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Jorhat, September 29: Durga Puja in Jorhat, where late cultural icon Zubeen Garg spent his childhood, carries a subdued tone this year amid mourning for the beloved cultural icon. Across the town, puja pandals have turned into spaces of remembrance, with Zubeen's songs echoing in the background, photographs adorning mandaps and cultural events cancelled in his honour. At several pandals, the soulful melody of Mayabini Raatir Bukut is being played on loop, creating an atmosphere of reverence rather than revelry. "Zubeen Da spiritually instilled life in our hearts much like Goddess Durga herself. This year, there is no extravagance, there is only his music and tributes," said a local resident. At Jorhat Town Railway Station's puja mandap, organisers explained that preparations had begun well before Zubeen's demise, but the sudden tragedy compelled them to change the plans. "Our theme this year was Vrindavan. But after the unfortunate incident, we decided to cancel all cultural programmes. A special space has been set aside to pay homage to Zubeen Da, and the puja is being conducted in a spiritual manner," said one of the Puja committee members. Another member from Jorhat J.P.R. Railway Station durga puja echoed similar sentiments. "This year, the puja is subdued. There is no grandeur, no festivities. We are organising it as a tribute to Zubeen Da. Through our LED screen, his songs and past performances are being played, so everyone can sit peacefully and remember him," he said. Local business owners too felt the impact of the collective grief. "During previous festivals, our shops were crowded, but this year business is slow. People haven't been able to overcome Zubeen Da's sudden passing, and the festive spirit is missing. Even we as shopkeepers are overwhelmed by grief," said a young businessman. Meanwhile, preparations are underway at Jorhat Stadium for the 13-day ritual ceremony of Zubeen Garg, where the district administration, along with residents, is working hand in hand to ensure a dignified tribute. For the people of Jorhat, this Puja has become less about festivity and more about remembrance. Every song played, every tribute offered, and every photograph displayed reflects the profound sense of loss and the enduring love for Garg, who continues to be celebrated as Assam's eternal cultural icon.
Heavy rains in Kolkata caused electrocution deaths. Mamata Banerjee visited waterlogged areas and promised jobs for victims' families. Many parts of the city are inundated, disrupting transport. Metro services were suspended. The weather office forecasts more rain. Kolkata Municipal Corporation teams are working to drain water. Train services are also affected. The IMD predicts more rainfall in several districts. At least seven to eight persons died due to electrocution as torrential rains hit K ...Read More >
October 2025 is packed with major festivals like Dussehra, Diwali, Chath Puja and Durga Puja In this festive season, several states will observe many bank holidays during the month. In October 2025, there will be a national holiday when banks across all states will remain closed. Due to various local festivals, several bank branches will also remain closed in different states. While online banking services will remain available, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has listed specific days in October ...Read More >
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], July 10 (ANI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said that he stands firmly in favour of holding elections, following the Supreme Court's decision allowing the Election Commission of India (ECI) to carry on with the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. He urged those involved in the case to explore alternative legal avenues for justice and 'wait for the consequences' for the time being. 'The matter was in the Supreme Court. The court has given its decision. Now, we have to wait for the consequences. Those who we ...Read More >
Hyderabad, July 18 (UNI) In view of the ongoing heavy rains in Hyderabad, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has directed all concerned departments to stay on high alert and ensure swift response to public grievances. The Chief Minister instructed officials from GHMC, HMDA, Water Works, Electricity, and Police departments to work in close coordination to prevent any rain-related disruptions. He also emphasised the need for immediate action in areas facing waterlogging, power outages, or other rain-induced issues. CM Revanth Reddy further directed the deployment of SDRF, NDRF, Hydra teams, and ot ...Read More >
Kolkata, Aug 25 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Calcutta High Court on Monday observed that no funds should be released to the Durga Puja committees that have not submitted the previous year's utilisation certificates. A division bench of Justices Sujoy Pal and Smita Das De questioned why grants should be given to puja committees even if they have not submitted expenditure accounts. Hearing a PIL filed by Sourav Dutta, the bench directed the West Bengal government to state its position on this matter in an affidavit by Wednesday, when the matter will be heard again. The judges wanted to know how many ...Read More >
