Festivals, Fairs, Paintings and Heritage Sites
Festivals, Fairs, Paintings and Heritage Sites
The last part of art and culture covers folk paintings by state, festivals and fairs, and India's places on UNESCO's lists. NTPC asks "which state" for paintings and festivals, and recent UNESCO inscriptions as current-affairs questions.
1. Paintings and Crafts by State
| Painting | State |
|---|---|
| Madhubani (Mithila) | Bihar |
| Warli | Maharashtra |
| Pattachitra | Odisha (also West Bengal) |
| Kalamkari | Andhra Pradesh |
| Cheriyal scroll | Telangana |
| Gond | Madhya Pradesh |
| Pithora | Gujarat |
| Tanjore | Tamil Nadu |
| Kalighat | West Bengal |
| Phad | Rajasthan |
| Kangra (miniature) | Himachal Pradesh |
2. Festivals and Fairs
| Festival or fair | State |
|---|---|
| Hornbill Festival | Nagaland |
| Onam | Kerala |
| Pongal | Tamil Nadu |
| Chhath | Bihar |
| Nuakhai | Odisha |
| Wangala | Meghalaya |
| Hemis | Ladakh |
| Pushkar Fair | Rajasthan |
| Sonepur Mela | Bihar (one of Asia's largest cattle fairs) |
| Kumbh Mela | Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain, Nashik |
3. India on UNESCO's Lists
| List | Key facts |
|---|---|
| Intangible Cultural Heritage | 16 Indian elements; latest Deepavali (December 2025, at the 20th session held at the Red Fort, New Delhi); others include Durga Puja in Kolkata (2021), Garba (2023), Kumbh Mela (2017), Yoga (2016) and Ramlila (2008) |
| World Heritage Sites | 45 sites; latest the Ancient Buddhist Site of Sarnath (July 2026, 48th session, Busan); Maratha Military Landscapes added in 2025 |
| Mixed site | Khangchendzonga National Park, Sikkim (India's only mixed site) |
✗ Warli painting belongs to Bihar | ✓ Warli is from Maharashtra; Madhubani is from Bihar
✗ Diwali was inscribed by UNESCO in 2023 | ✓ Garba was inscribed in 2023; Deepavali was inscribed in December 2025
हिंदी नोट: मधुबनी चित्रकला बिहार की, वारली महाराष्ट्र की, चेरियाल स्क्रॉल तेलंगाना की और गोंड मध्य प्रदेश की है। दिसंबर 2025 में दीपावली यूनेस्को की अमूर्त सांस्कृतिक विरासत सूची में शामिल हुई (भारत का 16वाँ तत्व)। जुलाई 2026 में सारनाथ भारत का 45वाँ विश्व धरोहर स्थल बना।
Exam Pointer: Verified NTPC patterns: the state of Cheriyal scroll painting (March 2026 Graduate CBT-1) and the festival inscribed by UNESCO in 2021 (June 2022 CBT-2). The 2025 and 2026 UNESCO facts were checked on 7 October 2026.
Pariksha Pattern: Every Way NTPC Asks This Topic
Pattern 1: Paintings and their states
[PYQ: NTPC Graduate CBT-1 16-Mar-2026 Shift-3]
EXAM LEVEL
Q. Cheriyal scroll painting belongs to which state?
Telangana.
Answer: Telangana
EXAMATLAS LEVEL
Q. Match the painting with the state: Pithora, Phad, Kalighat.
Pithora: Gujarat. Phad: Rajasthan. Kalighat: West Bengal.
Answer: Gujarat, Rajasthan, West Bengal
Pattern 2: UNESCO intangible heritage
[PYQ: NTPC CBT-2 17-Jun-2022 Shift-1]
EXAM LEVEL
Q. Which festival was inscribed on UNESCO's intangible heritage list in 2021?
Durga Puja in Kolkata.
Answer: Durga Puja
EXAMATLAS LEVEL
Q. Which Indian festival was inscribed in December 2025, where was that UNESCO session held, and how many Indian elements are now on the list?
Deepavali, at the 20th session held at the Red Fort, New Delhi; it is India's 16th element.
Answer: Deepavali; Red Fort, New Delhi; 16
Pattern 3: World Heritage Sites
[Pattern: syllabus-based, PYQ-style]
EXAM LEVEL
Q. Which is India's only mixed (natural and cultural) World Heritage Site?
Khangchendzonga National Park, Sikkim.
Answer: Khangchendzonga National Park
EXAMATLAS LEVEL
Q. Which site became India's 45th World Heritage Site in July 2026, and which was added in 2025?
The Ancient Buddhist Site of Sarnath (2026, Busan session); the Maratha Military Landscapes (2025).
Answer: Sarnath; Maratha Military Landscapes
Pattern 4: Festivals and fairs
[Pattern: syllabus-based, PYQ-style]
EXAM LEVEL
Q. In which state is the Hornbill Festival held?
Nagaland.
Answer: Nagaland
EXAMATLAS LEVEL
Q. In which states are the Sonepur Mela and Nuakhai celebrated, and where is the Hemis festival held?
Sonepur Mela: Bihar. Nuakhai: Odisha. Hemis: Ladakh.
Answer: Bihar, Odisha; Ladakh
60-Second Revision
- Madhubani Bihar; Warli Maharashtra; Cheriyal Telangana; Gond MP; Pattachitra Odisha.
- Hornbill Nagaland; Onam Kerala; Nuakhai Odisha; Sonepur Bihar.
- UNESCO ICH: 16 elements, latest Deepavali (Dec 2025).
- World Heritage: 45 sites, latest Sarnath (Jul 2026); only mixed site Khangchendzonga.
Next Step: Art and Culture done. Revise the state-wise tables in the ExamAtlas RRB NTPC 2026 mock tests; most culture questions are one-line "which state" questions.