The Ganga water at the Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj, where lakhs of people are taking a holy dip every day during the ongoing Maha Kumbh, is currently unsafe for bathing as it exceeds the prescribed limit for biological oxygen demand (BOD), a key parameter to determine water quality, according to government data.
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.
After a 59-year wait, an ancient trade route across a 150-year-old bridge is open near the India-China border in Uttarakhand.
Prayagraj is transforming into a massive temporary city to host the Maha Kumbh, the world's largest religious gathering, expected to draw over 40 crore pilgrims. The preparations include extensive infrastructure development, including 160,000 tents, 150,000 toilets, and a 1,250-km pipeline network. The event, starting on January 13, will culminate on February 26, bringing together millions of devotees for the holy dip at the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers.
Six decades and more later, we are now captives of our identities. Every poll is based on elaborate calculations of electability of candidates on the basis of their castes and other narrow definers. That, along with voter promiscuity, is what defines our political culture, which remains stubbornly resistant to any change, asserts Shreekant Sambrani.
Responding to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Jal Shakti Bishweswar Tudu said the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) sought from the state governments concerned a report on the bodies found floating in the river and the action taken or contemplated for ensuring proper handling, management and disposal of bodies for ensuring the protection of Ganga.
With Bihar battling floods despite receiving less than normal rains, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking the Centre's intervention as he insisted that desilting the river Ganga is the only solution to avoid the almost annual occurrence of floods.
The National Green Tribunal on Wednesday slammed the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board, asking whether it disputed the Central Pollution Control Board's finding on high levels of faecal coliform being found in the water at various locations in Prayagraj during the ongoing Mahakumbh.
Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti on Monday dismissed concerns over alleged slow progress in the Centre's Namami Gange programme saying that the NDA government has resolved to make the river as "one of the cleanest" in the world by October 2018.
With the Government actively looking for ways to check pollution in river Ganga, Union Water Resource Minister Uma Bharti on Monday said immersion of mortal remains would not be allowed on the banks of the holy river.
The glimpses of the "Maha Kumbh Mela", or the Great Pitcher Festival, in Prayagraj, January 13, 2025.
President Droupadi Murmu will visit the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj on Monday and take a holy dip at the Sangam, her office said.
India has exempted Bangladeshi exports to Nepal and Bhutan as such trade facilitation is mandatory for landlocked countries under the framework of provisions of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
Agarwal was admitted to hospital on Wednesday after he even gave up drinking water.
MC Mary Kom on Sunday expressed happiness as she was able to participate in the Maha Kumbh.
Bharti said she would 'embark on a pilgrimage to devote time for Ganga river and Lord Ram by leaving power'.
The tribunal sought to know whether any criminal case was registered and any prosecution was launched against any person for violation of the guidelines for the management of dead bodies covid infected or otherwise.
The Kumbh Mela is what it is because of the devotion of millions who make it an experience like no other. It is experiencing the heart and soul of India and the brotherhood of mankind.
The Irrigation department has warned that the Central Bureau of Investigation's plan to conduct fresh autopsy on the bodies of two teenage girls raped and murdered in Budaun is going to be dead in the water if the agency failed to exhume the bodies within the next two days.
The Centre is conducting a study to assess the presence of SARS-CoV-2, or novel coronavirus, in the Ganga as corpses were found dumped in the river during the second Covid wave, and were fished out from districts in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, officials said.
The cultural richness that began from a narrow bank of the Yamuna has continued for over 7 centuries. And you literally go underground for as little at Rs 50 to see it!
Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 is more than just the largest gathering of humanity. It is a testament to faith and devotion.
The Maha Kumbh Mela, a major Hindu pilgrimage, commenced in Prayagraj, India on Monday, with over 40 lakh people taking the first holy dip in the Sangam, the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the event, which runs until February 26, will elevate India's ancient cultural and religious traditions to global prominence.
The 77th Independence Day was celebrated with a festive fervour across the country on Tuesday.
Prayagraj is a must-visit place in 2025, but in January and February you can't miss the Maha Kumbh, a spectacular event like no other.
The Bihar government on Tuesday said altogether 71 bodies have been fished out from the Ganga in Buxar district, where these were found floating in the river, triggering suspicion that the abandoned corpses could be those of COVID-19 patients.
Share your unforgettable experience with us at getahead@rediff.co.in.
A senior official of the district administration said about eight lakh lamps were lit on the 84 ghats located on the western bank of the river.
Jonty Rhodes had posted an image of himself taking a dip at the Holy Ganga river. Harbhajan Singh Rhodes saying that 'you have seen more India than me'.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday said Ganga cleansing programmes have been going on for over three decades with almost no impact on the ground and wondered whether the government wanted to do something during this tenure or would it spill over to the next term.
The mosque's maulana and the mazar's caretakers said they were not aware of any administrative order in this regard and claimed this was for the first time that such a step had been taken during the yatra.
'Though the river is cleaner than what it was five years ago, a lot more needs to be done.'
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister Brajesh Pathak has asserted that no cases of skin diseases were reported among pilgrims who took a dip in the holy Sangam during the Maha Kumbh. Pathak's statement comes in response to concerns raised by opposition leaders regarding the purity of the river water. He highlighted the cleanliness efforts undertaken during the event and the cultural significance of the Maha Kumbh.
On his arrival in Varanasi earlier on Monday, the prime minister offered prayers at Kaal Bhairav Temple.
A list of lesser-travelled destinations in India that you must explore this year!
Doomariyaganj MLA Sayeda Khatoon had on Sunday visited the Samay Mata temple at the invitation of the local people to participate in a Shatchandi Mahayagya.
'It was as if the sacred waters were washing away not just my sins but also my doubts and burdens,' says Aayushi Agarwal.
The major initiatives of the Modi government have been launched to ensure cleanliness across the country
The rhythmic sound of the oars hitting the water and the sight of countless pilgrims chanting along the riverbanks created an unforgettable atmosphere, says Varalaxmi Sompuri.
'When we finally immersed ourselves in the sacred waters, remembering Ganga Maa and Lord Mahadev, we felt a profound sense of accomplishment,' says Satish V.
