The mini utensils made of mud crafted by local potters and the gharaunda [miniature house] are unique to Diwali in Bihar.
Acharya Jonas Masetti, a Vedanta scholar from Brazil, was awarded the Padma Shri for teaching the Vedas, the Bhagavad Gita, Sanskrit, Yoga, Meditation and Indian spiritualism abroad.
What tasks they accomplished, how they stayed fit, what did they eat, whom did they meet, what they brought back... amazing stories from an epic voyage.
'It was pitch-dark when we rounded Cape Horn. The waves were coming in full force. It was like a washing machine - -both of us and our boat Tarini.' Naval officer Lt Cdrs Dilna and Roopa describe their amazing voyage around the globe.
'Surgical strikes or air strikes, or both, are likely on the table.'
'...without massive amounts of force.'
'The Pacific crossing was the longest and toughest leg.' 'Temperatures dropped near zero and they navigated through two cyclones.'
'The precision strikes were well planned and excellently executed. The world will be studying this operation.'
'We need to be very vigilant as we are passing through some fraught times.'
'Although China has been ruling over Tibet for past 75 years, it has no legitimacy.'
'When we get justice we will stop the protest.'
'It brings precarious peace because the red lines have shifted. 'The next Pahalgam attack would mean a full scale war.'
'Munir hopes to solidify his hold on power.'
Chandrasekhar -- former minister of state for Electronics and IT -- disagreed with Musk's opinion about EVMs, and argued that the latter's statement was a "huge sweeping generalisation".
Fort Kochi's charm lies in its oldness. Put on that cap, lace up your sneakers and those 10,000 steps are easy-peasy!
'The switch can't be shut off by an accidental brush of the hand, but needs effort, conscious physical action to operate it.' 'Was it the software of the aeroplane that caused the switch to turn off?' 'Was it the hardware of the aeroplane?' 'Was it both software and hardware put together?'
Every Indian must visit the National War Memorial in Delhi where every soldier who made the supreme sacrifice for the Motherland is remembered in gold letters.
'Diplomatic and economic responses are first announced and then implemented. A military response is announced only after it is done.'
'A few answers for the reason of the crash will be known -- whether it was a technical fault, design issue, human error etc.'
'Indian Army officers always lead their men into battle or combat. Pakistani officers are seldom seen at the front.'
'Youngsters in India look up to the West as if it is the biggest accomplishment they need in life. It breaks my heart.'
An illuminating conversation with Chandu Borde, 90, one of India's finest cricketers in the 1960s.
'War is not an answer. War is not a solution.' 'Deterrence is a solution. We should have the stick with us with which we can beat Pakistan.'
'Pakistan is no longer a front-burner issue for America.'
'He is intrigued by the intractability of Kashmir issue. With his interest in dealmaking and peacebrokering, he sees it as an exciting challenge to tackle.'
'No military offensive by Pakistan will end the insurgency in Balochistan without simultaneous, concerted efforts toward political dialogue to de-escalate tensions.'
As we celebrate women achievers who are excelling in their careers, here are incredible tales of hard work and perseverance to inspire you this week.
'Decline of the UN did not start with the Trump administration. It has been happening over the last two decades or more.'
'It was the toughest of roles because he had to change quickly behind the sofa and come out in the next dress!'
'We used to get Rs 250 for a Test match, and if the match was over in 4 days, 50 rupees were cut.'
'He has to face both aspects of life to mature as a cricketer.'
Biman Basu, the senior-most Marxist leader in the country, pays homage to a comrade he has known and admired since the 1980s.
24 hours before campaigning ends in Thiruvanathapuram, Archana Masih/Rediff.com discovers Shashi Tharoor and his BJP rival Rajeev Chandrasekhar are busy getting their message across to voters.
'When compared to many of America's treaty allies in Asia, Modi 3.0 is on a much stronger footing.'
'Trump's desire to withdraw the US from some arenas on the global stage will result in ceding space to China.'
'India is using Hasina to warn the Yunus government because there is a ground support for the Awami League in Bangladesh.'
'I was in serious depression during the shooting of Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar.' 'I realised that this is not the film I wanted to make.' 'Aamir told me we will redo, remove eight key characters and reshoot.' 'He gave me the confidence and told me it was a timeless script.'
'People were asleep when they heard a loud noise and then a huge deluge of water accompanied with boulders and trees hit their homes.' 'Locals say around 400 houses have totally vanished in the landslide and floods.'
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