Siblings Marthand Bindana and Valli Bindana are on a mission to save the river through Return of the Ganga Project. This is their story
Among a sea of humanity that took the holy dip in the Sangam in their quest for 'moksha' on Monday was a large number of overseas visitors, soaking in the spiritual fervour at the world's largest gathering of humans.
The U'khand CM appealed to people to not make the tragedy an occasion for building an "anti-development narrative"
'Kanpur and Hoogly district are the most polluted on the Ganga.'
Presenting the many faces of India's holiest river.
Professional divers and boatmen have been deployed by the police administration at the holy Sangam and other affected areas.
Magsaysay award-winner ' Rajendra Singh and two others on Saturday quit the National Ganga River Basin Authority, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, protesting the government's "negligence" of the river. Besides Singh, two other NGRBA members -- Ravi Chopra and R H Siddiqi -- also submitted their resignation letters to Dr Singh, expressing solidarity with noted environmentalist G D Agrawal, who is on a fast-unto-death to press for the cleansing of Ganga.
The Ganga has crossed the danger mark in West Bengal, Bihar and neighbouring districts of Uttar Pradesh where Yamuna river is also in spate, while heavy rainfall has created a flood-like situation in some parts of Rajasthan where six persons have died so far.
The challenges authorities face in cleaning Ganga and other holy rivers in Varanasi.
Sangam refers to the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers.
The teams carried out a helicopter survey of the area on Tuesday to find clues as to what led to the massive flash floods that swept everything on the way.
Several bodies, decomposed, bloated and suspected to be of people who succumbed to COVID-19, were on Monday found floating in the river Ganga in a Bihar district.
'I can assure you the Ganga will be more polluted in 2030 than it is now.' 'What they are trying to do now is clean the Ganga without understanding how to do so.'
In the month of June lifeline of Northern India and the most worshipped river, the Ganges, descent on earth is celebrated.
The green panel said that innocent people drank and bathed in the river with reverence, without knowing that it may adversely affect their health.
Amid the shadow of the third wave of COVID-19, people of India marked different festivals across the country.
The 45-day Maha Kumbh 2025, billed as the world's largest gathering of humans, began on Monday with the first major bathing ritual or 'Shahi Snan' at the Sangam, the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers in Prayagraj, India. This edition of the Kumbh is being held after 12 years, with the Uttar Pradesh government expecting over 35 crore devotees to visit. The event is being touted as a 'Digi-Kumbh' with Artificial Intelligence (AI) being used for various aspects, including security and cleanliness. The Maha Kumbh will be held from January 13 to February 26, and is expected to transform the area into the world's largest temporary city. Thirteen Akharas of seers from different sects are participating in the event, attracting attention from those seeking to learn about Indian spiritual beliefs.
Workers engaged in removal of debris of the collapsed bridge found the body from the flood plain of Kauwakol block, the official said.
Despite recent fatal stampedes at the Kumbh Mela and a Delhi railway station, pilgrims, driven by faith, continue to participate in the holy gathering in Prayagraj. Despite safety concerns, pilgrims from across India are undeterred by the tragedy and are taking the holy dip at the Triveni Sangam.
'It was about being part of something so much bigger than myself, witnessing millions coming together in faith, in the hope of something greater,' notes Nidhi Patel.
The Akhil Bharatiya Kinnar Akhara is the 14th akhara at the Maha Kumbh.
Reminding the Narendra Modi government that cleaning of Ganga was on its poll manifesto, the Supreme Court on Wednesday asked why urgent steps are not being taken on it and set a two-week timeline for it to come up with a road map for making the 2500 km long river pollution free.
The massive flood in the Dhauli Ganga river triggered by a glacial burst in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district on Sunday came as a grim reminder of the Kedarnath deluge of 2013 which led to widespread devastation in the ecologically fragile Himalayan region.
Lakhs of devotees on Thursday thronged the Ganga banks in Haridwar, including Har Ki Pauri, to take a dip in the sacred river on the occasion of Makar Sankranti which also marks the first major bath of the ongoing Ardhakumbh mela in Uttarakhand.
Take our quiz to test your knowledge about the Char Dham Yatra of Uttarakhand.
Israel has expressed interest in sharing its expertise on water purification and waste water treatment under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pet project for cleaning river Ganga.
Akshaya Tritiya is a festival associated with good luck and prosperity.
Several families continue their desperate search for their loved ones.
In 1911, French pilot Henri Pequet flew the world's first official airmail, carrying over 6,500 letters and postcards, during the Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, now Prayagraj. The flight, which covered five miles in 13 minutes, marked a significant milestone in aviation and postal history. The mail included letters to Jawaharlal Nehru and King George V, and special commemorative postcards signed by Pequet are now prized collector's items. The event, which coincided with the Kumbh Mela, highlights the intersection of spiritual and technological advancements in India's history.
'It would have been impossible for any other country to manage such a vast crowd or accommodate the visit of so many devotees with such remarkable arrangements,' says Navin Mendon.
Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti said she would announce in the House in July 2018 that the river has been cleaned and rejuvenated.
Due to the pandemic, this year the Kumbh Mela will be held for 48 days in Haridwar instead of three-and-a-half months.
Here's a recap of the events from the past 24 hours.
The decision was taken as keeping it operational could have been risky, the official said.
The Maha Kumbh, the world's largest religious gathering, began in Prayagraj, India, with millions taking a dip in the Sangam, the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers. Devotees from across India and the world converged for the 45-day event, which is considered to be a particularly auspicious one this year due to celestial alignments. The event is a major logistical challenge for the government, which has implemented several crowd-control measures and security measures to ensure the safety of the millions of pilgrims.
Gadkari, who was on a 3-day visit to London, listed the Hinduja family and Sri Prakash Lohia of the Indorama Corporation among the donors.
Masks were not worn by a large proportion and social distancing appeared impossible in an event in which, according to the mela administration, over 17 lakh people had taken a dip in the river in the first few hours up to 10 am.
The boat capsized in the Ganga River at Scindia Ghat in Varanasi, police said.
Telecom service providers and the Maha Kumbh Mela administration are on their toes to ensure smooth connectivity at the grand event set to witness record teledensity.
Multiple teams of the force, with personnel wearing protective gear and helmets, were rushed to the Tapovan power project site from their 1st battalion base in Joshimath and the ITBP mountaineering and skiing institute located nearby in Auli to launch search and rescue works.
