News for 'Varanasi'

ASI surveys newly discovered temple, wells, pilgrimage sites in Sambhal

ASI surveys newly discovered temple, wells, pilgrimage sites in Sambhal

Rediff.com20 Dec 2024

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.

Govt to set up private textile parks to curb China imports

Govt to set up private textile parks to curb China imports

Rediff.com16 Nov 2024

To curb raw material imports from China and promote textiles, the Uttar Pradesh government is looking to set up nearly a dozen private textile parks in the state. The textile parks would be established under the UP Textile and Garmenting Policy 2022.

Why Was I Prevented From Taking On Modi?

Why Was I Prevented From Taking On Modi?

Rediff.com21 May 2024

'Those who feared that I would have run one hell of a campaign targeting the most powerful people in India snatched away my democratic right from me.' 'I will expose these democracy-killers.'

'Being PM's constituency, Varanasi is getting some privilege'

'Being PM's constituency, Varanasi is getting some privilege'

Rediff.com6 May 2021

'The situation has improved because oxygen tankers are now coming.' 'Before this it was chaotic.'

Alert issued on Indo-Nepal border after ISIS man arrested in Varanasi

Alert issued on Indo-Nepal border after ISIS man arrested in Varanasi

Rediff.com21 Oct 2022

Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) Assistant Commandant Lalit Mohan Doval said on Friday that the alert had been sounded on the Sonauli border in the district.

Budget Prepares For Rise In Cancer Cases

Budget Prepares For Rise In Cancer Cases

Rediff.com3 Feb 2025

Do we have enough trained oncologists and medical professionals in India to man these over 4,500 beds in the public sector?

Cancel your trip: Varanasi to tourists amid Covid surge

Cancel your trip: Varanasi to tourists amid Covid surge

Rediff.com15 Apr 2021

The temple city has seen a steep rise of 1,266 per cent in Covid cases over the past two weeks.

BJP makes clean sweep in Varanasi, Gorakhpur; SP wins all seats in Azamgarh

BJP makes clean sweep in Varanasi, Gorakhpur; SP wins all seats in Azamgarh

Rediff.com11 Mar 2022

The BJP and its allies won all assembly seats in Modi's Varanasi and Adityanath's Gorakhpur, and the SP bagged all 10 segments in Yadav's Azamgarh Lok Sabha constituency.

Special EC officers to oversee counting in Varanasi, Meerut

Special EC officers to oversee counting in Varanasi, Meerut

Rediff.com9 Mar 2022

Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Delhi has been sent as a special officer to oversee the counting process in Meerut and Bihar's CEO to Varanasi.

SC stays court proceedings in all masjid-mandir cases

SC stays court proceedings in all masjid-mandir cases

Rediff.com12 Dec 2024

Commencing hearing on pleas challenging the constitutionality of the Places of Worship Act, 1991, the Supreme Court asked the Centre to reply to cross-pleas against or seeking implementation of statute.

Gyanvapi case: SC to wait for Varanasi judge's order before hearing

Gyanvapi case: SC to wait for Varanasi judge's order before hearing

Rediff.com21 Jul 2022

A bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud, Surya Kant, and P S Narasimha said that it is posting for October first week hearing on the appeal of Gyanvapi mosque committee's plea against the Allahabad high court order upholding the appointment of court commissioner to survey the site.

Modi holds meet with CMs of BJP-ruled states in Varanasi

Modi holds meet with CMs of BJP-ruled states in Varanasi

Rediff.com14 Dec 2021

Modi is on a two-day visit to his constituency, which began on Monday with the inauguration of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor.

Modi winds up Varanasi visit with watching Ganga aarti from cruise

Modi winds up Varanasi visit with watching Ganga aarti from cruise

Rediff.com13 Dec 2021

Prime Minister Narendra Modi witnessed the spectacular Ganga 'aarti' in Varanasi on Monday evening while on board a river cruise with chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh and other Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states.

Dramatic scenes at Delhi airport after bomb scare on IndiGo flight

Dramatic scenes at Delhi airport after bomb scare on IndiGo flight

Rediff.com28 May 2024

The officials said the passengers on board the aircraft were evacuated through emergency exits.