Kolkata, Sep 13 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), on Saturday, issued instructions to Durga Puja committees to open parks, which will be used for puja mandap, for the people within 14 days after the idol immersion in the city. A KMC official has said that this condition was imposed from the time permission was given to Durga Puja committees to use parks for their puja mandaps. The decision to give a timeline to open such parks for public was taken after observing that many parks remain closed for a long time after Durga Puja as puja committees delay in removing mandap ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], September 24: GAS Milano, the premium Italian Denim wear brand, introduced its new line of innerwear with a sensuous campaign featuring the Stunning John Abraham. Also Read | Karnataka Hoysalas Beat Karnataka Kadambas As Karnataka Men's T20 Cricket Series for the Blind 2025 Begins in Bengaluru. GAS Milano's innerwear collection redefines the way everyday essentials combine comfort, confidence, and design. Known for its contemporary take on denim and casual-wear, GAS Milano has long stood for effortless style with Italian craftsmanship at its core. This launch marks a bold ...Read More >
Kolkata: Praying Goddess Durga for formation of a new government, which will reestablish 'Sonar Bangla' following 2026 assembly polls, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday inaugurated a Durga Puja pandal at Santosh Mitra Square, which has been designed on the theme of "Operation Sindoor", following Pahalgam terror attack and paying tribute to the Indian Army. Shah, after inaugurating the "Operation Sindoor" themed Durga puja and offering prayers to Goddess Durga, said, "I have prayed to Goddess Durga for formation of a new government in West Bengal after coming assembly elections, which wi ...Read More >
Guwahati (Assam) [India], June 28 (ANI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on his visit to the Kamakhya temple in Guwahati on Saturday shared the development project aimed towards making the trip to the temple more accessible and time-efficient He said, 'A ropeway will be constructed from Kamakhya station to Kamakhya temple and another ropeway will be constructed from Sonaram field to Kamakhya temple. Work on both ropeways is going on. The process of floating a tender has already been done. A feasibility study for many other ropeways is going on.' The construction of both ropeways to ...Read More >
Srinagar- Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday said foreign countries were told clearly during the post-Operation Sindoor diplomatic outreach that in case of a fresh provocation, India would repeat its action. Speaking at a discussion at the Ahmedabad Management Association, Tharoor said Indian delegations which visited foreign countries in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor managed to convey that India acted with restraint and responsibility. "In other places, we actually were able to get some very high-placed people to say not only that they respected and supported India's right of self- ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar, Jul 13 (PTI) The Odisha government has started working on securing copyright for the rituals of Lord Jagannath temple in Puri to protect its traditional cultural expressions, Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb, the titular king of the pilgrim town, said. The statement came amid resentments among the devotees of Lord Jagannath over the untimely celebration of Lord Jagannath's rituals by the ISKCON abroad and the West Bengal government's declaration of a temple in Digha as "Jagannath Dham". These are "gross violations" of sacred scriptures and ancient tradition, the Gajapati Mahara ...Read More >
JAMMU, July 15: Over 13,400 pilgrims drawn from different parts of country today performed darshan at Himalayan cave situated at the height of 3880 metres in South Kashmir district of Anantnag from twin tracks of Baltal and Nunwan-Pahalgam. Officials said that 13,490 yatris paid obeisance at holy cave by this evening. They said with this, the total number of pilgrims who visited cave shrine in last 13 days has touched 2,34,001. The 13,490 pilgrims included 9096 males, 3546 females, 199 children, 67 Sadhus, 14 Sadhvis and 568 security personnel. Officials said that there is heavy rush and hu ...Read More >
Agartala (Tripura) [India], September 13 (ANI): As the festive fervour builds, Agartala, the capital city of Tripura, is preparing for its most extravagant celebration of the year, Durga Puja, the state's biggest festival after West Bengal. The city transforms into a dazzling spectacle, illuminated like a galaxy with magnificent pandals ranging from fifty lakhs to crores, drawing lakhs of devotees and pilgrims from across the country. Also Read | Mentally Challenged or Craze for Social Media Reel? Man Electrocuted After Climbing Atop Pune-Bound Humsafar Express at Nagpur Railway Station; Dis ...Read More >
