The Ashokan Pillar in Kolhua, Bihar, is one of India's best maintained historical sites.
The Ganga has crossed the danger mark in West Bengal, Bihar and neighbouring districts of Uttar Pradesh where Yamuna river is also in spate, while heavy rainfall has created a flood-like situation in some parts of Rajasthan where six persons have died so far.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to the Union Jal Shakti Ministry, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, after receiving complaints about several bodies found floating in the Ganga river in the two states.
With the threat of COVID-19 pandemic continuing to loom over the world, the Ministry of Ayush has come out with a comprehensive document putting forth the concept of 'holistic health'.
"It is heartening to see us, common people, being acknowledged. 'Achha lag raha hai'," Ram Chand Kumar, a mason who hails from Bihar and has been working on the site for the last 5-6 months, hailed the prime minister's gesture.
Taking to Twitter, Modi said that the Kashi Vishwanath Dham project will add to Kashi's spiritual vibrancy.
Curiosity is brewing with recovery of 50 more bodies from river Ganga in Unnao on Wednesday, taking the number of such recoveries over the last few days to 100 and prompting the Centre to ask Uttar Pradesh government what was happening.
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A bench headed by Justice R F Nariman referred to the statement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that not "even a bit" of compromise can be made on COVID-19 containment and said the citizens were perplexed about the happenings in view of the fact that as the UP government has allowed the religious 'yatra' commencing from July 25.
The court order came on a PIL alleging issuance of illegal leases in favour of private parties in Ganga riverbed.
The mega corridor, whose foundation stone was laid by Modi on March 8, 2019, connects the main temple with Lalita Ghat via a corridor, and grand gateways and ornamental arches have been built in heritage architecture style in four directions, facing the ancient temple at its core.
Flash floods triggered by torrential rain have killed at least 22 people in India and forced more than 1,70,000 from their homes.
Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday appealed to rival leaders to "not do politics" over Chhath Puja, even as he asserted that the restrictions imposed on its celebrations at riverbanks and other public places were for the safety of people amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The focus of the Union Budget is on providing basic amenities to the poor, middle class and youth, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday, and asserted that it is imperative that India becomes self-reliant.
Here are glimpses of some of the celebrations.
The much-awaited annual event of Kumbh Mela, one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, is slated to be even bigger and better in 2019. Although it is usually spread over a 20 km radius, the Kumbh Mela -- set to begin on January 15 and continue till March 4 -- will be sprawled across 45 km this year. Authorities are expecting approximately 100 million visitors to come for a holy dip at Sangam, the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and mythical Saraswati Rivers. Ahead of the festival, preparations are under full swing to construct 22 temporary pontoon bridges.
Reminding the Narendra Modi government that cleaning of Ganga was on its poll manifesto, the Supreme Court on Wednesday asked why urgent steps are not being taken on it and set a two-week timeline for it to come up with a road map for making the 2500 km long river pollution free.
Cyclonic storm Yaas is very likely to make landfall near Balasore in north Odisha with a speed of 155 kmph to 165 kmph, gusting to 185 kmph, around noon on May 26, the Met department said.
Seven pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh and three from Delhi were among the 12 people who died in a stampede at Vaishno Devi shrine atop Trikuta hills in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir in the early hours of Saturday, officials said.
Of 817 grossly polluting factories, 62 have not installed anti-pollution devices and in 84 units, the installed devices are non-functional.
Macron and Modi will participate in several programmes in Varanasi, including a boat ride on river Ganga.
The group's digital news site had put out reports, along with pictures, on dead bodies of suspected coronavirus patients floating down the river Ganga in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar which had led to nationwide consternation.
Rediff.com showcase the moods of those attending the mega celebration of faith.
Modi was addressing a rally after laying the foundation stone of 594-km-long Ganga Expressway in this Uttar Pradesh district.
A breach in an embankment along the Ganga caused by recent heavy rainfall which threatened to inundate a large area and affect Maha Kumbh pilgrims in Allahabad, has been plugged by a 60-member team of Army's Red Eagle Division who worked through the night averting a disaster.
Over eight lakh devotees from all over the country have so far taken the holy dip in the Ganges on the auspicious occasion of Makar Sankranti on Sunday, officials said.
A day after her mortal remains were consigned to flames, ashes of the Delhi gangrape victim, who emerged as an epitome of woman's pride during her 13-day battle for life, were brought to her ancestral village by the family.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh today accused the National Democratic Alliance government of turning the programme to clean Ganga as a "Hindutva project" by attempting to polarise politics through the initiative on the holy river.
Paswan's daughter Asha Devi and her husband Anil Sadhu protested in front of the car of Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi when he had come to receive the body of the Lok Janshakti Party founder. Sadhu is presently associated with Lalu Prasad's RJD.
The inauguration of the state-of-the-art infrastructure surrounding the historic Kashi Vishwanath Temple near the iconic Dashashwamedh Ghat comes ahead of the assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh early next year.
Noted environmentalist G D Agrawal, who is on "fast-unto-death" to press for cleaning up of river Ganga, was on Monday referred from BHU to AIIMS in New Delhi after his health deteriorated further.
Ironically, the unholy act took place while the senior officer was at the spot for the press conference in connection with the upcoming 'Triveni Mahotsav'.
It said the searches that were launched on July 22 in nine cities like Bhopal, Indore, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Noida and some others are "continuing and further investigations are in progress."
'Though the river is cleaner than what it was five years ago, a lot more needs to be done.'
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Uma Bharti on Saturday met Congress President Sonia Gandhi and demanded that quick and effective action be taken to save river Ganga and prevent parties from playing politics over the issue.
Even as yoga guru Baba Ramdev vacated the hospital bed on Tuesday and went straight to address media persons, not many realised that another ascetic, who had been admitted to the same hospital, had lost his life after fasting for 114 days.
Several bodies, decomposed, bloated and suspected to be of people who succumbed to COVID-19, were on Monday found floating in the river Ganga in a Bihar district.
Given the tonnes of sewage and filth that have accumulated in the Ganga over the years, this may seem to be a drop in the ocean.
Here is the chronology of major blasts in the country:
Three days after Swami Nigamananda died after a 114-day fast against the desecration of River Ganga, his father Prakash Chandra Jha has demanded that his body be handed over to him for the last rites. The seer of Haridwar-based Matri Sadan Ashram, Swami Nigamananda was demanding immediate stopping of quarrying in the Ganga and alleged corruption in the government's system with active involvement of the mafia. He had begun his fast on February 19 and was in a coma since May 2.
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