'Kanda Express' to bring 1,600 tonnes of onions to Delhi on Oct 20

'Kanda Express' to bring 1,600 tonnes of onions to Delhi on Oct 20

Rediff.com17 Oct 2024

In a significant move to control spiralling onion prices ahead of the festive season, the government will transport 1,600 tonnes of buffer stock via railways from Maharashtra to Delhi - the first such initiative using rail transport for the kitchen staple. The special rake, dubbed 'Kanda Express', will depart from Maharashtra's Lasalgaon Railway Station and reach Delhi's Kishanganj Railway Station on October 20, Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare announced on Thursday. The government expects this bulk movement to help stabilise prices in the Delhi-NCR region, where buffer stock onions are currently being sold at a subsidised rate of Rs 35 per kg.

Will Priyanka contest from Varanasi?

Will Priyanka contest from Varanasi?

Rediff.com29 Mar 2019

Will 'Bhaiyyaji', as Priyanka is called in UP, contest against Modi?

The 102-Year-Old Cricketer

The 102-Year-Old Cricketer

Rediff.com28 May 2024

Haji Karam Din continues to play the game he loves and inspires new generations with his passion for cricket.

Modi in Varanasi to inaugurate Rs 339-cr mega temple project

Modi in Varanasi to inaugurate Rs 339-cr mega temple project

Rediff.com13 Dec 2021

Taking to Twitter, Modi said that the Kashi Vishwanath Dham project will add to Kashi's spiritual vibrancy.

41 airports across India get hoax bomb threat emails, security beefed up

41 airports across India get hoax bomb threat emails, security beefed up

Rediff.com19 Jun 2024

Security was beefed up as agencies swept the airport terminals after the emails were received around 12.40 pm from the ID exhumedyou888@gmail.com.

What Happened To KKR Flight?!

What Happened To KKR Flight?!

Rediff.com7 May 2024

Kolkata Knight Riders' journey home from Lucknow turned into an unexpected adventure on Monday night.

Radhika, Anant Pray Before Their Wedding

Radhika, Anant Pray Before Their Wedding

Rediff.com12 Jul 2024

Glimpses from the Shiv Shakti puja that took place in Antilia before the grand Ambani shaadi.

Puja at Gyanvapi: Masjid committee fails to get relief

Puja at Gyanvapi: Masjid committee fails to get relief

Rediff.com2 Feb 2024

The Allahabad high court on Friday did not give any immediate relief to the Gyanvapi Masjid committee which had challenged the order of the Varanasi court allowing Hindu prayers in a cellar of the mosque.

Brought back from Canada after 108 yrs, Annapurna idol installed in Varanasi

Brought back from Canada after 108 yrs, Annapurna idol installed in Varanasi

Rediff.com15 Nov 2021

The idol of the goddess was taken to the temple in a silver palanquin, shouldered by Adityanath.

Stunning Sanya, Draped In Gold

Stunning Sanya, Draped In Gold

Rediff.com5 Sep 2024

Blending the magic of the Kanjeevaram as a sculpted corset, worn with a Banarasi sari, the effect is both contemporary and exquisite.

Jyoti Punwani: December 6, 1992, All Over Again?

Jyoti Punwani: December 6, 1992, All Over Again?

Rediff.com6 Dec 2024

Can ordinary citizens counter this backward march? Can peace activists ensure that the two communities retain their bonds? Do they have a choice, asks Jyoti Punwani.

'Hindutva Can't Be Written Off'

'Hindutva Can't Be Written Off'

Rediff.com26 Jun 2024

'There is a huge constituency that upholds this ideology.' 'Hindutva will remain relevant in our public life in the near future as an ideology and in politics as well.'

Gyanvapi: Plea challenging puja to be heard on Feb 28

Gyanvapi: Plea challenging puja to be heard on Feb 28

Rediff.com15 Feb 2024

A Varanasi court on Thursday fixed February 28 as the date for hearing the Gyanvapi Masjid committee's plea against the recently allowed puja in a cellar of the mosque, the Hindu side counsel said.

Ajmer dargah row as politicians, community leaders weigh in

Ajmer dargah row as politicians, community leaders weigh in

Rediff.com28 Nov 2024

A local court in Ajmer has issued notices to the dargah committee, the Ministry of Minority Affairs, and the Archaeological Survey of India on a plea seeking to declare the shrine of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti a temple. The petition, filed in September, has sparked a heated debate, with politicians and community leaders weighing in on the potentially volatile issue. The dargah committee has declined to comment, but the Anjuman Syed Zadgan, a body representing the caretakers of the dargah, described the petition as a deliberate attempt to fracture society along communal lines. The petition comes just days after four people were killed in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, following a local court ordering survey of a Mughal-era shrine. The Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, which fixed August 15, 1947, as the cut-off date for status quo on the character of religious places, is at the centre of much of the debate. Several politicians, including Union minister Giriraj Singh and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, have weighed in on the issue. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has called the civil court's decision to entertain the petition unwarranted and has asked the Supreme Court to immediately intervene.

