2+ week, 5+ day ago (640+ words) Nov 11, 2025, 11:50 AM | Updated 11:50 AM IST With little over a week to go for the two-month annual Mandalam-Makkaravilakku pilgrimage season, Ayyappa devotees have a bittersweet feeling. While eagerly looking forward to their journey through the picturesque hills of Pathanamthitta, to have darshan of Lord Ayyappa in Sabarimala, the bhaktas are also dismayed by the shocking revelation that a large quantity of gold donated to the temple has been stolen. Former temple priest Unnikrishnan Potti, who was entrusted with the task of repairing the gold plating on the idols of the Dwarapalakas, chose to betray that sacred trust. What should have been an act of devotion became an act of deceit. That this was done allegedly with the connivance of the officials of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), the government body which administers the temple, has only increased their anger. Modus Operandi:…...

2+ week, 6+ day ago (331+ words) Nov 10, 2025, 09:12 AM | Updated 09:12 AM IST The ropeway project at the Sangam in Prayagraj, designed to give pilgrims and tourists an aerial view of the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers is finally set to take off. Following delays caused by the wait for Army clearance to establish a temporary storage facility near the Sangam side, the construction will now commence from the Triveni Pushp area in Arail, reported Times of India. Officials confirmed that the "bhoomi pujan" ceremony will be held next week, after which work will proceed at full pace. The project, overseen by National Highways Logistics Management Limited (NHLML), a subsidiary of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), has been awarded to Ravi Infra Built Pvt Ltd, a Rajasthan-based firm. Valued at Rs 210 crore, the ropeway will stretch 2,200 metres, linking a station near Shankar Viman…...

3+ week, 4+ day ago (375+ words) Nov 05, 2025, 12:40 PM | Updated 12:40 PM IST A 1,932-member Sikh jatha (group of pilgrims) crossed the Attari-Wagah border on Tuesday (4 November) to celebrate the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism, and to offer prayers at historic gurdwaras in Pakistan, the Hindustan Times reported. This marks the first pilgrimage since Operation Sindhoor and the subsequent travel restrictions imposed by India. Nearly 2,200 pilgrims were issued visas for the 10-day visit beginning 4 November, with the main celebrations centred at Nankana Sahib, Guru Nanak's birthplace in Pakistan's Punjab province. The jatha was seen off from the Golden Temple complex by members of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), also sent groups of pilgrims. Akal Takht acting jathedar Kuldeep Singh Gargaj accompanied the group, which will return on 13 November. On arrival, the jatha was received at the…...

2+ week, 6+ day ago (246+ words) Nov 09, 2025, 03:03 PM | Updated 03:03 PM IST Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat said on Sunday (9 November) that members of other religions can participate in Sangh Shakhas if they leave their "separateness" behind and come as "sons of Bharat Mata", reported Deccan Herald. Speaking at the 100 Years of Sangh Journey: New Horizons lecture series, he responded to a question about whether Muslims could join the organisation. "No Brahmin is allowed in Sangh. No other caste is allowed in Sangh. No Muslim is allowed, no Christian is allowed in the Sangha. No Shaiva, No Shakta, Only Hindus are allowed. So people with different denominations'Muslims, Christians, any denomination'can come to the Sangh but keep your separateness out," Bhagwat said. His comments came a day after Bhagwat emphasised that RSS aims to organise Hindu society for the nation's welfare rather than for political power....

2+ day, 21+ hour ago (264+ words) Nov 27, 2025, 05:09 PM | Updated 05:09 PM IST Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Karnataka and Goa on Friday (28 November to participate in major cultural and spiritual events, the Prime Minister's Office said on Thursday (27 November). According to the PMO release, the Prime Minister visit Sri Krishna Matha in Udupi, Karnataka at around 11.30 am, where he will take part in the Laksha Kantha Gita Parayana, a large-scale devotional gathering where one lakh participants'including students, monks, scholars and devotees'will collectively recite verses from the Srimad Bhagavad Gita. He will also inaugurate the Suvarna Teertha Mantapa, built in front of the Krishna sanctum. During the visit, he will dedicate the Kanaka Kavacha, a golden covering for the sacred Kanakana Kindi, the window through which saint Kanakadasa is believed to have had a divine darshan of Lord Krishna. Sri Krishna Matha was established more than 800 years…...

