Vance is expected to be accompanied by at least five senior officials, including from the Pentagon and the State Department, the people cited above said.
The incident took place around 4 am when hundreds of devotees gathered near the temple to witness Rath Yatra festivities, Puri district collector Siddharth S Swain said.
A comprehensive risk assessment warns that Kishtwar district in Jammu and Kashmir faces a serious threat from glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), endangering lives, infrastructure, and the ecosystem. The report calls for immediate mitigation measures and long-term strategies to build resilience.
Rescue operations continue in Kishtwar, J&K, following a devastating cloudburst. Anxious relatives cling to fading hope as the search for the missing enters its third day.
The BJP's Murshidabad unit in West Bengal announced plans to construct a Ram temple in Berhampore, days after TMC MLA Humayun Kabir proposed to set up a mosque modeled after the Babri Masjid in Beldanga. The temple construction, estimated to cost Rs 10 crore, is expected to begin on January 22, 2025, one year after the inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. Kabir's announcement sparked political controversy, with opposition parties accusing him of attempting to polarise communities for political gain. The BJP's counterproposal is seen as a strategic move to strengthen its presence among the Hindu community in Murshidabad.
The police have arrested the 29-year-old relative, the husband of the class 10 student's paternal aunt, under various sections of the BNS and POCSO Act.
He was seen wearing a plaque around his neck while sitting in a wheelchair because of a fractured leg.
As per the practises and tradition at the temples, any offerings made into the hundial directly goes into the account of the deity of that temple. Rules do not permit the administration to return the offerings back to the devotees, Babu told reporters in Chennai.
Let there be no doubt that Modi in these 24 years so far has reshaped politics and governance considerably, if not completely, asserts Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, author, Narendra Modi: The Man, The Times.
The Jain community, for whom feeding pigeons is a sacred tradition, have fiercely opposed the closure, with demonstrations in Mumbai highlighting the cultural significance and the distress of pigeons dying on streets.
A Supreme Court order relocating an elephant to a care facility in Vantara has sparked public outrage in Maharashtra by putting the state government in a difficult position over issues of animal welfare and public sentiment.
A four-member team from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) conducted a survey of the recently-discovered Shri Kartik Mahadev temple, five pilgrimage sites, and 19 wells in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, India. The survey followed the discovery of three damaged idols inside a well of the Bhasma Shankar temple, which was reopened after being shut for 46 years. The Shri Kartik Mahadev temple, also known as the Bhasma Shankar temple, was reopened on December 13 after authorities found the covered structure during an anti-encroachment drive. The temple houses an idol of Lord Hanuman and a Shivling and had remained locked since 1978. The district administration has requested carbon dating of the temple, including the well, from the ASI. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has restrained courts across India from entertaining new lawsuits or passing any orders in pending ones seeking to reclaim religious places, especially mosques and dargahs, until further notice. This action halts proceedings in approximately 18 lawsuits filed by Hindu parties seeking surveys to determine the original religious character of 10 mosques, including the Gyanvapi at Varanasi, the Shahi Idgah Masjid at Mathura, and the Shahi Jama Masjid at Sambhal, where four individuals died in clashes. The Supreme Court will examine the legality, scope, and boundaries of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, which prohibits the conversion of places of worship and ensures the preservation of their religious character as it existed on August 15, 1947.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a devastating cloudburst in Kishtwar district that claimed 60 lives and injured over 100. Abdullah expressed condolences and assured assistance, while also questioning potential administrative lapses.
Mishra cited a shortage of around 200 workers and the need to replace certain stones on the temple's first floor as primary reasons for the delay.
Vietnam was wonderful and the people warm and hospitable, Radhika Mittal discovered over a 11-day stay.
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.
Manu Bhaker, who created history by winning two medals at the Paris Olympic Games, shared a heartfelt video on Instagram playing the violin to the tune of the national anthem.
