The longest immersion process is that of Mumbai's Lalbaugcha Raja which lasts for 24 hours.
Bhagwat also said only the weakness of the Hindus are to be blamed for their oppression in neighbouring Bangladesh.
Pakistan's minority Hindu community leaders have asked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to accept their demand for a public holiday on Diwali and announce a special aid package for them on the festival.
After a raging row that forced Salman Rushdie to keep away last year, this year's Jaipur Literature Festival kicked off to a peaceful start amidst tight security with overriding sentiments favouring independent space for authors and the need to defend the freedom of speech.
Since the Supreme Court has banned the bull-taming sport of Jallikattu, normally conducted on Mattu Pongal day, the festival is expected to be low-key in Madurai and neighbouring districts, where it is widely popular.
A look at the wedding venue,
Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati, along with his disciples, paid obeisance to the idols on their respective chariots.
Vidya Balan and Shefali Shah are powerhouse talents and are tailor-made for Jalsa's overwrought premise, notes Sukanya Verma.
'He always avoided eating non-vegetarian food in presence of his deputies if they were fasting for the month of Shravan.' 'There were no Hindu, Jain, Parsi and Swaminarayan festivals he would forget.' 'He was a conservative Muslim and therefore could get along well with conservative Hindus.'
The annual Amarnath yatra to the 3,880-metre high cave shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas will commence on June 28 and culminate, as per the tradition, on the day of Raskha Bandhan festival on August 22, officials said.
'Gandhi was ambivalent about the RSS; the Sangh, for their part, actively distrusted him.'
'No civilised nation can thrive if it is possessed with the spirit of Hindutva.'
Durga Puja, the festival that honours goddess Durga and celebrates her victory over the mythological demon named Mahishasura, kickstarts on Sunday.
Over a thousand widows broke the 400-year-old tradition and celebrated the festival within the precincts of the ancient Gopinath temple.
Stalin, like his father M Karunanidhi did in 2004, may play the king-maker in a way -- not the king, unless the 2024 post-poll circumstances throws up a situation where he alone becomes acceptable to the rest, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
Five Rafale fighter aircraft arrived in India from France on July 29 and have started extensive training within 24 hours of touching down in the country. The French-origin fighter aircraft are part of the 17 Golden Arrows squadron of the Indian Air Force.
'It was disappointing on two counts. One is on the leadership issue and second is how the Congress must win elections.'
One of the popular legends behind Diwali is that it marks Lord Rama's return from exile. Sanjay Patel presents the story before from Ramayana: The Divine Loophole.
The foundations of the army's own peculiar secularism are potentially being destabilised
Given the worsening security scenario in Kashmir, we cannot afford to have a restive Punjab with its peasantry up in arms against the central government, argues Virendra Kapoor.
A right-wing group on Sunday said it had issued a "diktat" barring entry of Muslims at Garba events during the upcoming Navratri festival at Mandvi town in Gujarat's Kutch district to prevent "love jihad" incidents.
Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said he had directed the state Advocate General to approach the high court and request it to allow the annual procession. The HC had on Saturday stayed the procession in the light of coronavirus pandemic in Ahmedabad.
Tharoor claimed that this quote of the unnamed RSS source was quoted in a news article that he had read some years ago.
Sunday, February 26 was a day of devotion for Lord Shiva
Taking note of a Hindu outfit's assertion that a large number of people will be converted on December 25, district authorities on Friday issued a warning to those trying to disturb communal amity while asking citizens not to get provoked.
The Indian American community in New Jersey, US, has been celebrating the festival with fervour since October 8.
Dhanteras' buying seemed to have been sparked by the belief that prices would remain firm
Celebrating the poet-saint's legacy in our times.
Playing a character put off by the idea of retirement is becoming on Bachchan. Hands in pocket, eyes firmly focused on his mission, conviction inks his speech while his serene, sensitive, portrayal has a calming effect on the kids and Jhund, observes Sukanya Verma.
'He has attacked our enemies in their own backyard.'
The 1,113 arrested include social activist and Congress worker Sadaf Jafar and noted theatre artist Deepak Kabir who are being kept in a Lucknow jail.
President Pranab Mukherjee has greeted the nation on the occasion of Holi and said that the festival of colours promotes oneness and harmony as well as bring happiness and prosperity to all.
A round-up of our favourite photographs from the week gone by.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted the nation on the holy occasion.
The DMK feels its genuine gestures have had no bearing on the governor's politico-administrative conduct, which is 'more political and politicised than administrative and Constitutional', observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
As their parties are locked in a fierce battle for Bengal, Tathagata and Saugata Roy, siblings who belong to the BJP and the TMC respectively, answer the same questions put to them about the assembly election.
Rajesh Karkera/Rediff.com captures a mini procession in the city.
When Bollywood stars get festive...
We want to know what you've drawn this Diwali! Send us your photographs!
'The boycott has not achieved success. Sales figures for Chinese products on the top three Indian online retailers in the first week of October hit a new record. Amazingly, the Chinese mobile phone company Xiaomi sold half a million phones in just three days on the Flipkart, Amazon India, Snapdeal and Tata CLiQ platforms.'
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