West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has slammed the Maha Kumbh as a "Mrityu Kumbh" (Death Kumbh), accusing the Uttar Pradesh government of suppressing the actual toll in the stampede that occurred at the religious gathering. Banerjee also criticized the lack of planning and management at the event, highlighting the plight of Bengal residents who died in the stampede. The BJP, however, has condemned Banerjee's remarks, calling her an "anti-Hindu chief minister" and accusing her of political opportunism.
The 57-year-old has become the centre of attraction in Maha Kumbh Mela due to his height, which is a little more than three feet.
Of 817 grossly polluting factories, 62 have not installed anti-pollution devices and in 84 units, the installed devices are non-functional.
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.
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.
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.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe attended the spectacular sunset Ganga Aarti at the fabled Dashashwamedh Ghat in Varanasi on Saturday.
The district administration is immediately performing the last rites of the deceased as there is a possibility that they had contracted COVID-19.
"We had declared four labourers of Assi Ganga Hydel project along with 19 workers as dead after the calamity. And now, four persons have been reported alive," said R Rajesh Kumar, district magistrate of Uttarkashi.
The Narendra Modi government's ambitious poll promise to depollute river Ganga came under severe scrutiny on Wednesday in the Supreme Court which said it seems that steps taken so far will not lead to cleaning of the country's holiest river even after 200 years.
The water level of major rivers, including the Ganga and the Yamuna, in Uttar Pradesh has crossed the danger mark at several places.
Take our quiz to test your knowledge about the Char Dham Yatra of Uttarakhand.
Swirling waters inundated 12 districts of Buxar, Bhojpur, Patna, Vaishali, Saran, Begusarai, Samastipur, Lakhisarai, Khagaria, Munger, Bhagalpur and Katihar.
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.
While 14 bodies have been recovered, five were still missing, they said.
The boat carrying 15 people capsized in the Ganga river while it was travelling towards the Karsaura Ghat. Eight of the occupants were rescued.
Only 40 of the 160 projects under the Namami Gange Mission -- a Rs 20,000 crore project for cleaning the river -- have been completed.
The Akhil Bharatiya Kinnar Akhara is the 14th akhara at the Maha Kumbh.
Irked by Narendra Modi's remark that why Ganga could not be cleaned like his government had done with Sabarmati, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday hit back, saying they don't need lessons from other states.
A group of environmentalists are on a mission to make the Ganga pollution free. They are currently on a journey from Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh to Mayapur in West Bengal, via the river, to create awareness about the issue.
'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.
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.
The water-level of the river Ganga on Tuesday hovered near the danger mark, threatening a flood-like situation in the district.
The feisty sadhvi also targeted Gandhi for attacking Modi over his "son of the Ganga from Gujarat" comment, saying the Congress leader should know that his mother Sonia Gandhi "reveres the river" despite her Italian origin.
In Uttar Pradesh, two persons were killed since Tuesday in the floods which have affected around 8.7 lakh people in 987 villages of 28 districts in the state.
The protesting wrestlers refrained from immersing their medals in the river Ganges after being convinced by Khap and farmer leaders who sought five days to address their grievances.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh to the kin of each of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured.
With the rise in level of the Ganga, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has expressed apprehension of further rise in water level by Monday in view of release of water from Bansagar dam as flood-like situation prevailed in the state.
Two teams of glaciologists will head to Joshimath-Tapovan on Monday to study the causes of massive flood caused after a part of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, the director of the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology said.
It has been said that by 2025, India could become among the top five economies in the world. If India does become a $5 trillion economy but gets all its rivers polluted, food chain poisoned and genetic pool depleted and biometric database of Indians sold or stolen at the behest of commercial czars, will it not be a pyrrhic economic victory, asks Gopal Krishna.
With 10 more bodies fished out from the Yamuna river in Kaushambi district on Saturday, the number of deaths in two separate boat mishaps in Uttar Pradesh has risen to 26.
Several families continue their desperate search for their loved ones.
Devotees lit 21,000 lamps at Har Ki Pauri in Haridwar, November 27, 2023, as they prayed for the 41 Indians trapped in the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi on Dev Deepawali.
Pakistan has been opposing the construction of the Kishanganga hydropower project on Ganga river in Kashmir, which is called Neelum upon entering Pakistan. Pakistan has said that the diversion of the waters of the Neelum is not allowed under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, and that it will face a 27 per cent water deficit when the project gets completed.
It was BCCI that 'bought' Neeraj Chopra's javelin during e-auction in 2021
A livid Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday asked a representative of a private company to expedite a road project in Patna and even offered to touch his feet to speed it up.
Adding another issue to his agenda, Anna Hazare on Monday rose in support of a movement to save the Ganga by visiting activist G D Aggarwal who was flown to New Delhi for treatment after his health deteriorated during a hunger strike in Varanasi to save the river.
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.
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.
With reports of eight fresh deaths on Thursday, the total toll in Bihar flood increased to 135, with Bhojpur district accounting for 12 deaths in the second round of floods due to the swollen Ganga.
