A court in Varanasi on Friday directed the Archaeological Survey of India to conduct a "detailed scientific survey" -- including excavations, wherever necessary -- to determine if the Gyanvapi mosque located next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple is built upon a temple.
The Supreme Court ordered on Monday that no invasive work would be undertaken by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to determine if the Gyanvapi mosque located next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi was built upon a temple and agreed to hear a plea moved by the mosque committee during the day.
Actor Prajakta Mali's scheduled dance performance at the Trimbakeshwar temple in Maharashtra on Mahashivratri has been met with opposition from several quarters, including the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The ASI has asked the temple authorities not to organize a cultural event at the protected monument, citing a violation of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act, 1958 and its Rules, 1959. Former trustees of the temple have also expressed concerns about the event, citing the potential for large crowds and law and order issues. The temple authorities, however, have defended their decision, stating that the performance was agreed upon unanimously and that any objections should be made in writing.
A judicial commission has submitted its report to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath regarding the violence that occurred in Sambhal in November 2024 during a survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid. The report addresses the events leading to the violence and potential demographic shifts in the region.
Jain told reporters that copies of the survey report consisting of 839 pages were made available to the parties concerned by the court late Thursday evening.
'At Keeladi, we have not come across any evidence for organised religion.'
Two persons, including an ASI, have been killed and other policemen sustained minor injuries,
BJP's Satara MP Udayanraje Bhosale, a descendant of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, had sought the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb located in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district.
Mishra said that the court has fixed July 7 for the next hearing.
'Archaeological sites like Keeladi, having remained buried for 2,500 years, have come out and speak now.'
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has ordered strict action against those responsible for the death of an ASI who was killed while trying to rescue a man from an attack by a group of tribals in Mauganj district. The incident has sparked outrage and raised concerns about the law and order situation in the state. The opposition Congress has criticized the government, alleging that law and order has collapsed in Madhya Pradesh.
The ongoing Puri heritage corridor construction work might have caused damage to the 800-year-old Jagannath temple there and the state government project was being carried out without valid permission from the competent authorities, the Archaeological Survey of India on Monday informed the Orissa high court.
The Shiv Sena, a ruling party in Maharashtra, has demanded the removal of the protected monument status from Aurangzeb's tomb in Khultabad. This demand comes after protests and calls for the tomb's demolition from organizations like the Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) protects the tomb as a monument of national importance. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has stated that the state government will protect the tomb but will not allow the glorification of Aurangzeb.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday conducted a massive search operation at 15 locations in eight states across the country in a Pakistan-linked espionage case.
Among the medal winners are a deputy commandant rank officer, two assistant commandants and an inspector.
A wall collapse at a dargah near Humayun's Tomb in Delhi's Nizamuddin area resulted in five fatalities and several injuries. Rescue operations were conducted by multiple agencies.
Senior DMK leader TKS Elangovan accused the BJP of nominating Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan for Vice President for electoral gains in Tamil Nadu. AIADMK's Edappadi K Palaniswami urged support for Radhakrishnan, while other leaders offered mixed reactions.
'It has the potential to sow seeds of furthering discord when the direction of the discourse is aimed at propagating the perceived supremacy of 'cultural nationalism' from a distant past over the prevailing dominance of 'Constitutional nationalism',' argues N Sathiya Moorthy.
The Archeological Survey of India (ASI) has asked the Bihar government to quickly submit its plan to conserve Nalanda Mahavihara in order to keep the World Heritage site status for the remains of the ancient centre of learning.
Delhi Waqf Board chairman Amanatullah Khan in a letter to ASI director general, last week, requested for allowing namaz at the "ancient" Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque in Qutab Minor complex.
The constable fired from his automatic weapon, killing an RPF Assistant Sub Inspector and three other passengers of the Jaipur-Mumbai Central Express shortly after 5 am, the official said.
Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal expressed gratitude to two police officers who saved his life when a former terrorist opened fire at him in Amritsar. Badal hugged the officers and praised their courage and loyalty, saying his family could never repay their bravery. The attack occurred at the Golden Temple, where Badal was performing religious penance. The former Khalistani terrorist Narain Singh Chaura fired from a close range but missed his target. The police overpowered the attacker before he could cause any harm.
The first national flag in Independent India was hoisted at Fort St George in Madras, not at Delhi's Red Fort.
The status report claims that RCB organised a massive victory parade and celebration without prior permission or furnishing mandatory details to city authorities.
The Taj Mahal and other centrally protected monuments closed for around two months due to the Covid pandemic will be reopened on June 16, an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) official said.
The Supreme Court's 2023 order refusing to stay a scientific survey at the Gyanvapi Mosque complex has sparked claims over several other disputed places of worship across India. This has led to several court cases, including one in Mathura where a survey of the Shahi Idgah Mosque complex was ordered, and another in Ajmer where a claim was made that a Shiva temple existed within the dargah of Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti. The article also highlights a dispute over the Bhojshala in Madhya Pradesh, which Hindus consider a temple and Muslims consider a mosque. The Supreme Court's order has reignited debates about the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, which prohibits the change of character of religious places as they existed on August 15, 1947.
A stepwell, approximately 125 to 150 years old and covering an area of 400 square metres, was unearthed during excavation in the Laxman Ganj area of Chandausi in Sambhal, an official said.
An assistant sub inspector of traffic police died and six others were injured when two vehicles of Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma's carcade met with an accident in Jagatpura area of Jaipur on Wednesday.
The Committee of Management, Shahi Jama Masjid, moved the high court challenging the suit and the Sambhal court order which directed the survey through an advocate commissioner.
The demand comes nearly a month after violence erupted in Nagpur during a rally which demanded the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb.
The puja, attended by Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha at the premises of the Archaeological Survey of India-protected Martand Sun temple in Anantnag, was in violation of rules and the issue has been raised with the UT administration, ASI officials said on Monday.
There are 3,691 centrally protected monuments and sites under the ASI.
A local court in Ajmer has ordered notices to be issued to three parties in a civil suit claiming the existence of a Shiva temple within the dargah of Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti. The suit, filed in September, seeks directions to resume worship at the alleged temple. The court has issued notices to the Ajmer Dargah Committee, Ministry of Minority Affairs, and the Archaeological Survey of India. The next hearing is scheduled for December 20.
Monsoon hit the state on June 20 and has since then cost it Rs 5,000 crore in damages.
In live monuments like Puri Jagannath Temple and Somnath Temple, daily 'puja' will be conducted but no public gathering will be allowed, said Nitin Tripathi, the ministry's media advisor.
The ASI also said the fundamental right of the applicant cannot be availed in violation of the existing status of the land.
A lawyer representing the Hindu side in the ongoing dispute over the Sambhal Jama Masjid has defended the second survey of the mosque, claiming it was conducted on the orders of the advocate commissioner. He also dismissed claims that the survey was conducted in haste or without court orders.
Hundred centrally-protected monuments, including UNESCO world heritage sites spread across the country, will be lit up for a week and bear the G20 logo starting December 1 when India will assume the Presidency of influential group, officials said on Wednesday.
The Centre on Monday told the Delhi high court that Mughal Mosque in South Delhi's Mehrauli area is a "protected monument" and sought time to state its stand on a plea against the stopping of offering namaaz by devotees there.
The court asked the UP govt to get examined the disputed premises by a five-member team of the ASI at its expense.