Former Samajwadi Party MP S T Hasan links the Uttarakhand disaster to the demolition of religious sites, claiming it angers God and disrupts spiritual balance. He also cites environmental destruction as a contributing factor to increasing natural disasters.
'When I undertook a study of temple desecration in precolonial India, it was not enough simply to document what temples were desecrated, by whom, when, and where.' 'It was also important to explore the total historical context of such incidents, with a view to discovering patterns, which in turn could reveal the reasons why they occurred.'
A priest of the Jagannath Temple in Puri is setting up a 300-room luxury resort with a strong spiritual focus, aiming to offer a "satvik" experience to pilgrims and travellers seeking spiritual serenity with modern comforts. The beachside project, valued at Rs 200 crore, will be a pure vegetarian and non-liquor retreat, offering a blend of spiritual tranquillity and luxury hospitality. The 'Jagannatham' project, being built on a seven-acre beachfront plot, is expected to open in 14-16 months, before the Rath Yatra of 2026.
Security measures have been intensified in Imphal and Churachandpur, Manipur, in anticipation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's possible visit. The visit comes after months of ethnic violence in the state.
So many of our temples, either in the north or in the South, boast elaborate shikharas, mandapas, vimanas. But the earliest places of worship were sculpted deep into rock faces and hill caves.
At least five people were injured after an assailant attacked people with an iron rod in the Golden Temple premises on Friday.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar accuses the BJP of politicizing the Dharmasthala 'multiple murders and burials' case, criticizing their protests and questioning their motives.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate and lay foundation stones for development projects worth Rs 8,500 crore in Manipur on September 13. This visit marks his first since the outbreak of ethnic violence in May 2023.
'Story-telling is at the core of everything I do.'
Ayodhya district administration has imposed a complete ban on unauthorised drone operations across the district following an order by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath due to potential drone-related threats.
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the custodian of Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple, has barred 18 employees from participating in all religious activities for allegedly partaking in non-Hindu activities. The decision has been defended by the Andhra Pradesh government, citing the need to protect the religious sentiments of Hindu devotees. The move has sparked debate, with some supporting the TTD's stance and others criticizing it as discriminatory.
As Lord Ganesha comes home this year, we take a look at how children welcomed him.
Opposition candidate B Sudershan Reddy appeals to MPs to vote with conscience in the upcoming vice presidential polls, urging them to prioritize the spirit of India and parliamentary traditions over party loyalty.
Devotees thronged the Khaggu Sarai area in Sambhal on Tuesday to offer prayers to an idol of Lord Hanuman that was discovered in the Bhasma Shankar temple, reopened last week after being shut for 46 years.
For Satish Bodas/Rediff, visiting the elaborate Ganpati pandals at Khetwadi, south Mumbai, is an annual event he looks forward to.
The multi-agency search operation to trace 33 missing persons in cloudburst-hit Kishtwar district in Jammu and Kashmir has entered its eighth day. The death toll stands at 65, and rescue efforts are ongoing with the help of multiple agencies and heavy machinery.
Floodwaters reached near the Delhi secretariat, which houses the offices of the chief minister, cabinet ministers and key bureaucrats.
The death toll in the Vaishno Devi landslide has gone up to 32, officials said on Wednesday, a day after disaster struck the route on the hilltop shrine in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district.
Film folk are busy celebrating Ganpati by visiting their friends' homes, pandal-hopping or simply at home.
The message from Sunday's event will undoubtedly reverberate globally. It's a landmark occasion that will be remembered for generations and will inspire many other states to introduce the story of Rajendra Chola into school curricula, says Tarun Vijay.
Expect Bollywood's shiniest to sparkle at the festivities in glorious traditional fashion and gorgeous personal style.
Thank you, Dear Readers, for sharing your pictures of Lord Ganesha. Please continue to e-mail your pictures to getahead@rediff.co.in (My Lord Ganesha Pix) with your name, location and details about your Lord Ganesha and we will publish the best photographs on Rediff.
Vantara will join the Maharashtra government's petition in the Supreme Court to seek the return of elephant Madhuri to a monastery in Kolhapur, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said.
Glimpses from India and around the world that will make you smile and cry.
Ten women died and 30 others were injured after a pick-up van carrying them to a temple fell into a gorge in Pune district. The accident occurred due to the vehicle's failure to climb an incline, possibly due to overloading. PM Modi and CM Fadnavis announced compensation for the victims' families.
Senior BJP leaders and an expelled MLA have questioned the Karnataka government's decision to have author Banu Mushtaq inaugurate the Mysuru Dasara festivities, citing concerns about her faith and its appropriateness for a religious ceremony.
The Odisha government is working to secure copyright for the rituals of Lord Jagannath temple in Puri to protect its traditional cultural expressions, following concerns over untimely celebrations by ISKCON and the declaration of a temple in Digha as 'Jagannath Dham'.
The newly-renovated Hosa Marigudi Temple in Kaup near Udipi, dedicated to Goddess Maariyamma, features a stunning 15 kg gold throne and India's second-largest 1,500 kg bell.
Kailashanand Giri Maharaj of Niranjani Akhara, along with Laurene Powell Jobs, wife of late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, visited the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh on Saturday.
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra has appealed to devotees from nearby areas to postpone their visit to Ayodhya for 15-20 days, citing the large number of devotees flocking to the town since January 26. The trust said this will allow devotees from distant places to have an easier darshan experience. The appeal comes as Ayodhya has witnessed a footfall of around 40 lakh devotees since Monday, choking the roads and bylanes leading to the Ram Temple with huge traffic snarls.
10 Heroes of the 1965 War which ended on September 23 60 years ago.
'Financially we are sound and we have always broken even. 'It is just we don't have the personnel and that is why we have to close down.'
The shocking scenes of physical and psychological trauma unfolded on a massive scale as search and rescue operations were underway, digging out mud-buried bodies and rescuing the injured trapped in slush and rocks after flash floods triggered by a cloudburst devastated Chositi village in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district on Thursday.
Qadri Javed Azad and Makwana Kumar are on a 2,000 km expedition from Porbandar to Pahalgam to spread the message of peace, unity and Operation Sindoor.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat clarified that he never stated he would retire or that others should retire at 75, addressing speculation following his recent remarks.
Sunny meet His Holiness.. Karishma recreates Dil Chahta Hai moment... Rajkummar says a prayer...
International Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq has affirmed her respect for the Dasara festival and Goddess Chamundeshwari, following objections from BJP leaders regarding her invitation to inaugurate the event.
The 10-day Ganesh festival has begun in Maharashtra, with devotees welcoming Lord Ganesha into their homes and public pandals. The state government has declared the celebrations a state festival for the first time.
A man in Gujarat allegedly murdered a five-year-old girl by slitting her throat and offered her blood on the steps of a temple in a suspected case of human sacrifice. The accused, Lala Tadvi, abducted the victim from her house in the presence of her mother and later inflicted fatal injuries on her neck using an axe. Police are investigating the motive behind the murder.
A wedding held at a 200-year-old temple in Madhya Pradesh's Indore has kicked up a row, prompting the authorities to order a probe into the matter, officials said on Monday.
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