Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's April 19 visit to Jammu and Kashmir, security has been significantly tightened across the region, especially along the Jammu-Srinagar highway and key infrastructure sites.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday flagged off two specially designed Vande Bharat trains between Katra town and Srinagar city, reducing travel time between the two places by two to three hours and ensuring all-weather surface connectivity with the Kashmir valley.
Heavy rainfall across North India leads to fatalities, structural damage, travel disruptions, and school closures. Eastern states brace for more rain.
After record rains wreaked havoc in Jammu and Kashmir over the past two days, the death toll in related incidents rose to 41, most of them victims of the landslide on a Vaishno Devi pilgrimage route, while there was some let-up in the showers on Wednesday, allowing relief efforts to pick up pace.
As we continue our climb, I meet 59-year-old Pushpa Devi from Banaras. I stare at her in wonderment when she tells me this is her 45th visit to the temple. She is equally bewildered to hear this is my first visit!What is it that draws her here each year? 'Bas ek shabd hai. Shraddha. (There is just one word. Faith.)'
Jammu and Kashmir National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah surprised devotees in Katra by singing a 'bhajan' dedicated to Mata Shera Wali. He also voiced support for the ongoing protest against the ropeway construction in Katra, criticizing the authorities for not considering the city's interests. Abdullah emphasized that the people have the power to make or break governments and that the authorities are now reaching out to them to discuss the ropeway's location. He added that the core teachings of all religions are the same, and it is often people who misuse religion for their own selfish purposes.
To accommodate the huge number of devotees, a high-tech kitchen has been established at Baba Satyapal Maharaj's pandal, ensuring seamless food preparation and distribution.
After the Chenab bridge, Modi also inaugurated India's first cable-stayed rail bridge over the river Anji. The prime minister then walked on the Chenab rail bridge holding the tricolour.
The home minister also said that Article 370 was the "biggest roadblock" in the state's development and within 10 years, it will be one of the most developed regions of the country.
Incessant rains and flooding have caused widespread disruption in northern India, with states like Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Punjab, and Jammu and Kashmir facing landslides, road closures, and displacement. Rescue efforts are underway as authorities grapple with the aftermath of the deluge.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasts above-normal rainfall for India in September, following a monsoon season marked by heavy downpours and related disasters in various regions. The forecast indicates normal to above-normal rainfall for most areas, with some exceptions in the northeast, east, extreme south peninsular India, and parts of northwest India.
The train is specially equipped for extreme weather, capable of functioning in temperatures as low as minus 20°C, and include features like heated windshields, insulated toilets, and seismic dampers for safety.
Sinha said the inauguration of the Kashmir rail service has connected the hearts of the people of Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of the country and will pave the way for the economic prosperity of the region.
Heavy rains battered Jammu and Kashmir, triggering floods, damaging infrastructure, and disrupting normal life. Authorities issued advisories and rescue operations were conducted.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday flagged off the inaugural train from Katra in Jammu, the base camp for Vaishno Devi shrine.
The inauguration of the Chenab Bridge on June 6 marks a historic milestone in India's infrastructure journey, completing the decades-long Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Line project.
India needs to be technologically and militarily prepared to defend itself from both Pakistan and China, alerts Ramesh Menon.
Days before the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, intelligence agencies had flagged the potential targeting of tourists especially those staying in hotels on the outskirts of Srinagar in the foothills of the Zabarwan range, officials in the know said Saturday.
The train, on its maiden trial run, arrived at Srinagar station in the Nowgam area on Srinagar's outskirts from Katra in Jammu.
"Not only that, Pakistan is also the enemy of poor's bread and butter. What happened on April 22 in Pahalgam is an example of that. Pakistan attacked 'insaniyat' and Kashmiriyat in Pahalgam.
Social media influencer Orhan Awatramani, known as Orry, and seven others were booked for allegedly consuming alcohol at a hotel in Katra, the base camp for the pilgrimage to Mata Vaishno Devi shrine. The FIR was registered for violating the law and hurting religious sentiments. The hotel reportedly prohibits alcohol and non-vegetarian food due to its proximity to the shrine.