A massive controversy is raging in Jammu and Kashmir after a plaque with the Ashoka emblem was vandalised in the Hazratbal shrine as parties on Saturday accused Waqf Board chief Darakshan Andrabi of hurting religious sentiments by using the national emblem in the mosque and demanded registration of a criminal case and her immediate removal.
'The ruling elite are supporting those attacking the people of Gaza.' 'As a nation we should not cooperate with the oppressor regime that is allowing mass starvation as a weapon of war.'
Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com comes across a Ganesh temple in Kashmir's summer capital that remains a well kept secret.
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), custodian of Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple, has banned political and hate speeches at Tirumala. The decision comes in response to recent incidents where individuals, including political leaders, made political or inflammatory statements before the media near the temple premises after Darshan, disrupting the spiritual peace. The TTD warned of legal action against violators.
Sanjay Dutt visited the Golden Temple in Amritsar with Uri Director Aditya Dhar, who's directing Dutt in his next. Accompanying them was a special guest.
One year after Sheikh Hasina's 15-year rule ended in Bangladesh, hopes for real democracy are fading.
The Bhasma Shankar temple in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, has reopened after being locked for 45 years following communal riots. The district administration has requested the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct carbon dating of the temple, including a well on the premises. The temple is being guarded round the clock and worshippers have started visiting. The reopening of the temple has been met with gratitude from local residents, who have expressed their desire to reconnect with their heritage.
The sacred shrine in Amritsar draws many celebrities seeking peace and blessings. Discover the many famous faces who've visited this spiritual address.
The victim, Rajni Khatri, was working in the bhojanshala (kitchen) when her 'dupatta' (scarf) got caught in a potato-peeling machine.
Former IPS officer Meeran Borwankar claims political interference hindered justice in the Malegaon and 7/11 blasts, and the Narendra Dabholkar murder case. She cited instances of pressure on investigators and prosecutors.
A major controversy has erupted in Odisha after Chinese e-commerce platform AliExpress was found selling doormats featuring the image of Lord Jagannath, sparking outrage and prompting police complaints and demands for an apology.
Nine-year-old Devanshi was among the hundreds of pilgrims who had gathered in Chositi for the last leg of the yatra to Machail Mata temple when tragedy struck on Thursday. Buried under mud and debris when a Maggi-point shop was hit by flash floods, she emerged hours later, rescued by her uncle and other villagers.
Glimpses from India and around the world that will make you smile and cry.
A devastating flashflood in the Kheer Ganga river on August 5 demolished nearly half of Dharali -- the key stopover en route to Gangotri with many hotels and homestays, and neighbouring Harsil, where an Army camp bore the brunt of the flood fury, barely giving time to the victims to run to safety.
As night fell over Chositi village, rescuers worked frantically and pulled out 167 people from under mounds of rubble. Of these, 38 are in a serious condition, officials said. The death toll went up steadily as the day progressed and there were fears it could rise further.
A family feud within the politically influential Matua community has erupted between Union minister Shantanu Thakur and his brother, BJP MLA Subrata Thakur, creating ripples in West Bengal's political landscape and posing a challenge for the BJP ahead of upcoming elections.
Four devotees, including three women, died and several more were injured in a stampede at the Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple in Tirupati on Wednesday night. Hundreds of devotees had turned up for the 10-day Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam, which begins on January 10.
Vantara did not initiate or request the relocation of the elephant named Mahadevi from a monastery in Kolhapur to its facility in Jamnagar but served only as the 'court-appointed recipient facility', the NGO said in a statement.
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.
Four senior Indian-origin persons were killed in a car crash in West Virginia. The victims were reported missing from Buffalo, New York, and their vehicle was found off a steep embankment.
Kumar, who played a key role in implementing decisions following the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution in Jammu and Kashmir during his stint in the Union home ministry, took charge as an election commissioner on March 15, 2024.
Glimpses of the construction of the Shikhar and upper floors of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya.
The Jagannath temple has fostered Odisha's regional cooking styles and preserved local food traditions.
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