The Allahabad High Court has temporarily restrained an Arya Samaj temple in Lucknow from solemnising marriages or issuing certificates, citing serious concerns over its alleged failure to verify the legal age of couples. The court's order came during a hearing of a protection petition, where it was revealed that a petitioner's age was misrepresented in the marriage certificate despite Aadhaar card evidence. The court emphasised legal liability for those involved in underage marriages and questioned the temple's adherence to foundational values.
At least six people were killed and several others injured in a stampede at the Ashok Dham temple in Bihar's Lakhisarai district on Monday, caused by a heavy rush of devotees during the holy month of Shravan.
Glimpses of the annual Langur Mela at Bada Hanuman Mandir in Amritsar, where children dressed as Lord Hanuman and his langur sena offer prayers.
A 31-member group from Kerala narrowly escaped the devastating flash floods in Nepal thanks to a 20-minute delay at a Buddha temple. They recounted their terrifying ordeal, including witnessing the destruction and spending a night without basic necessities, before safely returning to Kerala.
MNS president Raj Thackeray has alleged that Rs 18 crore is siphoned off annually from Mumbai's Siddhivinayak Temple and Rs 1,400 crore was stolen from the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. He demanded PM Modi address the issue, while the Siddhivinayak Temple Trust chairman confirmed arrests and increased income post-theft.
Dhanush attends the premiere of Rajinikanth's highly anticipated film Jailer 2 in Chennai, as fans across India erupt in grand celebrations.
Glimpses of India's vibrant Navratri and Durga Puja celebrations, as devotees perform traditional Garba, worship Goddess Durga and visit elaborately decorated pandals.
A Goa-based man, Shubhang Borkar, ingeniously used ChatGPT to locate his lost footwear amidst a pile of shoes outside the Mahakal Temple in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. He uploaded images of the footwear and his own shoes to the AI chatbot, which then successfully identified his pair, showcasing a practical and unusual application of artificial intelligence.
A 49-year-old teacher, Sandeep Vilasbuwa Joshi, who went missing from Beed, Maharashtra, was found dead in a well near a temple on Saturday. He had left a digital suicide note on Friday, prompting a search by his family. Police have registered a case of accidental death, and the motive remains unclear.
Following alleged thefts at the Ram temple in Ayodhya and other incidents, prominent temples across India, including Baba Balak Nath Temple in Himachal Pradesh and Ambaji temple in Gujarat, are implementing stringent new rules for counting offerings. These measures include mandatory pocketless clothing for staff, extensive CCTV surveillance, metal detector frisking, and promoting digital payments to ensure transparency, honesty, and accountability in donation management.
An FIR has been registered against Aishwarya, daughter of Karnataka BJP MLA B Suresh Gowda, for allegedly abusing and assaulting a woman police sub-inspector at a temple in Mandya. The incident occurred when Aishwarya reportedly sought to bypass a queue, leading to an altercation. While Aishwarya has also filed a counter-complaint, her father has apologised for her conduct and called for an inquiry into the matter, advocating for an end to VIP protocols at temples.
BJP leaders and devotees across India are performing pujas and havans for the speedy recovery of Captain Smit Machchhar, who was stabbed while thwarting an alleged attempt to crash a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight. Temples like Kashi Vishwanath, Kedarnath, and Somnath are holding special rituals, honouring his courage in saving 174 lives.
The Supreme Court will hear a plea from journalist Abhishek Upadhyay, who is challenging an FIR filed against him by Ghaziabad police in an alleged road rage case. Upadhyay claims the FIR is retaliatory, stemming from his reporting on alleged irregularities in donations to Ayodhya's Ram temple and corruption in Uttar Pradesh. He fears arrest and seeks quashing of the FIR or transfer of the investigation to an independent agency.
The Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust has shortlisted 18 candidates for the Chief Executive Officer position from over 5,300 applicants. Interviews are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, with the CEO's role focusing on temple administration and management. The selection follows allegations of embezzlement of temple donations, which led to an SIT probe and arrests.
A century on, India has adopted the Left's welfare ideas, but not the Left. Why do people borrow the promises, then vote for the temple? questions Binu Alex.
The Congress Working Committee (CWC) is set to meet to discuss the political situation in India, focusing on strategies to pressure the government regarding student issues, alleged embezzlement at the Ram temple, and upcoming Assembly elections. The meeting will also address the women's reservation bill.
Amol Khune, a former associate of Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange, was allegedly assaulted by a group of youths in Pali village, Beed district, Maharashtra. Khune sustained injuries and claimed the attack was due to his criticism of Jarange and to prevent him from attending a Dussehra rally. Police have detained three suspects and are investigating the incident.
A man in Odisha's Ganjam district allegedly cut off his tongue with a knife outside a Kali temple. Police suspect a family dispute may be the reason for the incident, and the man is currently in stable condition.
Srinidhi Shetty has steadily carved out a place for herself in Indian cinema, earning recognition for her performances and screen presence, particularly as Reena in the KGF franchise.