5+ day, 2+ hour ago (205+ words) Nov 25, 2025, 12:24 PM | Updated 12:24 PM IST Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisted the ceremonial flag atop the Ram Temple earlier today, marking the completion of its construction. The Dhwaja Rohan ceremony took place on Vivaah Panchami, the traditional date commemorating Shri Ram's and Devi Sita's wedding. The flag atop the temple features a shining sun symbolizing Lord Ram's valour, the sacred 'Om', and the Kovidara tree, representing Ramrajya. RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat, UP Governor Anandiben Patel, and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath flanked PM Modi during the flag hoisting ceremony. Also present were thousands of special invitees. Modi began his visit with prayers at the Saptmandir complex around 10 a.m., visiting temples dedicated to Guru Vashishtha, Guru Vishwamitra, Maharishi Valmiki, Devi Ahalya, Nishadraj, and Mata Shabari. He then proceeded to the Sheshavatar and Mata Annapurna temples before offering prayers at the Ram Darbar sanctum…...

3+ week, 2+ hour ago (225+ words) Nov 09, 2025, 12:41 PM | Updated 12:41 PM IST A portion of Lord Buddha's sacred Piprahwa relics, kept at the National Museum, arrived in Bhutan on Friday (7 November) for a special public exposition from 8 to 18 November, reported The Economic Times. The event is part of the Global Peace Prayer Festival in Thimphu, coinciding with the 70th birthday celebrations of Bhutan's fourth King, Jigme Singye Wangchuk. Led by Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Virendra Kumar, an Indian delegation of senior monks and officials carried the relics aboard a special Indian Air Force aircraft. The Culture Ministry said the exposition underscores the deep cultural and spiritual ties between India and Bhutan. Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay said the King conceived the festival as an event for highlighting peace on earth. This marks the second visit of the relics to Bhutan'the first took place in 2011 during…...

2+ week, 6+ day ago (309+ words) Nov 10, 2025, 12:08 PM | Updated 12:08 PM IST Authorities in Lucknow have launched a three-day enforcement drive to remove loudspeakers from temples, mosques, gurudwaras, and other religious places to ensure compliance with Supreme Court guidelines on noise control and state government directives, the Hindustan Times reported. The operation began on Sunday (9 November) and aims to curb the use of sound systems beyond permissible decibel limits to protect public peace and health, officials said. Joint commissioner of police (law and order) Babloo Kumar said the campaign is a lawful administrative step to enforce court orders and is not directed at any particular religion or community. "This action is about enforcing court orders. Instructions have been issued to teams to maintain communication with religious institutions and ensure that the guidelines are followed," he said. Deputy commissioner of police (West) Vishwajeet Srivastava said, "The action is…...

2+ day, 21+ hour ago (257+ words) Nov 27, 2025, 05:15 PM | Updated 05:15 PM IST How do we mark 150 years of Vande Mataram? And then those deeply spiritual lines:"Tumi vidya, tumi dharma, tumi hridi, tumi marma, tvam hi pranah sharire"You are knowledge, you are righteousness, you are my heart, you are my soul, you are the very life-breath within this body."Bahute tumi ma shakti, hridaye tumi ma bhakti"In my arms, O Mother, you are my strength; in my heart, you are my devotion. From the Bengal of the 19th century to the cellular jails of Andamanwhere Veer Savarkar composedJayostuteand invoked the same spirit ofSivastmateandBhagawatithe same underlying deep emotions bind us to the worship of this land as our goddess. We should therefore mark the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataramin full. Far too many people have given their all (lives included) in the struggle to free India. It would…...

5+ day, 1+ hour ago (289+ words) Nov 25, 2025, 12:50 PM | Updated 12:50 PM IST Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Tuesday said that those who gave their lives for the Ram Mandir movement "must have found peace today," as a saffron flag was ceremonially hoisted atop the newly completed Ram Temple in Ayodhya, India TV reported. The event, celebrated, in the presence of saints, devotees and national leaders marked a historic moment in the country's cultural and spiritual journey. He added that many individuals who worked silently for decades finally saw their dream realised. "The temple has now been built, and today the shastriya prakriya of the temple has been completed. The Dhwajarohan has been performed," he said. Reflecting on the long struggle leading to the temple's construction, Bhagwat stated that even without considering the centuries of conflict, the recent journey alone took at least 30 years. "This…...