In the last 11 years, India and the world witnessed what he stood for, what he promised and did not deliver, and what he actually stood for and practised without fearing how history would judge him. Modi's tenure has been punctuated with headline-grabbing decisions, symbolic gestures, and stage-managed moments that continue to define his leadership and India's politics, points out Ramesh Menon.
Rama and Sita entered a wonderful maze of lit streets, and when Bharatha caught sight of them as he ran down the steps of the palace, the whole city was chiming with celebration with this festival of lights. A fascinating excerpt from Vayu Naidu's book, The Living Legend.
Two Guinness World Records -- most people performing 'aarti' simultaneously and the largest display of oil lamps -- were set at the eighth edition of Deepotsav in Ayodhya on Wednesday.
Errol Musk, father of tech billionaire Elon Musk, visited the Ram temple in Ayodhya on Wednesday afternoon and described the experience as 'wonderful' and one of the 'best things' he has ever done.
'China reduced its exports of urea to India gradually.' 'In 2020-2021 we imported 28 lakh tonnes of urea which reduced to 16 lakh tonnes in 2022-2023 and that has now reduced to 1 lakh tonnes in 2024-2025.'
A flag-hoisting ceremony is planned for the Ram temple in Ayodhya in November, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi likely to be the chief guest. The Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust has shortlisted two dates in November for the event, with preparations gaining momentum.
This would be a 100 per cent jump over 2024, when the state had logged tourist inflow of 650 million
According to the proposal of the state Tourism department, which was approved by the Cabinet, around Rs 137 crore will be spent on the renovation of the old Punaura Dham Janki Mandir and Rs. 728 crore for the development of tourist infrastructure around the temple. The remaining amount will be spent on the maintenance of the infrastructure for ten years.
Glimpses from India and around the world that will make you smile and cry.
'The Election Commission's involvement in the avoidable SIR controversy has carried a message down to the last voter -- who just does not like it,' observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
The year began with Ayodhya getting ready for the Ram temple consecration ceremony. Almost four months later, the excitement has settled down and some voters are crediting the Bharatiya Janata Party for fulfilling its promise while others feel that development should reach every corner of the district.
Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former Faizabad MP Lallu Singh made a sudden exit from a press conference in Ayodhya on Thursday stating that 'mafia elements are present on stage'.
A Shiv temple in Ludhawala, a predominantly Muslim locality in Muzaffarnagar, was reopened on Monday after being closed for over 30 years. The temple, built in 1971, was shut down during the communal tensions triggered by the Ayodhya incident in 1992. The reopening ceremony was conducted peacefully with a 'havan' and local Muslims showering flowers on a procession of Hindu activists. The event was marked by a display of harmony, highlighting the importance of religious tolerance and understanding.
'Modi's charisma may have weakened as last year's Lok Sabha poll results showed but in the eyes of the Sangh Parivar, it has not waned.' 'Minus a strong BJP government at the Centre for another decade and more, there is apprehension that an anti-Hindutva government could reverse many of the ideological gains that the Modi dispensation has achieved through its three terms,' points out N Sathiya Moorthy.
As many as 3,800 bamboo and 36 projector lights worth over Rs 50 lakh installed on Bhakti Path and Ram Path, located in a high-security area in Ayodhya, were allegedly stolen, according to police.
'The Constitution of India defeated the BJP.'
'The 2024 general elections proved that UP is not Gujarat.'
Gandhi said the party will defeat the saffron party and Narendra Modi in Gujarat just the way it was defeated in Ayodhya.
The government aims to better its last year's Guinness World Record by lighting 25 lakh diyas on the banks of Saryu river.
In his first address to National Democratic Alliance MPs in over a year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday emphasised its collective identity as a natural and organic alliance, asserting that its journey since its foundation in 1998 is dotted with successes and has many more achievements in store.
'Mr Modi has the power and pre-eminence in the BJP-RSS to choose how long he wants to serve, and he is definitely going to want to contest in 2029.' 'He will only be 79, as old as Donald Trump now, and fitter,' observes Shekhar Gupta.
In a major upset in the Faizabad parliamentary constituency, where the temple town of Ayodhya is situated, Samajwadi Party candidate Awadhesh Prasad defeated sitting Bharatiya Janata Party MP Lallu Singh by a margin of 54,567 votes.
This has invited sharp reaction from the Opposition, with the Samajwadi Party saying that the BJP was afraid of its defeat in Milkipur due to which it moved the court for "stalling" polls on the assembly seat.
She was referred to King George's Medical University as the women's hospital in Ayodhya did not have the facility to provide adequate treatment, the district's chief medical officer Sanjay Jain said.
This comes a day after the Uttar Pradesh government suspended six officials of civic agencies for alleged gross negligence following the road cave-ins and waterlogging at several sections of the newly-built Ram Path.
This was Murmu's first visit to Ayodhya since the newly-built Ram temple's consecration ceremony was held on January 22.
According to the police, some Bajrang Dal members had visited the gym, located in the Ayodhya Nagar area of Bhopal, and raised questions over the presence of Muslim trainers at the facility.
'This is just the beginning. You have to wait and watch to see things getting better.'
Anil Kumble arrived in Lucknow on Sunday for the 'Pran Prathishta' ceremony
BJP and RSS leaders are once again pushing to remove the words 'secular' and 'socialist' from the Constitution's Preamble, showing a deeper effort to change India's identity from a diverse, multi-religious republic to a Hindu-first nation, even though they don't have the numbers in Parliament to officially change the Constitution, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
Rediff.com's Rajesh Karkera captures the faces from Ayodhya.
The ministry of home affairs (MHA) has sent a high-level team to Ayodhya to deal with cyber threats ahead of the inauguration of the Ram Temple in the historical town on January 22.
The glimpses of how Ayodhya is being monitored ahead of the grand the 'Pran Pratishtha' (consecration) ceremony of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, on Thursday, 4 January, 2024.
Kangana Ranaut has posted pictures of herself in Ayodhya.
Rajesh Karkera/Rediff.com captures scenes from Ayodhya hours before the pran prathishta ceremony.
The push to develop Ayodhya as a tourism centre, accompanied by large-scale infrastructure projects, comes on the back of years of limited income growth and tourist inflows.
'Standing before the majestic Ram Mandir, embraced by a sense of peace and devotion. A truly humbling experience. Grateful for this blessed moment.'
Besides paying his respects to Ram Lalla, the megastar, who was accompanied by his son Abhishek, was seen rubbing shoulders with quite a few dignitaries.
The devotion to the deity is such that even commerce is not untouched by the spiritual feel in the holy city. Images of the grand temple is finding places even on visiting cards, posters, calendars and even signages.
The primary drivers: Geopolitical disruptions inflating fuel and operational costs, and a surge in travel demand.
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