Following a stampede at the Maha Kumbh that killed 30 people, the Uttar Pradesh government has stepped up security measures and crowd management efforts. Despite the tragedy, millions of devotees continue to flock to the religious gathering, undeterred by the pre-dawn chill and dense fog. Security forces are being deployed in larger numbers, and new restrictions will be imposed at key locations to prevent further incidents. The authorities are also conducting a thorough review of the arrangements in the Mela area, and several officials are being assigned to oversee operations until February 12.
A stepwell, approximately 125 to 150 years old and covering an area of 400 square metres, was unearthed during excavation in the Laxman Ganj area of Chandausi in Sambhal, an official said.
The Maha Kumbh, a massive religious gathering in Prayagraj, India, is preparing for the culmination of its events with the Mahashivratri 'snan' (sacred bath) on Wednesday. Authorities have declared the entire mela area a 'no vehicle zone' and are urging devotees to take a dip at the ghat nearest to them to avoid crowding at the Sangam. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is monitoring the arrangements and has issued an advisory for devotees, outlining specific ghats for different arrival routes. The Maha Kumbh has seen a record number of pilgrims, exceeding 64 crore. Security arrangements are robust with over 37,000 police personnel and 14,000 home guards deployed. The fair has also been hailed for its cleanliness and safety measures. The event is expected to conclude with the Mahashivratri puja.
Amid heightened security measures, more than two crore devotees took a dip in the Sangam till 6 pm on Wednesday on the occasion of Maghi Purnima during the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj.
Filing her nomination papers from East Delhi's Krishna Nagar, Bharatiya Janata Party chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi on Wednesday said that her responsibility has increased after being fielded from the party's "traditional" seat.
Mathura and Vrindavan are the birth place and 'krira sthal' of Lord Krishna. Considering Mathura and Vrindavan as holy places, lakhs of devotees from all over the country and abroad come for paying obeisance, Additional Chief Secretary Avanish Awasthi said in an official order.
The statement implicated members of the Mukhiya gang, accused of orchestrating multiple interstate paper leaks, as the source of the leaked answer sheet.
The Maha Kumbh, billed as the world's largest gathering, concluded on Wednesday after 45 days, with lakhs of devotees taking a dip in the Sangam, the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and mythical Saraswati rivers. Despite a stampede that killed at least 30 people, millions continued to visit the Kumbh, seeking salvation through the ritual bath. The event saw a mix of faith, tradition, and technology, drawing pilgrims and tourists from across the globe.
Pramod and Manishaa Ramdass also secured a bronze medal in mixed doubles (SL3-SU5) category.
'I belong to the area of Krishna Nagar, but Bedi was an outsider.'
For Bharatiya Janata Party's chief ministerial candidate Harsh Vardhan, retaining his stronghold of Krishna Nagar for the fifth consecutive term may not be very difficult though Congress' V K Monga, a popular face in the area, is likely to make the contest interesting.
At least 30 people were killed and 60 others injured in a pre-dawn stampede at the Sangam area of the Maha Kumbh early on Wednesday as crores of pilgrims jostled for space to take a holy dip on the occasion of one of the most auspicious days of Mauni Amavasya, officials said.
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.
The special court for cases involving MPs and MLAs later ordered their release on probation for a period of six months.
Police said the 27-year-old uncle of the girl, who planned the kidnapping of the minor girl to exhort money from her parents, was arrested along with his associate in east Delhi's Krishna Nagar area on Wednesday.
Ali Asghar Zaveri, a Muslim businessman who had purchased a sprawling bungalow in Bhavnagar's Krishna Nagar in 2014, has finally let go off his prized property, under duress from the VHP. Prasanna Zore reports on how the VHP went about its task.
The Hyundai Venue car had five occupants, four of them students of Delhi University colleges, who were returning from a birthday party at a pub in neighbouring Gurugram.
In 2014, Vardhan had defeated Kapil Sibal, then with the Congress, to win the Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha seat while in the 2019 polls, he trounced Congress' Jai Prakash Agarwal.
Shimla has witnessed several landslides in the past weeks with the toll in rain-related incidents in the district in the past 10 days rising to 26, which include 17 deaths in Summer Hill landslide, five in Fagli and two in Krishna Nagar.
As part of the celebrations, Govindas or Dahi Handi participants form multi-tiered human pyramids to break 'Dahi Handis' (claypots filled with curd) suspended in mid-air.
All Indian athletes who've qualified for the paralympic games
In his order, the poll authority said required number of proposers had not validly proposed the candidature of Vishal Krishna and that the actor had been proposed only by eight valid proposers.
"Will we also die, will our house too break, papa," my six-year-old daughter asked as the horror of the devastating rains in Shimla hit home on Independence Day.
The Aam Aadmi Party on Saturday filed a complaint against Bharatiya Janata Party's chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi with the Election Commission over an alleged violation of the Model Code of Conduct in her constituency, Krishna Nagar.
Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav is among six personalities chosen for this year's Padma Vibhushan.
Tokyo Paralympics silver medallist IAS officer Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj bettered his bronze from the last edition by winning gold in the SL4 final. Sukant Kadam took home the bronze in the same event.
Clash between BJP workers and lawyers outside Kiran Bedi's office
Badminton rackets used by the Paralympic gold medallist, the javelin which brought India its first gold in the Olympics and gloves worn by the bronze medal winning athlete are among Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mementos which are drawing the highest bids currently on the culture ministry website which is e-auctioning them.
What our netas did a day before Delhi went to the polls
Paralympic gold-winners Avani Lekhara, Sumit Antil, Pramod Bhagat, Krishna Nagar, Manish Narwal were also given the Khel Ratna at a dazzling awards ceremony on Saturday.
An unprecedented 11 athletes were selected for the country's highest sporting honour.
AAP's campaign against me was unethical and false, says Kiran Bedi
A day after his release on interim bail, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal launched a blistering attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging he was on a 'One nation, One leader' mission to impose 'dictatorship' by putting all leaders from opposition behind bars and 'politically finishing off' those in the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Bedi sought forgiveness from the party for not living up to their expectations
The polls for 70-member assembly will be held on February 8 and results will be declared on February 11.
According to experts, slopes in Himachal have become highly vulnerable to landslides due to cutting of rocks at the foothills and the lack of proper drainage system, and high intensity rainfall is making the things worse for the state.
Over 920 candidates are in the fray for the February 7 big-ticket Delhi Assembly elections which include BJP's chief ministerial nominee Kiran Bedi, Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal and Congress leader Ajay Maken, who filed their nominations on Wednesday.
They all seem to forget that the Music Academy is as much an independent institution as T M Krishna is an individual musician. In drawing those red lines for the Academy management, they do not even seem to recognise that they too have crossed a red line themselves, points out N Sathiya Moorthy.
India's Paralympians presented Prime Minister Narendra Modi with an autographed stole on Thursday during a breakfast hosted by him to felicitate the contingent at his residence in New Delhi.
The last batch of India's triumphant Paralympic athletes, including shooting sensation Avani Lekhara and shuttler-cum-bureaucrat Suhas Yathiraj, returned home to a rousing reception on Monday, their supporters and families thronging the New Delhi airport for a glimpse of the heroes.
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