SC refuses to stop Hindu prayers in Gyanvapi mosque cellar

SC refuses to stop Hindu prayers in Gyanvapi mosque cellar

Rediff.com1 Apr 2024

A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud also sought response of priest Shailendra Kumar Pathak Vyas by April 30 on the plea of the mosque committee.

UP polls: Mamata likely to support Akhilesh, visit Varanasi in Jan

UP polls: Mamata likely to support Akhilesh, visit Varanasi in Jan

Rediff.com5 Dec 2021

"Didi has already said in Delhi that if Akhilesh Yadav needs our help, we are ready to extend help. The gesture of senior SP leader Jaya Bachchan seeking votes for the TMC during the West Bengal Assembly elections will be reciprocated in Uttar Pradesh," said Laliteshpati Tripathi, who recently joined the TMC.

Judge passed puja order on day of retirement, Muslim side tells HC

Judge passed puja order on day of retirement, Muslim side tells HC

Rediff.com6 Feb 2024

The Allahabad high court on Tuesday heard both the Hindu and Muslim sides on the Gyanvapi mosque committee's appeal challenging the Varanasi district court order allowing Hindu prayers in a cellar of the mosque.

Modi's Varanasi office listed on OLX for 'sale', 4 held

Modi's Varanasi office listed on OLX for 'sale', 4 held

Rediff.com18 Dec 2020

The accused had taken a picture of the 'Jansampark Kaaryalay (public relations office)' of Modi, who represents Varanasi in the Lok Sabha, and put it 'up for sale' on OLX website, they said.

NIA officer demands Rs2.5 cr bribe in false terror case, arrested

NIA officer demands Rs2.5 cr bribe in false terror case, arrested

Rediff.com4 Oct 2024

The CBI arrested an NIA deputy superintendent of police posted in Patna and two middlemen on Thursday for allegedly accepting a Rs 20 lakh bribe to extend favours to a person in an ongoing probe, officials said.

Is Rahul or Priyanka the future of Congress?

Is Rahul or Priyanka the future of Congress?

Rediff.com23 Nov 2024

The 52-year-old, who joins her mother Sonia and brother Rahul as an MP in what is a rare instance of three members of a family together in Parliament, would visit Parliament as a teenager to listen to her father Rajiv Gandhi speak as prime minister.

Court team at Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi for survey, security beefed up

Court team at Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi for survey, security beefed up

Rediff.com6 May 2022

Before the arrival of the court commissioner and his team here, a large crowd of devotees had gathered for Friday prayers.

HC rejects Muslim side's plea on Mathura temple-mosque dispute

HC rejects Muslim side's plea on Mathura temple-mosque dispute

Rediff.com2 Aug 2024

The Hindu litigants claim the mosque holds signs suggesting that it was a temple once.

Bollywood's FIRE POWER

Bollywood's FIRE POWER

Rediff.com25 Nov 2024

Bollywood doesn't need fire-breathing dragons when it has Bhai.

Posters warn non-Hindus to keep off Varanasi ghats, probe ordered

Posters warn non-Hindus to keep off Varanasi ghats, probe ordered

Rediff.com7 Jan 2022

Posters asking non-Hindus to stay away from the ghats of the Ganga and the temples along the river came up in Varanasi, prompting the police to launch a probe.

Woman's semi-naked body found on UP NH; police suspect rape, murder

Woman's semi-naked body found on UP NH; police suspect rape, murder

Rediff.com12 Sep 2024

An investigation has been initiated in the matter, they said, adding that based on the circumstances in which the body was found, there is a possibility the victim was raped and murdered before her body was dumped on the highway.

Varanasi court holds hearing in Gyanvapi case, puts it off to July 4

Varanasi court holds hearing in Gyanvapi case, puts it off to July 4

Rediff.com30 May 2022

The district court in Varanasi on Monday heard the arguments on the maintainability of a plea by five Hindu women seeking permission for daily worship of the Shringar Gauri Sthal in the Kashi Vishwanath-Gyanvapi complex.