PNN Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], September 16: Chaltabagan Durga Puja, which was started in 1943, will highlight the spirit of the fading old world charm of north Kolkata culture through its theme 'Mool' or roots. This year's theme alludes to the adverse onslaught of modernity and gentrification on the para (community) culture of north Kolkata. "With the UNESCO heritage tag, Durga Pujas themes send out a very strong global message. Manicktala Chaltaban Durga Puja has been a pioneer and a trendsetter in innovating Puja themes and events. This year's theme 'Mool' is an attempt to highlight t ...Read More >
Kolkata School Holiday on Sept 24, 25 Due to Rain: West Bengal state Education Minister Bratya Basu announced that all government-run educational institutions in West Bengal will remain closed on September 24 and 25, following Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's appeal to keep students off waterlogged roads and prevent electrocution-related accidents. Teachers and non-teaching staff have been directed to work from home to complete pending tasks during this period, before the holidays for Durga Puja take into effect, later-on this week. Basu stated that the decision was taken in view of the 'unpr ...Read More >
Kolkata: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday inaugurated the Durga Puja pandal of Santosh Mitra Square here, and said he prayed to the goddess that post the 2026 West Bengal assembly polls, there is a new government which restores the state's lost 'Sonar Bangla' glory. Shah said Bengal should once again become safe, peaceful and prosperous, fulfilling the dream of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. "I have prayed to Maa Durga that after this election, a government should be formed that can build a 'Sonar Bangla' (golden Bengal). Our Bengal should once again become safe, prosperous, peace ...Read More >
Agartala, Sept 27: Ahead of the five-day-long Durga Puja festivities beginning Sunday, heavy security arrangements have been put in place along Tripura's 856-km border with Bangladesh, officials said on Saturday. Tripura Director General of Police (DGP) Anurag said a series of meetings had been held with the Border Security Force (BSF) and other security agencies to further intensify vigil along the India-Bangladesh border. "BSF authorities have assured us that they will further strengthen security and vigilance along the border so that no untoward incident occurs in the villages along the f ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], November 28 (ANI): India has expressed its concern over the escalating incidents of violence against Hindu minorities in Bangladesh and desecration, and damage to their places of worship, and has also called on the interim government there to ensure the safety of minorities. In a response to question asked by RJD MP AD Singh, Minister of State for Ministry of External Affairs, Kirit Vardhan Singh in a written reply to Rajya Sabha, stated that the "primary responsibility" for the protection of life and liberty of all citizens of Bangladesh, including minorities, "rests with ...Read More >
New Delhi: Alleging "blatant misuse" of agencies to defame its leaders, AAP on Thursday questioned why the first information report filed against former Delhi ministers Saurabh Bharadwaj and Satyendar Jain was being kept under wraps and "selective" press notes were being leaked to the media.Bharadwaj, who is Delhi AAP convener, alleged that only two former ministers were named in the case without any reasonable cause while all the officers of the health and public works departments, who were actually responsible for executing the hospital projects, were spared. "Is the FIR so baseless that BJP ...Read More >
Guwahati (Assam) [India], June 28 (ANI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on his visit to the Kamakhya temple in Guwahati on Saturday shared the development project aimed towards making the trip to the temple more accessible and time-efficient He said, "A ropeway will be constructed from Kamakhya station to Kamakhya temple and another ropeway will be constructed from Sonaram field to Kamakhya temple. Work on both ropeways is going on. The process of floating a tender has already been done. A feasibility study for many other ropeways is going on." The construction of both ropeways to ...Read More >
Agartala (Tripura) [India], September 14 (ANI): As the festive fervour builds, Agartala, the capital city of Tripura, is preparing for its most extravagant celebration of the year, Durga Puja, the state's biggest festival after West Bengal. The city transforms into a dazzling spectacle, illuminated like a galaxy with magnificent pandals ranging from fifty lakhs to crores, drawing lakhs of devotees and pilgrims from across the country. Also Read | Spycam Row: Ashok Gehlot Hits Out at Rajasthan Assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani Over Installing Extra Cameras, Calls It a 'Crime'. With such massi ...Read More >
The Calcutta High Court has granted bail to Partha Chatterjee, the former West Bengal minister, in connection with the teacher recruitment irregularities case. Justice Suvra Ghosh directed Chatterjee to surrender his passport and remain within the trial court's jurisdiction. As a Trinamool Congress MLA, he is barred from holding any public office while the trial is ongoing. The Calcutta High Court on Friday granted bail to former West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee in connection with the teac ...Read More >
