Latest Arts and Culture General Knowledge(GK) Questions and answers

1 .

Which museum signs(19th Aug 2022) deal to return 7 ancient artefacts to India?

A)

Rijksmuseum

B)

Louvre Museum

C)

Van Gogh Museum

D)

Scotland Museum

Correct Answer : Scotland Museum

Scotland Museums in the Scottish city of Glasgow on Friday(19th Aug 2022) signed an agreement with the Indian government to repatriate seven stolen artefacts to India.

Glasgow Life, a charitable organisation which runs the city's museums, had confirmed the handover earlier this year and the arrangement was formalised at a transfer of ownership ceremony at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in the presence of Acting Indian High Commissioner to the UK Sujit Ghosh.

The seven antiquities to now find their way back to India include a ceremonial Indo-Persian talwar or sword, believed to date back to the 14th century, and an 11th century carved stone door jamb taken from a temple in Kanpur.

We are delighted that our partnership with Glasgow Life has resulted in a decision to restitute Indian artefacts from Glasgow museums to India, said Ghosh..

Source : Business Standard

2 .

After A Gap Of Two Years, 2022 Kharchi Festival begins In which state?

A)

Manipur

B)

Meghalaya

C)

Tripura

D)

Nagaland

Correct Answer : Tripura

Kharchi Festival is back with all its pomp and fervour. This year, the festival will be celebrated with much grandeur as it was halted for the past two years due to the covid-19 pandemic.

* It is a 7-day-long celebration which will begin on July 7 and will end on July 13, 2022. The festivity will take place in Agartala, West Tripura district.

* Khar means sin and chi means cleaning. Therefore, it is known as the cleaning of sins festival. In Kharchi Festival, 14 deities are worshipped. The festivity will take place at Chaturdash Devata Mandie, located 8kn away from the celebration.

* The 14 gods which are prayed to during the festivity are Saraswati, Durga, Lakshmi, Shiva, Durga, Kartikeya, Brahma, Ganesh, Ganga, Agni, Himadri, Prithvi, Samudra and Kamadeva.

* The festival begins with the head priest and others, carrying these 14 deities to the river. After the holy ceremony of bathing them is over, the idols are brought back to Chaturdash temple with flowers, petals and other elements which are used during the puja. Out of 14 idols, 11 idols are kept inside Andarmahal once the festivity gets over. Only three idols are worshipped throughout the year..

Source : Outlookindia

3 .

Lord Jagannath Yatra takes place in which state of India?

A)

Assam

B)

Odisha

C)

Telangana

D)

Uttar Pradesh

Correct Answer : Odisha

In Hinduism, the Jagannath Rath Yatra is one of the important festivals. The Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha, organises this Rath Yatra. Jagannath Rath Yatra is held every year on the second day of Shukla Paksha in the month of Ashadha, as per the Hindu calendar. Every year, thousands of devotees flock to the yatra.

2022 Jagannath Rath Yatra : July 1, 2022

4 .

The four-day Ambubachi Mela begins at the "Kamakhya Temple" in which state?

A)

Meghalaya

B)

Nagaland

C)

Tripura

D)

Assam

Correct Answer : Assam

Guwahati : The annual Ambubachi Mela at Assam’s famed Kamakhya Temple began on Wednesday(22nd June 2022) with devotees allowed to participate after a gap of two years.

As a part of the rituals, the temple doors were symbolically closed for four days with the ‘Pravritti’ on Wednesday(22nd June 2022), Maa Kamakhya Devalaya’s head priest or ‘Bor Doloi’ Kabinath Sarma said.

‘Nivriti’ or the opening of the door will take place on the morning of June 26, he said.

In view of the devastating floods in the state, the festival is being observed in a subdued manner this time.

“As the auspicious Ambubachi Mela begins from today, I pray to Maa Kamakhya to bless everyone with good health, happiness & prosperity, besides help us ward off all evils,” Chief Minister "Himanta Biswa Sarma" tweeted..

Source : The Print

5 .

Which state has celebrated the 'Sao Joao' festival in India?

A)

Goa

B)

Assam

C)

Meghalaya

D)

Uttar Pradesh

Correct Answer : Goa

The people of Goa has celebrated(24th June 2022) the "Sao Joao" festival, the feast of St John the Baptist with traditional enthusiasm after a two-year coronavirus-induced gap.

The festival is dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, who baptised Lord Jesus on the river of Jordan and is celebrated at the onset of monsoon. Siolim, a village in North Goa, hosts a traditional canoe parade on the occasion of Sao Joao.

About the festival :

A large number of people participated in the boat parade in Siolim village of Goa’s Bardez taluka, marking the beginnng of revelry in the ‘Sao Joao’ festival.

Traditionally, people jump into the well but since the wells are fast disappearing, people prefer to celebrate it in swimming pools. The festival is marked to herald the monsoon season in the state every year in June. People are often seen having a great time by enjoying and dancing in the artificial rain which adds charm to the celebrations..

Source : Hindustan Times

6 .

'Sital Sasthi' festival being celebrated in which state?

A)

Odisha

B)

Maharashtra

C)

Telangana

D)

Madhya Pradesh

Correct Answer : Odisha

Sital Sasthi is a sacred Hindu festival is being celebrated in Odisha (6th June 2022). This week-long special festival highlights the marriage of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. According to the Hindu calendar, Sital Sasthi is observed on the sixth day of the Jyestha month during the Shukla Paksha.