The new Vande Bharat Express train is specially designed to operate seamlessly in Jammu & Kashmir's challenging winter conditions for the upcoming Katra-Srinagar rail route.
Will Katra's gain be Jammu's loss? Locals in the area are worried that the development of the new railway line will affect their livelihoods, as pilgrims heading to Vaishno Devi will be able to bypass Jammu completely. This will affect tourism, the main source of income for many in the area, observes Upasana Pandey.
Neha Waghulade, a casual announcer with the All India Radio (AIR) in Jalgaon, Maharashtra, survived a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, where 26 people were killed. Waghulade was with a group of tourists at the Baisaran meadows when the attack took place on Tuesday afternoon. She described the chaos and panic as tourists were gunned down and the quick response of the Indian Army in evacuating survivors to safety.
Regaling fans since decades with her brand of charm and charisma, Bollywood's eternal diva has channelled lot of these attributes in her chartbuster songs.
The newly-introduced direct train to Katra, the base camp of Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu and Kashmir, was stuck in a tunnel for an hour on Wednesday morning due to suspected wheel slip caused by heavy rains when it was about to reach the Katra railway station.
Political parties, cutting across affiliations and ideologies, Friday welcomed the Kashmir rail link inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, hoping for a boost in trade and tourism in the valley.
The train will traverse through seven tunnels and over 30 small and large bridges.
For Ali, who hails from Mendhar sub-division near the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district, the uniform is more than a job -- it's a calling. He has dedicated nearly half his life in the police force, serving its various wings with distinction and earning multiple commendations for his courage and unwavering commitment to duty.
A police officer and his eight siblings, including five sisters, were deported to Pakistan on Wednesday despite a court order granting them temporary relief. The nine members of the extended family, who have been living in Jammu and Kashmir for generations, were among more than two dozen people, mostly from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), who were served deportation notices following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. The deportation has sparked outrage, with protests and appeals for intervention from the home minister and lieutenant governor. The family members claim they are not Pakistani nationals and have been living in the region for generations, presenting revenue records to support their claims. The court has ordered a detailed report on the case within two weeks and will hear it again on May 20.
Annu Dhankar, who police referred to as 'Lady Don', was nabbed near the Indo-Nepal border in Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh.
Six pilgrims and a woman pilot were killed when a chopper crashed in Katra, the base camp of the Vaishnodevi shrine in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district.
Swami Shivanand Saraswati, known as the world's 'oldest saint', claims to be 129 years old and has been attending the Kumbh Mela for 100 years.
'Muslims need to work according to strategy and not fall into the trap of Opposition parties.'
The Bharti Kisan Union (Krantikari) has criticized the Punjab government for issuing arrest warrants against 25 farmers and adding an attempt to murder charge in the FIR related to the 2022 prime minister security breach incident. The union claims the farmers were protesting peacefully and had no knowledge of the prime minister's route. They argue the government is acting under pressure from the central government.
Two women pilgrims from Punjab and Uttar Pradesh died while a five-year-old girl was grievously injured in a landslide on the new track to the Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district on Monday, officials said.
While inaugurating the 25-km long train, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said it was his government's duty to ensure the development of the region and ensured that the task would be achieved. Mukhtar Ahmad reports.
Dubey visited the party headquarters at Trikuta Nagar in Jammu this evening and posed with Sharma and other senior leaders of the party, which the BJP termed as a move to show the "unity and the strength of the organisation".
Marriott International will set up a global capability center (GCC) in Hyderabad, which will be its first such offshore unit in India and will help support Marriott's various operations across its global enterprise in 141 countries and territories. Marriott Tech Accelerator is also -- in all likelihood -- the first ever GCC from a hospitality major being set-up in India. While the company did not give details of the size of the center, senior state government officials said that the company will hire 300 people by the first quarter of the calendar year 2025.
