Here's a look at some deadly hajj-related incidents in the recent past.
It was complained that the special financial assistance to the Haj pilgrims from the tax payers' money was discriminatory as no such similar facilities were being extended to Hindus, Christians, Buddhists, Sikhs and other communities.
This year's yatra will begin on a happy note as the ice lingam has already started forming naturally inside the cave, nearly 13000 ft above sea level.
Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas was formed by the members of the VHP on December 18, 1985, with the aim of constructing a grand temple at Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya.
With the MeT department warning of heavy showers at various places in Uttarakhand on Friday and major rivers in spate, the Chardham yatra has been suspended even as the Centre decided to provide two Mi-17 helicopters to the state to deal with any emergency.
Oli said the territories belong to Nepal 'but India has made it a disputed area by keeping its Army there'. "Nepalis were blocked from going there after India stationed its Army," he said.
Hegde, who was arrested on Thursday, had allegedly posted that a Jain monk was attacked by a Muslim youth, they said.
Modi, who inaugurated the centre in the heart of the national capital in Janpath, also took a jibe at Rahul Gandhi's comment on being a Shiva devotee and said some parties talked more of Baba Bhole (Lord Shiva) than Babasaheb.
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.
Sanjeev Nayyar offers a roster of things to do to see the India of our dreams.
According to the "do's and don'ts" issued by the ministry of home affairs, children below 13 years and elderly persons of about 75 years and above will have to travel in groups. Eco-friendly material, preferably cloth bags, should be used during the pilgrimage and the surroundings should be kept clean.
Sania Mirza is a rocking fashionable mother-to-be.
"It is a matter of disappointment that while understanding has been reached on most of the elements for facilitating the visit of pilgrims from India, Pakistan continues to insist on levying a service fee of $ 20 per pilgrim per visit," the MEA said.
The first batch of over 12,000 yatris (pilgrims) left for the cave shrine located at 14,500 feet above the sea level from the two base camps.
Asserting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was concerned about Jammu and Kashmir, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday assured "maximum possible assistance" to the victims of the last year's devastating floods.
Here's our pick from CES 2014, which, we feel, you should be excited about.
Water level of the river Kali has been continuously rising and reached the danger level.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said there was no increased threat perception to this year's Amarnath yatra compared to previous years and fears of attack as reported in the media were "gross exaggeration".
He was allegedly stabbed by a former sacristan of the parish.
'Lord Jagannath won't forgive us if we allow this year's Rath Yatra to go on'
Here is part three of Deepak Kirpalani's Punjab travelogue.
The Manali-Leh National Highway-3 was blocked after heavy rainfall triggered landslide in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu district on Friday.
Over 1.5 lakh Indians along with tens of thousands of Muslims from across the world began moving from the holy city of Mecca to nearby tent-city of Mina, marking the beginning of the annual Haj pilgrimage.
Eleven persons, including 10 devotees, have died due to medical reasons during the ongoing pilgrimage to Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas.
Braving threats from conservatives and the tough terrains of the hillock, K B Valsala Kumari, then collector of Pathanamthitta district, visited the temple complex at least four times during 1994-95.
Bakri Id was celebrated across the Muslim world on Wednesday with devotees offering special prayers in eidgahs and mosques and sacrificing animals.
'I have many times bought meals for the accused, and the police pay for it.'
Tharoor questioned the alleged arrest of leaders and said, "if we alienate them, who's left?"
The 1,600-page chargesheet was filed under various sections of the Ranbir Penal Code and the anti-terror Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act before a sessions court in Anantnag, an official spokesperson said.
Here's the final part of Deepak Kripalani's travelogue of his journey through Punjab.
This is the second major disaster at Mecca this month.
While the DMK fears that the Congress with its poor strike rate will pull it down in the 2021 state elections, like it did five years ago, the ruling AIADMK is worried that the BJP may ultimately do a Bihar on it, relegating it to second place in Tamil Nadu, says N Sathiya Moorthy.
For as long as he remembers, Deepak Kirpalani has been a traveller at heart. Recently, he travelled to Punjab and wrote in this fascinating travelogue which we are now publishing in four parts.
The Cellular Jail and the Viper Island are two places in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands that should be like a pilgrimage for all Indians, says Bishnu Pada Ray, the two-time BJP MP from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, in our special series where various Indians tell Rediff.com what they love most about India.
Over 2 million Muslims, including 136,000 Indians, will begin Haj when they assemble in the valley of Mina as Saudi authorities said preparations have been completed for the world's largest annual gathering after the city underwent a multi-billion overhaul.
A group of tourists, who have just come back from deluge-hit regions of Uttarakhand, on Friday recounted tales of horror from their unforgettable trip. "An entire road on which our vehicle was travelling caved in due to pressure of the gushing flood waters," recounts a woman tourist from Pune who survived the Uttarakhand deluge.
India cricketer Harbhajan Singh, who was stranded in Joshimath due to incessant rains while on a pilgrimage, was rescued and taken to safety by the Indian Air Force.
The police said the women were told that it would be difficult to provide protection to them till the shrine as there was a possibility of protests.
Sarfaraz Ahmad Khan went on his first Haj in 1972.
Unofficial results indicate that the SLPP would comfortably win at least 17 out of the 22 districts on offer.
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