'Releasing dam water for a holy bath is the most unholiest thing. No religion propagates polluting or squandering resources.' Professor Hiralal Desarda explains why he went to court against release of water for the Shahi Snan at the Kumbh Mela in Nashik.
Tamannaah Bhatia looked absolutely stunning at the trailer launch of her new supernatural thriller, Odela 2.
Maha Kumbh Mela, that began at Sangam in Allahabad on the Makar Sankranti day on Monday, is expected to attract nearly 11 crore people, setting a new record for world's largest gathering. Sharat Pradhan reports from the evnie of the mega 55-day festival.
This is not the first time that a large number of people have died in stampedes at temples and other religious gatherings over the years in India.
Four people were reportedly killed after a stampede broke out during a procession at the Kumbh Mela's Juna Akhada in Haridwar on Wednesday morning.It has been reported that the stampede took place following a brawl between the priests and the devotees over the removal of a vehicle.There are reports that two women were among the devotees killed in the ensuing stampede and several others were injured. The stampede took place on the last day of the Shahi Snan.
Social distancing norms were violated openly by the seers when they and their followers descended the steps at Har ki Pairi to wade into the river.
On Wednesday, January 1, 2025, seers of the Sri Panchayati Atal Akhada made a first 'Royal Entry' -- also called Chavni Pravesh -- with a religious procession for the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025, at the Sangam in Prayagraj.
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.
Five crore devotees took part in the Kumbh mela on the banks of pious Shipra river this year.
Simhastha Kumbh Mela, the largest congregation of faith in the world, began on Tuesday with the traditional ceremony of hoisting of flags and thousands of people taking a holy dip in Kushawart and Ramkund in Godavari river in the two towns.
... resulting in a Rs 2 trillion economic spinoff.
Thousands of sadhus and sants from across India have congregated in Haridwar to attend the Purna Kumbh Mela at Haridwar.Many of them participated in the Chaitra Purnima Snan at Har ki Pauri, the main ghaat in Haridwar, on Tuesday.
A record number of devotees are expected to take part in the first 'Amrit Snan' of the Maha Kumbh Mela on Tuesday, coinciding with Makar Sankranti. The event is significant as it marks the participation of the 'Akharas' and is also the first 'snan' after the grand Pran Pratishtha of Lord Ram Lalla in Ayodhya. The Uttar Pradesh government anticipates a total of 35 crore devotees visiting Prayagraj during the Kumbh Mela.
To conserve the environment, the Akhara Council has decided to put a ban on the use of plastic items and loudspeakers at the venue of the ongoing Kumbh Mela in Nashik.
Reiterating that the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) team felicitation event in front of Vidhana Soudha on June 4 was not organised by the state government, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday clarified that he 'called' Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot for the event, which he too was attending.
A camp set up at Kumbh Mela ground for Asaram Bapu's discourse was vandalised while several outfits have opposed the proposed visit of the self-styled godman, who has drawn flak for his remarks on the Delhi gang rape victim, at the religious congregation.
President Droupadi Murmu will visit the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj on Monday and take a holy dip at the Sangam, her office said.
'If hundreds of VIPs are allowed to roam with passes and roads blocked for their movement, then that will cause trouble for the public and disrupt the Mela.'
Coming after a gap of 12 years, the royal bath was accompanied by frenzied chants by Naga sadhus belonging to ten akharas (centres of congregation).
In visuals captured by ANI, Chris and Dakota were seen sitting in a car. The couple, dressed in saffron-colored attire, appeared excited as they reached the city, drawing attention as they made their way through the crowd.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has asked his cabinet colleagues not to visit Haridwar during the Maha Kumbh mela. This prime minister's request was based on a plea from Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhrial that VVIP visits during the mela should be avoided as the district administration found it difficult to make protocol arrangements on those days.
All you wanted to know about the Kumbh Mela
No one was injured in the incident that left a windowpane of the B6 coach damaged.
No one was injured in the incident that left a windowpane of the B6 coach damaged.
Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi and Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde performed the dhwajarohan (flag-hoisting) ceremony at Ramkunda on the banks of Godavari River.
The lack of proper coordination and disaster management plan on the part of railways resulted in the stampede at Allahabad station during last year's Maha Kumbh Mela in which 37 persons were killed, the Comptroller and Auditor General has said.
Watch Kaalidhar Laapata because clean family-viewing films are getting scarcer by the week, recommends Deepa Gahlot.
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.
A fire broke out at the storeroom of a camp in the Maha Kumbh Mela area on Saturday evening, gutting seven tents and destroying some items, including blankets and foodgrains, officials said.
'May Maa Ganga bless all with peace, wisdom, good health and harmony.'
The Naga Sadhus at the Kumbh Mela happen to be the most low-profile and reclusive bunch of saints at the religious gathering.
'When we finally immersed ourselves in the sacred waters, remembering Ganga Maa and Lord Mahadev, we felt a profound sense of accomplishment,' says Satish V.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday dismissed concerns regarding faecal contamination in the waters at Triveni Sangam, stating that continuous monitoring and purification processes ensure its quality.
Milk booths by Amul and Mother Dairy, a Kumbh phone by Reliance Jio, Dabur's toothpaste dispensers are among the many initiatives by brands steadying for a stint on haloed ground.
Adityanath asked the chief secretary and the director general of police to conduct a thorough review of the Maha Kumbh Mela arrangements on Thursday. "Every aspect related to security and public convenience must be carefully examined to ensure seamless arrangements for Basant Panchami," he said.
A new report by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) submitted to the National Green Tribunal has said that the water quality during the recently concluded Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj was fit for bathing, despite earlier reports indicating otherwise. The report, based on statistical analysis of water samples collected during the Kumbh, found that the median values for key parameters like pH, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, and fecal coliform count were within permissible limits. However, the report acknowledges significant variability in data due to factors like upstream activities and sampling conditions. The matter is set for hearing on April 7.
Following a stampede at New Delhi railway station and large crowds arriving for the Maha Kumbh, authorities in Uttar Pradesh have implemented stringent security protocols at key railway stations including Prayagraj, Varanasi, Ayodhya, Kanpur, Lucknow and Mirzapur. Measures include restricted entry, holding areas for passengers, increased security personnel, and improved facilities to prevent overcrowding.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav took a holy dip in the Sangam at Maha Kumbh on Sunday, urging the BJP to bathe with "patience." He criticized the BJP for splashing water on each other after bathing in the Sangam, saying people come to Kumbh for virtue and charity, not for water sports. Yadav, who had earlier taken a dip in the Ganga river in Haridwar on Makar Sankranti, said he had always visited the religious congregation. The latest official figures show that 1.17 crore people took a dip in the Sangam till late Sunday afternoon, bringing the total number of 'snan' (bath) in Maha Kumbh since its start to 11.47 crore.
A bonfire lit by some devotees to beat the cold could have spread to bushes at the foot of the Kailash hill, atop which several VIPs, sadhus and sants were staying in tents.
The Uttar Pradesh government's oft-repeated claims about the success of the 2013 Kumbh Mela have fallen flat, with the Comptroller and Auditor General pointing out various failures and pitfalls in the mega event.
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