People observing this festival believe that Lord Shiva represents the scorching heat of summer while Goddess Parvati signifies the first rain. So, this holy and lavish wedding is observed for a good monsoon.

Sital Sasthi is a celebration wherein Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati are adopted by two families, and their wedding is solemnised with the involvement of rituals. After the marriage is performed, the God and Goddess are then carried around the city via a procession

During the week-long festival, devotees in large numbers take part in the most famous Sitala Sasthi Yatra that is conducted at Sambalpur in Western Odisha..

Source : News On Air

7 .

Which state/ UT is hosting India's first Lavender Festival here?

A)

Sikkim

B)

Meghalaya

C)

Jammu and Kashmir

D)

Arunachal Pradesh

Correct Answer : Jammu and Kashmir

India's first 'Lavender Festival' was inaugurated by Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh on May 26, 2022 at Bhaderwah, a town in the district Doda of Jammu Division of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The Union Minister described Bhaderwah as the birthplace of India's Purple Revolution. Referring to the lavender cultivation in the region, the Minister said that Lavender is an avenue of employment generation and research opening many paradigms of development for the region.

8 .

Rakhigarhi, one of the oldest Harappan sites is located in which Indian state?

A)

Maharashtra

B)

Haryana

C)

Karnataka

D)

Uttar Pradesh

Correct Answer : Haryana

Rakhigarhi, the largest Indus Valley site in India, was discovered by archaeologists in 1998. It is a village in Hisar, Haryana, located about 150 kilometres from Delhi. It is one of the five iconic archaeological sites mentioned by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during her Budget Speech in February 2020.

9 .

How many UNESCO World Heritage Sites are there in India?

A)

35

B)

40

C)

47

D)

53

Correct Answer : 40

There are 40 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India. Dholavira and Ramappa Temple are the latest addition to the list under the ‘Cultural’ category. ‘Ramappa Temple’, Telangana and ‘Dholavira’, Gujarat which is included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites in 2021. This decision was made in the UNESCO World Heritage Committee’s 44th session held in China. In 2021 the total number of World Heritage Sites has increased from 38 to 40.

What is UNESCO World Heritage Site?

UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). This is exemplified by the Convention regarding the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, accepted by UNESCO in 1972.

Criteria for UNESCO World Heritage Sites :

1. Human creative genius.

2. Interchange of values.

3. Testimony to cultural tradition.

4. Significance in human history.

5. Traditional human settlement.

6. Heritage associated with events of universal significance.

7. Natural phenomena or beauty.

8. Major stages of Earth’s history.

9. Significant ecological and biological processes.

10. The significant natural habitat for biodiversity.

List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India :

S.No	Name of Sites	Year	Location
1	Ajanta Caves	1983	Maharashtra
2	Ellora Caves	1983	Maharashtra
3	Agra Fort	1983	Agra
4	Taj Mahal	1983	Agra
5	Sun Temple	1984	Orissa
6	Mahabalipuram Monuments	1984	Tamil Nadu
7	Kaziranga National Park	1985	Assam
8	Keoladeo National Park	1985	Rajasthan
9	Manas Wildlife Sanctuary	1985	Assam
10	Churches and Convents of Goa	1986	Goa
11	Monuments of Khajuraho	1986	Madhya Pradesh
12	Monuments of Hampi	1986	Karnataka
13	Fatehpur Sikri	1986	Agra
14	Elephanta Caves	1987	Maharashtra
15	Great Living Chola Temples	1987	Tamil Nadu
16	Pattadakal Monuments	1987	Karnataka
17	Sundarbans National Park	1987	West Bengal
18	Nanda Devi & Valley of Flowers National Park	1988	Uttarakhand
19	Monuments of Buddha	1989	Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh
20	Humayun’s Tomb	1993	Delhi
21	Qutub Minar and its Monuments	1993	Delhi
22	Mountain Railways of Darjeeling, Kalka Shimla & Nilgiri	1999	Darjeeling
23	Mahabodhi Temple	2002	Bihar
24	Bhimbetka Rock Shelters	2003	Madhya Pradesh
25	Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus	2004	Maharashtra
26	ChampanerPavagadh Archaeological Park	2004	Gujarat
27	Red Fort	2007	Delhi
28	Jantar Mantar	2010	Delhi
29	Western Ghats	2012	Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra
30	Hill Forts	2013	Rajasthan
31	Rani Ki Vav (The Queen’s Stepwell)	2014	Gujarat
32	Great Himalayan National Park	2014	Himachal Pradesh
33	Nalanda	2016	Bihar
34	Khangchendzonga National Park	2016	Sikkim
35	Architectural Work of Le Corbusier (Capitol Complex)	2016	Chandigarh
36	The Historic City	2017	Ahmedabad
37	Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles	2018	Mumbai
38	The Pink City	2019	Jaipur
39	Kakatiya Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple	2021	Telangana
40	Dholavira	2021	Gujarat

10 .

Which company signs MoU with West Bengal govt to train and support local artisans?

A)

TATA

B)

Google

C)

Amazon

D)

Flipkart

Correct Answer : Flipkart

* Flipkart has signed an MoU with the West Bengal government to support and train local artisans, weavers and handicraft makers.

* Aim : To leverage its e-commerce platform to scale up small businesses nationally.

* The agreement was signed with West Bengal's micro, small and medium enterprises and textiles department.

* Flipkart Samarth programme will empower artisans/weavers in the state.

Source : Financial Express