While the Congress top brass has declined the invitation to the January 22 consecration ceremony at Ayodhya's Ram temple, the party's Uttar Pradesh unit plans to go ahead with its own event a week earlier in the holy town.
While the 'Statue of Unity', presently the world's tallest, installed in Gujarat's Narmada district on the 143rd birth anniversary of Patel, is 182 metres high, the one to come up in Ayodhya will be 221 metres.
Several seers on Monday came out strongly in support of the consecration ceremony of Lord Ram's idol at the temple in Ayodhya, which is scheduled for January 22, amid criticism of the exercise by some 'shankaracharyas' on the ground that the temple is not fully constructed yet.
The 45-day Maha Kumbh 2025, billed as the world's largest gathering of humans, began on Monday with the first major bathing ritual or 'Shahi Snan' at the Sangam, the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers in Prayagraj, India. This edition of the Kumbh is being held after 12 years, with the Uttar Pradesh government expecting over 35 crore devotees to visit. The event is being touted as a 'Digi-Kumbh' with Artificial Intelligence (AI) being used for various aspects, including security and cleanliness. The Maha Kumbh will be held from January 13 to February 26, and is expected to transform the area into the world's largest temporary city. Thirteen Akharas of seers from different sects are participating in the event, attracting attention from those seeking to learn about Indian spiritual beliefs.
The much-awaited verdict on the title suit of the disputed site at Ayodhya will be pronounced on September 24 by the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court.The long pending case is about the ownership of the Ayodhya land to which Hindus and Muslims had been making rival claims over the past one and a quarter century.While Hindus claimed the land to be the site of the birthplace of their most revered Lord Ram, Muslims asserted their right over the same.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday clarified that the remarks made by Prime Minister Oli 'are not linked to any political subject and have no intention at all to hurt the feelings and sentiments of anyone'.
Chiranjeevi celebrated his 69th birthday on August 22 by offering prayers at the Venkateswara Swamy temple in Tirumala.
The British prime minister, who is of Indian origin, has often emphasised his Hindu roots and said he is proud of it.
Will BJP campaigners start using the term 'Ram Rajya' to refer to the nation under Modi's rule, asks N Sathiya Moorthy.
'We are very close to become a theocratic State where Hinduism is the official religion of the government.'
'I have attended many trailer launches, and stood on this stage many times, but today, I'm very emotional.'
'When people... Hindus recite the 'Hanuman Chalisa' in one voice, it will definitely work and we will be free from coronavirus'
Seeking to clarify his controversial remarks on the existence of Lord Ram, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya on Saturday blamed the media, saying his remarks were "taken out of context".
Thackeray recalled former prime minister Vajpayee as saying, Ab Hindu maat nahi khayega (Hindus will not be defeated now), and added, "Hindus will not sit silent."
The statue is the second of the four statues being built in the four directions across the country.
Political circles were abuzz on Saturday amid speculation that former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and veteran Congress leader Kamal Nath may join the Bhartiya Janata Party.
The apex court said the faith of Hindus that Lord Ram was born at the site was undisputed, and he is symbolically the owner of the land.
Cabinet ministers and TV actors will try to bring to life the aeons-old story of Lord Ram at the 10-day-long Ramlila in New Delhi, which has been promised to be bigger than ever by its organisers.
'This is what happens to a party when it gets trapped in the vicious circle of nepotism and dynastic politics'
The carving work by artisans had been carried out uninterrupted since 1990 when Mulayam Singh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party was Uttar Pradesh chief minister.
Veteran Bharatiya Janata Party leaders L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi reacted to the court acquitting them in the Babri Masjid demolition case.
Raj Thackeray should apologise to all North Indians with folded hands, MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said.
The rulers of the day need to be sensitive and involved in managing the identities of sacred spaces and the ongoing dialogues about the past in diverse societies, suggests Colonel Nikhil Apte (retd).
A group of fans shouted 'Jai Shri Ram' (Hail Lord Ram) multiple times when Rizwan was walking back to the pavilion after being dismissed by pacer Jasprit Bumrah.
Top India batsman Shikhar Dhawan saw it as a historic day of celebration, while former cricketer Mohammed Kaif reminded the country of its culture of peaceful coexistence as sportspersons reacted to the bhoomi pujan ceremony for a temple of Lord Ram in Ayodhya.
'I am the worker of RSS, and the RSS never condemned Bharat Jodo Yatra'
The ultimate consequences of Rahul Gandhi's yatra may be known only in 2024, points out Dr Sudhir Bisht.
The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) gave a huge blow to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance by winning 43 seats out of total 80 Lok Sabha seats of Uttar Pradesh, as per the Election Commission.
'The values for which he stood for are still a benchmark. He was a prominent leader of the Ram temple movement and did not hesitate to quit office, so that a grand temple for Lord Ram may be built in Ayodhya.'
The construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya is likely to be completed months before the deadline, an office bearer of the Sriram Janambhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust said.
A fascinating excerpt from Shantanu Gupta's book, Teachings from the Ramayana on Family & Life.
Forget smarts or cheek, there's little novelty to be found in Jewel Thief's juvenile script, barring its now free usage of the F-word to make it sound all hip and adult, observes Sukanya Verma.
'Whether Lord Ram is a historical person is not the subject before the court.' 'The court was asking every time if can anyone show the exact birthplace of Lord Ram on the basis of documents.' 'I have shown that on the basis of documents. And these documents are not (based) on my beliefs.'
Indian claims to the Ram story and ownership could be challenged from more places than one, says N Sathiya Moorthy.
The sanctum sanctorum has been designed in such a way that the rays of the rising sun fall on the idol's forehead, he said.
Ram Setu is just silly and boring, sighs Deepa Gahlot. Ram Setu Review
'If the Ram Mandir is made, it is because of the collective strength of our country.'
The city of Shahjahanpur in India celebrates Holi with a unique procession called "Laat Saheb," where revellers hurl footwear at a man impersonating a British Lord. The tradition dates back to the 18th century and has evolved over time. The procession involves a seven-kilometer route, prayers at a temple, and a symbolic bribe offered to the police. The event is marked by strict security measures, including barricades, CCTV cameras, and the covering of mosques with tarpaulins. The procession is seen as a way to commemorate the city's history of freedom fighters and to discourage the British colonizers.
On Monday, a new chapter will be written in Ayodhya's and the country's history with the consecration ceremony at the newly-built Ram temple which will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and over 7,000 guests.
The issue combined with its alliance with anti-Congress parties in 1989 won the BJP 85 seats in Lok Sabha elections against mere two in 1984.
