Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday charged the Trinamool Congress government with 'playing with national security by protecting infiltrators' for vote-bank politics, and said ending the ruling party's 'maha jungle raj' was vital to restore law and order, development and investor confidence in the state.
Unesco on Wednesday accorded heritage status to Kolkata's Durga puja festival, bringing glory to the country, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee lauding the move.
Movie stars arrived at the North Bombay Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal to seek blessings, partake in the bhog and serve it.
Wearing his infectious goofy grin, 'Samba Magician' Ronaldinho cast a spell on the football-crazy denizens of Kolkata as his arrival for a two-day visit in Kolkata ushered in an early onset of the Durga Puja festival.
Mahalaya, though essentially about the goddess, wasn't religious for us. And it isn't for most Bengalis. Mahalaya is an emotion. It's gooseflesh for a memory. A welling up of happy tears. A celebration of what is to come.
Breaking centuries-old custom, for the first time in the history of Durga Puja in West Bengal, women priests Nandini Bhowmik, Ruma Roy, Seymanti Banerjee and Poulami Chakraborty performed rituals on the occasion of Maha Sasthi, October 11, 2021.
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Bollywood's Bengali ladies are enjoying Durga Puja as seen from these weekend pictures from the North Bengal Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal.
A community Durga Puja pandal based on the theme of 'Fight Against Coronavirus' at Raiganj in North Dinajpur district, West Bengal.
'Once when he was on a flight, the plane hit an air-pocket.' 'The turbulence outside caused it to see-saw violently which caused a lot of panic inside. While his co-passengers were crying and praying for their lives, Salil kaku was writing a song in his head.'
Protests continue in Kolkata against attacks on minority Hindus in Bangladesh. BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari threatens a large-scale protest if the attacks are not stopped.
Forum for Durgotsab, an umbrella organisation of 550 community Durga Pujas in Kolkata and neighbouring areas, also published guidelines to ensure that the festivities are held following COVID-safety protocols.
Cuttack remains tense following violence during a Durga idol immersion procession. Internet services are suspended, and political leaders appeal for communal harmony.
The emotional high point of the glittering ceremony came when Shreya concluded her performance with Zubeen's iconic song 'Mayabini Ratir Bukut'.
'I want to take Durga Maa's blessings and achieve a lot more'
India's Deepavali (Diwali), the festival of light, has been inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity during a meeting held at the Red Fort in Delhi.
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Tarun Vijay visits 20 Durga Puja pandals in five towns in Bangladesh and comes back impressed.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is Trinamool Congress's Bhabanipur bypoll candidate, of violating the model code of conduct (MCC) by participating in a programme where the West Bengal government announced a grant of Rs 50,000 to each Durga puja organising committee ahead of the state's biggest festival.
The Mukherjees are in a festive mood!
Non-metro cities drove this year's online Diwali shopping boom, accounting for nearly three-quarters of total e-commerce volume, with tier 3 cities contributing over 50 per cent, according to industry data. As per the industry data analysis of over 4.25 crore shipments by logistics intelligence platform ClickPost, these regions now represent the fastest and largest drivers of festive e-commerce, solidifying non-metro India's role as the epicentre of order volumes and growth.
Eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi is not scheduled to play serious football on the 'G.O.A.T. India Tour 2025'.
Bollywood stars turned revelers during the ongoing Durga Puja and Navratri.
A division bench of the high court comprising Justices Sanjib Banerjee and Arijit Banerjee, while hearing a public interest litigation, said that no visitors will be allowed to enter the marquees. For small pandals, barricades will have to be put up five metres from the entrance, while for the bigger ones, the distance has to be 10 metres, the court ordered.
Durga Puja celebrations are on in the city and Bollywood has joined in with great gusto!
After the Covid-19 pandemic that derailed the economy since 2019, the Durga Puja festival in West Bengal is back with an estimated 20-30 per cent jump in festive spending. Retail sector is the key contributor to the state's Durga Puja economy which was Rs 32,377 crore in 2019, according to a British Council study conducted for the state government. Retail accounts for 85 per cent of the total puja economy and the rest is shared among pandal making, decoration, illumination, entertainment, advertisement, food & beverage and others.
Hindu temples in Bangladesh have been vandalised by some unidentified miscreants during Durga Puja celebrations, prompting the government to deploy paramilitary force in 22 districts after three people were killed and many others injured in riots, media reports said.
Priyanka Chopra, Tamannaah Bhatia, Khushi Kapoor turned the Bvlgari showcase into a star-studded style spectacle.
Hundreds and thousands of devout throng puja pandals as festive fever grips Kolkata on Friday, the second last day of Durga puja. But if weathermen are to be believed the rain gods may just play spoilsport.
'We currently have new proposals worth Rs 1.48 trillion in the pipeline.'
The death toll from landslides in Darjeeling, West Bengal has risen to 24, with rescue operations continuing amidst challenging conditions. Thousands of tourists are stranded as roads remain blocked.
The annual festivities of Durga Puja are set to start and the City of Joy is gearing up for it. Sayan Dutta offers us a peek into the preparations.
Security has been increased across four districts in Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly division for Dussehra, with internet services suspended in Bareilly district for 48 hours to prevent the spread of rumors and maintain public order.
The incident happened at a crowded pandal in the Raja Dal locality of the town, Superintendent of Police Swarna Prabhat said.
Accompanied by her husband, Nusrat wearing a white and red pat saree and mask offered Anjali (flowers) on the auspicious Maha Ashtami day at the Suruchi Sangha pandal in New Alipore.
If the Puja as a brand can be marketed more effectively outside Bengal, even overseas, it might do wonders for the economy, says Atanu Biswas.
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