The state BJP, meanwhile, has urged the government to drop its decision to celebrate Tipu Jayanti and not to stand on 'prestige' or 'ego'.
Alarmed over fresh violence ahead of the festival season, the Orissa government on Monday asked the Centre to allow it to retain Central para-military forces dispatched in the wake of Kandhamal riots till October end, official sources said. Orissa has already received 40 companies (one company comprises 90 personnel) of Central para-military forces after communal violence erupted following the killing of Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Laxmananda Saraswati.
GetAhead reader Ajit Singh sent us pictures of his visit to the Pushkar Camel Fair in Rajasthan, held from October 25 to November 2 this year.
'If Mr Modi continues growing as a Hindu Hriday Samrat, better that it is done by restoring ancient temples than demolishing medieval mosques,' says Shekhar Gupta.
'You need to be very passionate towards life, not because you are a film-maker, but because you are a human being.' 'If you can do that, then I think it reflects in the films that you make.'
It is time to welcome back Ma Durga, who is on her annual five-day visit to her father Himalaya's home, with her sons Ganesh and Kartik and daughters Saraswati and Lakshmi.
The Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore invites corporates, entrepreneurs, professionals, MBA students and undergraduate students to attend its annual festival VISTA 2006.
The resolution may have been adopted a week after the festival of lights was celebrated, but it was nonetheless delightful news to the Indian American community that had lobbied for it, particularly the nascent Hindu American Foundation, comprising young professionals, who had earlier seen their efforts bear fruit in the US House of Representatives.
After Narendra Modi's exit from state politics, the BJP and Hindutva forces are falling back on communal politics, says Vinay Umarji
Founder Shilen Amin tells Arthur J Pais how far the South Asian International Film Festival has come since its inception 10 years ago
The resolution affirmed the importance of the festival in the lives of millions of Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs in the United States
Disciples and followers of music legend Pandit Jasraj in the United States paid their tributes to the Indian classical vocalist and described his passing away as an irreparable loss to India and its cultural heritage while fondly recalling his humble and gentle nature.
In an interview to ANI, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh spoke on various issues, including the Balakot air strikes to the status of Kashmir to the party's manifesto.
Photographer HariPrasad captures the quaint village through his lens.
These photographs show India in various colours and moods in 2015.
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A country as diverse as India has some of the strangest rituals and traditions. From bizarre ways to cure illnesses to an unusual matrimony to please the rain gods...the things people do here must be seen to be believed.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee has approved a legislation to recognise the religious and historical significance of Diwali. The legislation was introduced by Congressman Joe Wilson, South Carolina Republican and co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, on the urging of the Hindu American Foundation. Now the Rules Committee has to schedule a date for the full House to take up this legislation on the floor and vote to formally recognise Diwali
Although conventional political wisdom would decree that the construction of a 'magnificent' Ram temple at his 'birth-place' would bring the BJP a big yield of votes in the prospective elections, its leaders know by now that the mandir must not exist in isolation in its game plan, reports Radhika Ramaseshan.
Justices V Ramasubramanian and N Kirubakaran stayed the order while admitting an appeal filed by the HR&CE department and one G Sarika of Southern Districts Women's Federation.
The head of Malaysia's Shariat Department has asked Muslims in the country not to greet Hindus on Diwali.
Five influential American lawmakers have introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives calling on the US Postal Service to issue a postal stamp to commemorate the festival of Diwali.
Pandit Ravi Shankar was George Harrison's link into the Vedic world.
Thanks to the indefatigable perseverance of Congressman Joe Crowley, New York Democrat and a long-time and time-tested friend of India and the Indian American community, the United States Congress will celebrate it's first-ever Congressional Diwali celebration on October 29 at 6 pm at the Rayburn House Building foyer on the first floor.
Chennaiites are proud that they are a culture-loving people.
A film critic with The Hindu, 31-year old Sudhish Kamath takes time off work to make movies.
The first-ever Diwali celebrations will be held at the United States Capitol this year, with the US lawmakers announcing to hold a Congressional reception for the festival of lights.
'If the BJP thinks it is going to overnight transform Bengal into Madhya Pradesh, sorry, that's not going to happen because I have faith in our ethos and culture.'
Archbishop Rowan Williams, leading a remembrance service on Tuesday to commemorate the victims of July 7 bombings in London, gave the practical workings of Diwali message 'light over darkness'
Facing opposition criticism over alleged inaction by the Delhi police during the violence last month, Shah appreciated the police for not allowing the riots to spiral.
Here's a collection of some of the best photos from around the world shot in the last 24 hours.
Referring to the bomb blasts in Delhi on the eve of Diwali and Eid, Sir Ghulam Noon praised resident of the Indian capital for showing terrorists that they could not be cowed down by acts of terrorism.
The idol carved out of plaster of Paris was brought here from Pune on Saturday.
'We needed Smriti Irani to champion democratic values, but she's chosen to be a coward.' 'In fact, she has shrunk India's democracy.' 'Why blame her or the BJP? I can't hear the voices of Sonia and Rahul Gandhi.' 'They lack the guts to stand up in support of Padmavati, Sexy Durga and Nude.' 'When it comes to defending freedom they are no different,' says Karan Thapar.
'Once the common man realises that living in harmony, respecting, loving and protecting each other is the real meaning of secularism, and treating everyone equally to safeguard our Constitution and motherland is patriotism, there will be no opportunity for communalism.'
'Indian nationhood is indeed at the cusp of alarming redefinition -- hate-filled, and exclusionary.' 'Nations are not built this way, instead these are the ways of liquidating nations.' 'We must pre-empt it.' 'Can we?' asks Mohammad Sajjad.
On Sunday morning Eastern US time, four astronauts will zoom into space on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. Commanding the spaceflight is Raja Chari, a United States Air Force colonel.
As a child, Sufal Das used to dream of becoming a dhaki. But a life full of adversities, and dwindling popularity of the dhak, has made him regret his dream.
Gold prices fell by Rs 50 to Rs 27,800 per ten grams in special Diwali trading in New Delhi on Thursday largely in tandem with a weakening global trend.
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