Actor Tiger Shroff recently escaped unhurt after a shooting incident in Juhu, Mumbai, making him the latest Bollywood figure to be targeted. This event brings to light a history of similar attacks on film personalities, including filmmaker Rohit Shetty earlier this year, Salman Khan in April 2024, Rakesh Roshan in 2000, and the assassination of Gulshan Kumar in 1997. Comedian Kapil Sharma's restaurant in Canada was also targeted last year.
Four people died and three were seriously injured in Varanasi after a speeding truck collided with their SUV on an overbridge. The group of friends had stopped to take selfies when the accident occurred on Monday morning.
Five men have been arrested near Guruvayur temple in Kerala for allegedly plotting to kill a woman. The accused reportedly planned to disguise themselves as women to enter her hostel. The motive appears to be a relationship breakup, and the men were also found with cannabis and accused of selling drugs to children.
The Supreme Court will hear petitions on August 17 seeking a court-monitored SIT probe into alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, after deferring the original hearing due to the Solicitor General's UN engagement.
The Badrinath temple committee has removed its treasurer, Sandesh Mehta, after 'overwriting' was detected in the donations logbook and the quantity of silver in the temple locker exceeded recorded amounts, amidst an ongoing investigation into alleged irregularities.
The Gujarat government announced that Indian pilot Smit Machchhar will be awarded the 'Visisht Gujarat Garima Award' for his extraordinary bravery. Machchhar thwarted his co-pilot's alleged attempt to crash a Flydubai flight, saving 174 lives despite being stabbed. He is currently receiving treatment in Saudi Arabia, and special prayers for his recovery have been organised at the Somnath temple.
Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya, currently recovering from injury, visited the revered Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirumala with his girlfriend Mahieka Sharma, sporting a tonsured head that has sparked speculation among fans.
Kunwar Basit Ali, national president of BJP Minority Morcha, stated that the demolition of religious structures for development should not be viewed communally, citing examples from Uttar Pradesh and Muslim nations. He accused the Congress of misleading Muslims and instigating unrest. Ali also expressed confidence in the BJP forming the next government in Jammu and Kashmir and addressed concerns regarding the delay in statehood restoration, asserting that the central government would make the best decisions for Kashmir.
Hoardings depicting Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, US entrepreneur Elon Musk and others as the 10 heads of Ravana were put up at several locations in Lucknow on Sunday ahead of Dussehra.
The Supreme Court has agreed to list a review plea concerning its May 2025 verdict on the ownership of the Hare Krishna temple in Bengaluru. The original verdict had ruled in favour of ISKCON Bangalore, but a subsequent split verdict by a review bench led to the matter being referred to the Chief Justice for further directions. The legal battle involves ISKCON Bangalore and ISKCON Mumbai over control of the temple and educational complex.
Odisha Police arrested a 40-year-old man from Jamshedpur for allegedly murdering his mother and burying her body in their rented house in Puri almost two months ago. The accused was tracked across multiple states after the body was discovered.
'The Ayodhya incident has certainly hurt the faith of all of us, of Ram devotees like us.'
An advocate, Azimuddin Ansari alias Guddu Ansari, was allegedly shot dead in broad daylight in Katihar, Bihar. The incident occurred near Patel Chowk while he was en route to court. Police are investigating all angles, with family members suggesting an old dispute as the motive.
The Ayodhya Development Authority (ADA) has granted Supriya Mishra, wife of Luv Kush Mishra, who is accused in the Ram temple donation case, an additional week to provide documents for a house in her name that is under construction in Ayodhya's Saadatganj area, the police said.
'Earlier, people used to hand money directly to priests after a ritual, and priests would keep it in their own pockets. We completely stopped that practice.'
The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet has officially approved the renaming of the Noida International Airport at Jewar to 'Narendra Modi International Airport, Noida-Jewar', a move Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath described as a "major gift" to the state.
Navratri is the perfect excuse to turn your festive wardrobe up a notch, and Day 7 brings a royal twist with purple. Associated with luxury, wisdom, ambition and spiritual energy, this rich shade is perfect for anyone who likes their festive fashion with a little extra drama.
A tempo travller carrying around 23 passengers veered off the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway and plunged into a 15-feet-deep drain in Kota, Rajasthan, on Saturday morning. The accident resulted in eight fatalities and 15 injuries, with driver drowsiness suspected as the cause. Most passengers were extended family members from Madhya Pradesh on a pilgrimage.
The Ram temple trust's decision to establish a permanent institute for training and certifying Hindu priests is being seen by religious leaders and members of the Indian diaspora as a significant step towards addressing the growing demand for qualified 'archaks' (priests) not only in India but also overseas.
Thane Police have arrested two more individuals, Santosh Kanojia and Amit Singh, from Uttar Pradesh in connection with the September 29 murder of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Pradeep Purnekar, bringing the total arrests to five. Kanojia and Subhash Shinde are believed to have orchestrated the plot, with Singh identified as the helmet-wearing assailant.
Telugu actor Allu Sirish complained to Hyderabad Police about a temple playing loud music late at night, disturbing residents. He clarified his complaint was about civic sense, not religious devotion, after facing criticism from netizens.
