These 8 states emerged as the country's most-travelled destinations for local Indian visitors, according to Ministry Of Tourism's most recent statistics which are from 2024.
TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to release the pending central dues to West Bengal before professing his love for the state. Banerjee also criticised BJP leaders and defended the 'Jai Bangla' slogan.
'The 2024 general elections proved that UP is not Gujarat.'
Anupam Kher shared a picture with megastar Rajinikanth when they met in Ayodhya.
Delhi chief minister Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday offered prayers at the Ram Janmabhoomi site in Ayodhya, and said his government will include the temple town of Ayodhya in the Delhi government's free pilgrimage scheme.
Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra General Secretary Champat Rai has shared glimpses of the remains of an ancient temple discovered during excavation at the Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya.
Saisuresh Sivaswamy/Rediff.com decodes Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech after the Pran Prathistha ceremony at Ram Temple in Ayodha.
As dusk fell, volunteers lit up nearly six lakh diyas lined up on the Saryu riverbank. 'Representatives of the Guinness Book of World Records witnessed this grand festival. With 5,84,372 earthen lamps, the event made the world record,' a state government statement said.
Rediff.com's Rajesh Karkera captures the faces from Ayodhya.
A Naga sadhu was killed allegedly by his two disciples on the premises of Ayodhya's famous Hanumangarhi Temple, police said on Thursday.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat on Monday said Ram Rajya is coming and everyone in the country should shun disputes and stay united.
On January 16, 2024, devotees in Ayodhya lit the 108-feet incense stick that sent from Gujarat in the presence of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra President Mahant Nrityagopal Das Maharaj.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami criticised the Trinamool Congress' governance in West Bengal, citing issues such as increased infiltration, corruption, and atrocities against women during a rally in Hingalganj.
The Bharatiya Janata Party's Chandrabhanu Paswan was leading by 3,991 votes over the Samajwadi Party's (SP) Ajit Prasad after the first round of counting for the Milkipur assembly bypoll on Saturday, according to the Election Commission website.
He also alleged that the Congress toyed with national security and actively and covertly supported Naxalism in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand for political gains.
The Congress on Friday said it will take a decision at an 'appropriate time' whether its senior leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Sonia Gandhi will attend the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22.
The excitement on the foundation laying ceremony of Ram Temple reverberated across the country as Ram bhakts gathered to to celebrate the groundbreaking occasion. People across the country were seen chanting 'Jai Shri Ram' and waving saffron flags. Fireworks were also burst and sweets were distributed to mark the day.
While the Congress top brass has declined an invitation to the January 22 consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, the party's Uttar Pradesh unit stuck to its plan to offer prayers in the holy city on Makar Sankranti.
Thousands of Shiv Sainiks are expected to accompany Eknath Shinde on his visit to Ayodhya on Sunday, his first such visit after being sworn in as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra in June last year.
'Ayodhya Ram Temple is about to be inaugurated. I would like to congratulate everyone who made the effort for the temple. It's ready now'
A minaret of Khajoor ki Masjid in Gudri Bazaar in the heart of Faizabad city is said to be encroaching on the proposed Ram Path by three metres.
Quite a few film folk attended the pran pratishtha ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
"I have always felt that Lord Ram has been shielding me and my family from all the bad times and I strongly believe that it is him, who chose me for the auspicious task," Yogiraj, who has received effusive praise for his work, told PTI.
Former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao was keen on building a Ram Mandir at Ayodhya, but his attempt derailed after losing the elections, a senior aide has claimed.
The old idol of Ram Lalla, kept in a makeshift shrine, will be placed in front of the new idol which will be consecrated at the temple in Ayodhya on January 22, said Govind Dev Giri, the treasurer of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
An e-auction of over 1,300 items gifted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi has begun, featuring items such as a statue of Goddess Bhavani, an Ayodhya Ram Temple model, and sports memorabilia from the 2024 Paralympic Games. Proceeds will go to the Namami Gange project.
Several seers on Monday came out strongly in support of the consecration ceremony of Lord Ram's idol at the temple in Ayodhya, which is scheduled for January 22, amid criticism of the exercise by some 'shankaracharyas' on the ground that the temple is not fully constructed yet.
Seema Devi (53), who heads the Gadwara nagar panchayat, and Shesha Devi (65), the Sadar block head -- feel that they won the elections with the god's blessings, so they have decided to dedicate theirs chair to him, according to their supporters.
The government has identified three circuits -- Ramayana Circuit, Krishna Circuit and Buddhist Circuit - to boost religious tourism. The Ram museum will be a part of the Ramayana Circuit for which the Centre has sanctioned Rs 225 crore, with Rs 151 crore exclusively for Ayodhya, which is the hub of the circuit.
RSS leader Sunil Ambekar says history textbooks have been revised, with titles like 'the great' removed from historical figures like Akbar and Tipu Sultan. He highlights the importance of India's ancient knowledge and the need to understand its history.
'Sarkar jo bhi gana gaye, is bar sarkar paltegi'
Aditaynath alleged that the Congress, RJD and SP were "embracing" criminals in Bihar and allowing infiltrators to compromise with the state's security.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has said that the date of Ram temple consecration in Ayodhya should be celebrated as "Pratishtha Dwadashi" as it marks the "true independence" of India, which faced "parachakra" (enemy attack) for several centuries. Bhagwat said that the Ram temple movement was not started to oppose anyone, but to awaken the "self" (swa) of Bharat so that the country could stand on its own feet and show the path to the world. He also said that the invaders destroyed temples of the country so that the "self" of India also perishes.
Rajesh Karkera/Rediff.com captures scenes from Ayodhya hours before the pran prathishta ceremony.
'With Ramaland, the tourism department is looking to attract children and adults alike. It'll be learning with entertainment.'
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh virtually ruled out any enactment of law for building the much debated Ram temple in Ayodhya on Sunday.
'The temple's construction is the result of collective wisdom of some of the best brains in the country. Water and sacred soil from almost all pilgrimage sites in India, including Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kailash Mansarovar, Prayags (there are seven Prayags) and all 'puris' (seven holy towns in India, besides Ayodhya) have been used in the making of the temple'
As Lord Ram's temple is set for a grand opening, the banks of the river in Ayodhya erupted with celebration, reports Saisuresh Sivaswamy/Rediff.com
The government aims to better its last year's Guinness World Record by lighting 25 lakh diyas on the banks of Saryu river.
The temple town is likely to witness a major jump in tourist inflow once flagship projects are commissioned. In the first six months of 2022, more than 20 million tourists visited Ayodhya.
