surveys revealed “huge architectural wealth” buried in the Mahabodhi temple complex in Bodh Gaya, Bihar. The Mahabodhi Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2002, marks the Buddha’s Enlightenment spot. Built by Emperor Asoka in the 3rd century B.C., the current structure dates to the 5th-6th centuries and is a key example of early brick architecture and sculptural reliefs.

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The anti-encroachment drive at Vishalgad Fort turned violent as miscreants attacked local shopkeepers and pelted stones at police. Vishalgad Fort, located in Kolhapur district, Maharashtra, is an ancient fort built in 1058 by Shilahara king Marsinh. It was later captured by various dynasties, including the Yadavas, Khiljis, Vijayanagar, and Adil Shahi. In 1659, Shivaji seized it and renamed it Vishalgad, meaning “grand fort.”

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The Bhojshala complex in Madhya Pradesh, built in 1034 AD by Raja Bhoja of the Paramara dynasty, is constructed from remains of an earlier temple. Historically significant, it served as a university for subjects like music, astronomy, and philosophy. The site faced attacks in 1305 and 1514 AD, with attempts to convert it into a dargah. Engravings include Prakrit hymns and Sanskrit inscriptions. It was declared a national monument in 1951 and is protected by the ASI.

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The Sangameshwara Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, has recently been submerged in the backwaters of the Srisailam project in Nandyal district due to heavy inflow from the Krishna River. Located in Andhra Pradesh, the temple was originally built in 740 AD by Chalukya ruler Pulakesin II on the Krishna River bank. It was originally situated where the Tungabhadra and Krishna Rivers merge, 10 km from its current location. To prevent submersion from the Srisailam Dam’s construction, the temple was dismantled and rebuilt at its current site in 1979, maintaining its historical and religious significance.

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Archaeologists recently found Vattezhuthu and eight Tamil inscriptions at the Thalikiswarar temple in Tirupur district, Tamil Nadu, dating back 1100 years. Vattezhuthu, a syllabic script used in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Sri Lanka, was used to write Tamil and Malayalam. It emerged around the 4th century AD from the Tamil-Brahmi script and evolved into the modern Malayalam script by the 15th century.

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The Assam government is planning a grand Jhumur dance performance with 8,000 tea tribe artists. Jhumur is a traditional dance of Assam’s tea tribes, performed during autumn. It features young girls dancing in fields or under trees, with male members playing instruments like the Madal drum, flute, and Taals. The dance depicts daily life, joys, sorrows, and aspirations, and serves as recreation, ritual worship, courting, and prayer for rain.

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The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams canceled Arjitha sevas and privileged darshans during the 9-day Tirumala Brahmotsavams at Tirumala Tirupati Sri Venkateshwara Temple. This festival, initiated by Lord Brahma, includes grand events like Garuda Seva and Vahanaseva. The temple, located in the Seshachalam Hills, Andhra Pradesh, is dedicated to Lord Sri Venkateswara and features Dravidian architecture.

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The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has started copying stone inscriptions at the Thalishwarar temple in Tamil Nadu using the estampage method. This involves cleaning the stones, transferring the engravings to maplitho paper, inking it, and recording details. The replicated inscriptions, including those in ancient Tamil scripts from the 9th and 12th centuries, offer insights into historical lifestyles and the temple’s construction by a Chera ruler.