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India's Longest Train Route: 4 Days, 9 States, 4189 Km, 50+ Stations And Stunning Views - Any Guesses? It's... Kolkata and nearby areas were hit by extremely heavy overnight rainfall on Tuesday, leading to severe waterlogging and widespread disruption. The downpour brought daily life to a halt, affecting road traffic, public transport, and routine activities across the city and surrounding regions. In response to the situation caused by the unprecedented rains in Kolkata and several districts of South Bengal, the West Bengal government has decided to begin Puja vacations in state-run schools ...Read More >
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], September 26 (ANI): This year, Chetla Agrani Club has created its Durga Puja pandal inspired by the theme "Amrit Kumbher Shondhane" (In Search of the Nectar). The pandal prominently depicts the scene of Samudra Manthan (churning of the ocean) with a huge Shivalinga installed at its centre, creatively constructed using over three crore Rudraksha beads. According to the organisers, this concept pays tribute not only to the Maha Kumbh Mela but also to Bengali author Samaresh Basu's novel, Amrit Kumbher Shondhane. Several artists from Allahabad and Varanasi are perf ...Read More >
Guwahati (Assam) [India], September 26 (ANI): Navratri, the festival of devotion and divine energy, is being celebrated across the state. Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya, accompanied by the First Lady Kumud Devi, visited the sacred Shaktipeeth Kamakhya Temple on Friday. During the visit, the Governor offered prayers at the holy shrine and sought the divine blessings of Maa Kamakhya. Also Read | What Is Digital ID Card? Know All About System Made Mandatory in UK To Curb Illegal Migration. He prayed for the welfare, happiness and prosperity of all citizens of Assam and extended his hea ...Read More >
Srinagar: Another batch of 6,064 pilgrims left for Kashmir from Jammu on Wednesday to perform the ongoing Amarnath Yatra, as over 2.34 lakh had 'darshan' during the last 13 days. Officials said over 2.34 lakh Yatris have so far performed the ongoing Amarnath Yatra since it started on July 3. "Another batch of 6,064 yatris left Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas Jammu in two escorted convoys for the Valley today. First escorted convoy of 95 vehicles carrying 2,471 yatris left at 3.30 a.m. for Baltal base camp, while the second escorted convoy of 139 vehicles carrying 3,593 yatris left at 4.07 a.m. for ...Read More >
Ranchi, Sep 13 (UNI) With Durga Puja festivities approaching, Ranchi district administration and police are on high alert to ensure peaceful and orderly celebrations. A meeting of the Central Peace Committee was held on Saturday chaired by Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Magistrate Manjunath Bhajantri and Senior Superintendent of Police Chandan Kumar Sinha. The meeting saw participation from various Puja committees, peace committee members, social organizations, and administrative officials. The primary objective of the meeting was to ensure Durga Puja is celebrated in a peaceful, organize ...Read More >
Kolkata: The BJP leadership has asked its Bengal unit to engage in a mass contact programme during Durga Puja to counter claims by Trinamool that Bengalis from Bengal are being harassed in states governed by the saffron party, sources said.The direction to organise the campaign, which will see distribution of saris at pandals, came on a day Prime Minister Narendra Modi and defence minister Rajnath Singh were in the city.Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya, Union minister Sukanta Majumdar and the leader of opposition in the Bengal assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, met Modi at the airport on Sunda ...Read More >
Agartala (Tripura) [India], September 26 (ANI): Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha inaugurated several Durga Puja pandals across Agartala on Thursday, marking the official commencement of the festive celebrations in the state's capital. The pandals visited and inaugurated by the Chief Minister include Flowers Club at Math Chowmuhani; Shib Nagar Modern Club & Amra Tarun Dal; Gandouse Club; Central Road Yuva Sanghstha; and Netaji Play Centre at Netaji Chowmuhani. The presence of the Chief Minister added enthusiasm and encouragement among the organisers and devotees, who gathered in large number ...Read More >
Kolkata: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday inaugurated the Durga Puja pandal at Santosh Mitra Square, Kolkata, designed around the theme of 'Operation Sindoor.' He was accompanied by BJP leaders, including Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari and state party president Shamik Bhattacharya. The pandal was organized by BJP councillor Sajal Ghosh of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. Visits Kalighat Temple and Salt Lake After the pandal inauguration, Shah offered prayers at the iconic Kalighat temple, located in the same area where West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee resides. He la ...Read More >