In Tamil Nadu a steamed, spicy delicacy, looking like a modak, is made for Vinayak Chaturthi.
Jaggery and wheat come together to make the fastest and most perfect Diwali sweet.
Holi was celebrated with pomp and splendor across India on Friday, with people soaking in the festivities by smearing 'gulaal' on each other and exchanging greetings and sweets. Homes and streets wore a colourful look as the revellers splashed colours and feasted on traditional delicacies. Public transport did not ply in the morning in most major cities while metro services started functioning from noon. As Holi coincided with the second Friday prayers during the holy Islamic month of Ramzan, security -- including increased patrolling and picketing -- was beefed up in several states. In Delhi, more than 25,000 security personnel were deployed. Police closely monitored about 300 sensitive areas with CCTV cameras and drones.
Despite the national capital recording its best air quality on Diwali day in eight years, pollution levels may rise due to low night temperatures and sporadic burning of firecrackers though there is a ban on their manufacture, storage, sale and use within the city.
Purnam Kumar Shaw, a BSF jawan who was held captive in Pakistan for nearly three weeks, returned to his home in West Bengal's Hooghly district on Friday evening. Shaw was greeted by his family and well-wishers at Howrah station and was escorted to his hometown Rishra, where he was welcomed by people and a band playing patriotic tunes. Shaw had been taken into custody by Pakistan Rangers on April 23, after he inadvertently crossed the international border in Punjab's Ferozepur district.
'You need the drishti, the experience. I am beginning to see things differently.'
There was no traditional exchange of sweets and pleasantries between the two sides along the International Border, the officials said, attributing it to the tense situation following the recent ceasefire violations by Pakistan Rangers that left a Border Security Force jawan dead.
'Such things happen, and not everything deserves a reaction. I played and played well and that's what matters.'
It is easy to make, crunchy to eat and requires no cooking.
'Not just women, but even men are judged by the colour of their skin and have to fight prejudice every day.'
Rajbaris are a link to Bengal's rich past, of grand mansions, classical fine dining, and allow guests to be pretend zamindars for those few hours or days that they stay.
'I hope this film will bring some change in people, their homes, and in our society.'
Keeping up his tradition of celebrating the festival with soldiers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Sir Creek near the Indo-Pak border in Gujarat's Kutch district and offered sweets to jawans.
Yeh Meri Family 3 is developing into a Wonder Years kind of coming-of-age comedy that Indian viewers can relate to, observes Deepa Gahlot.
Dear Reader, do tell us how you celebrate the Karwa Chauth festival.
'The flutters of excitement of a high-school romance, and then how life changes.'
'We saw 581 chocolate orders per minute and 324 rose orders per minute.'
The BJP registered emphatic victories in seven municipal corporations in Haryana, while its nominees were leading in two other civic bodies in the recently held elections. The Congress, which was hoping to improve its electoral fortunes after a defeat in the 2024 Assembly polls, suffered another setback. The BJP candidates won with large margins in Faridabad, Gurugram, Hisar, Karnal, Rohtak, Sonipat, and Ambala. The BJP was also leading in Yamunanagar and Panipat. In Manesar, an Independent candidate, Inderjeet Yadav, won the mayoral election. The results are seen as a major setback for the Congress, which has been facing internal turmoil and factionalism.
Indian economy is in a sweet spot, with a mix of solid growth and moderating inflation, Moody's Ratings said, forecasting a 7.2 per cent GDP growth in the 2024 calendar year and 6.6 per cent in the next. In its Global Macro Outlook 2025-26, the rating agency said the global economy has shown remarkable resilience in bouncing back from supply chain disruptions during the pandemic, an energy and food crisis after the Russia-Ukraine war began, high inflation and consequent monetary policy tightening.
The malai of a coconut is a unusually good addition to sama millet kheer
'The great singer Shardaji took Bhojpuri music and singing to the national and international level with her singing!'
'Inflation is not good for industry. Nor for the economy as a whole.'
Aditi-Siddharth at Apple event in California... Varun prays to Lalbaughcha Raja...What are Akshay and son looking at?
The event was given a miss as the relations between the two countries are strained at present.
Colourful lights illuminated buildings and earthen lamps dotted houses as people across the country celebrated Diwali with pomp on Monday after two years of muted festivities due to the pandemic.
This was the first time that sweets were exchanged between the two forces after the abrogation of Article 370 as the Pakistani side refused to continue with the custom, they said, adding after the developments of August 2019, the offer of exchanging sweets was made by the BSF but the Pakistani side did not reciprocate.
Amid the prevailing tension between India and Pakistan over ceasefire violations along their border, Pakistani Rangers refused to accept the sweets offered by the Border Security Force on the occasion of Eid.
Dressed in traditional finery, Muslims across India offered prayers at mosques and eidgahs on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr on Thursday, marking the end of the holy month of Ramzan.
The traditional Indian desserts market is around Rs 40,000-45,000 crore (Rs 400-450 billion).
Rediff.com's Mayur Sanap asked the actor about her love for fashion, her idea of dating and more...
The Pakistani side did not respond to Border Security Forces' move to exchange sweets and greetings along the IB running through the states of Jammu, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat.
Temple festivals, Christmas mass, sunrise prayers for the new year at Vivekananda Rock -- Tamil Nadu's southern districts are the place to be.
Suresh Gopi registered a historic win for the Bharatiya Janata Party in Kerala by winning the Thrissur Lok Sabha seat
It was a hit and miss for some but each one of them revelled in the opportunity to showcase their talent.
He was a formidable musician but seemed utterly human, a Peter Pan who wore his genius with deceptive lightness. Sandip Roy remembers Ustad Zakir Hussain.
After two years of muted festivities due to COVID-19, crowds thronged churches across the country this Christmas on Sunday for special prayers as people celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ.
Just as much as the magic of cinema, Chhello Show is about the imagination of a child and the typical Indian jugaad, observes Deepa Gahlot. Chhello Show
'I've been a villain, I've been a champ, I've been a superhero, I've been a zero, I've been a rejected fan, and I've been a very, very resilient lover.'
'Whenever people say to me that all my work looks unique, I say to them originality is the art of concealing your source.' 'You can't see the sources that I take from because usually, they are Indian.' 'But then Indians don't find my work Indian.'
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