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Kolkata, Sep 30 (SocialNews.XYZ) On the occasion of Maha Ashtmai on Tuesday, 'Kumari Puja (worship of girls as Goddess Durga)' was performed at Belur Math, the headquarters of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission at Belur in Kolkata-adjacent Howrah district, with enthusiasm and devotion of the followers of Shri Ramakrsihna Paramhansa, his wife and spiritual consort, Maa Sarada and disciple Swami Vivekanda. Ardent believers of Swamiji and his philosophy of "Service of God through service of humanity" is the basic reason that the devotional attraction of the Kumari Puja has remained the same year after year, since Swamiji started this ritual at Belur Math in 1901. According to Jayita Sarkar, an avid believer in Swamiji's philosophy and a teacher of English literature in one of the reputed Kolkata-based schools, the main idea behind Kumari Puja is the expression of respect towards "women-power" and "women-dignity" in society. "Inspired by the teachings of Shri Ramakrishna Paramhansa and blessed by the support of Maa Sarada, Swamiji established Belur Math and said -- 'the unblemished rays out here will enlighten the entire world and will change the pattern of human life.' For me, with the goal of bringing this attitudinal change in human thought process, especially as regards acknowledging women's power, Swamiji started Kumari Puja, where the main idea is worshipping a young girl as the symbol of Matru-Shakti or women's empowerment. For every woman, this occasion is truly special. Every time I am there at Belur Math on the occasion, I am swayed by the spiritual devotion of the thought behind this ritual," Sarkar said. According to Sampa Chowdhury, a senior counsel of Calcutta High Court and an avid enthusiast of Swamiji's philosophy, the concept of Kumari Puja also reflects Shri Ramakrishna's spiritual thoughts of viewing the Goddess in every woman. As per historical records, nine girls were worshipped on the first occasion of Kumari Puja in 1901. Since then, the ritual became an integral part of Durga Asthami Tithi at Belur Math. On Tuesday, as every year, thousands visited Belur Math and became witnesses to the ritual, which was marked by the same enthusiasm and devotional spiritualism associated with it. The ritual started around 9 a.m. and ended a little after 10 a.m. Thousands of followers of the Sanatan Dharma celebrated the Kumari Puja with grandeur at Belur Math. They consider this ritual to be simultaneously the worship of God and the establishment of women's dignity. On Tuesday, the ritual was performed as per tradition with the message being honouring and acknowledgement of women's power, worship of the "Divine Femininity" and service to humanity. The monks at the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission performed the rituals. Thousands of devotees attended the puja, coming from faraway places, maintaining the dignity and devotional spiritualism associated with the rituals. The day will end with the Sandhi Puja, held at the juncture of Maha Ashtami and Maha Navami, which is regarded as the most sacred moment of the Durga Puja festival. The ritual commemorates Goddess Durga's victory over demons, Chanda and Munda.
NEW DELHI: Axiom-4 crew members, including Shubhanshu Shukla, were welcomed with hugs and drinks as they stepped into the International Space Station on Thursday. The newly launched spacecraft -- the fifth in the Dragon series and named Grace -- successfully completed a soft docking with the International Space Station at 4.01pm while orbiting above the North Atlantic Ocean."At 6:31 am EDT (4:01 IST) on Thursday, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked to the International Space Station for the fourth private astronaut mission to the orbiting laboratory, Axiom Mission 4," the National Aeronautics ...Read More >
Bengaluru: Mysuru Dasara is set to run for 11 days this year -- a rare extension driven by celestial alignment and cultural planning -- with the inaugural ceremony on Sept 22 and the grand Jamboo Savari taking place on Oct 2, coinciding with Vijayadashami and Gandhi Jayanti.Chairing a high-level meeting at Vidhana Soudha Friday, chief minister Siddaramaiah said, "Mysuru Dasara in 2025 will be celebrated for 11 days, due to a unique astronomical occurrence -- the Panchami tithi (fifth lunar day) will appear on two consecutive days, Sept 26 and 27, a rare alignment that hasn't occurred in nearly ...Read More >
SRINAGAR: Vedic hymns reverberated in Kashmir hills as Amarnath yatra officially began on Thursday with over twelve thousand devotees paying their respects and having darshan of fully formed natural Shivling or ice-lingam of Lord Shiva at Amarnath cave-shrine. The first day of the annual pilgrimage to the revered place of Hindu worship tucked away in the Kashmir Himalayas at a height of 12, 729 feet (3,888 metres) was marked with Prathan Pooja or the first prayer beside several feet -high naturally formed Shivling at the Sanctum-Sanctorum. A report said that the Shivling has been reduced con ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar has written a strongly worded letter to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, criticising General Education Minister V Sivankutty for walking out of a function held at Raj Bhavan on June 19. The Governor described the incident as a breach of protocol and an insult to the constitutional office. The letter, dated June 26, refers to an awards ceremony for the Bharat Scouts and Guides, where Sivankutty -- who also serves as President of the Association's Kerala chapter -- objected to the presence of a garlanded portrait of Bharat Mata on the stage, ...Read More >
Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) January 27 (ANI): Spiritual leader and orator Devkinandan Thakur on Monday said that the Sanatana Dharma Sansad, which he convenes at the ongoing Mahakumbh, is organised for safeguarding Sanatanis. Devkinandan Thakurji Maharaj, as he is popularly known, said that the Dharma Sansad has been called for a board that can bring all our puja, tradition, culture, and Gau mata together and protect them. Also Read | Mahakumbh 2025: After Taking Holy Dip, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Along With His Family, Performs 'Aarti' at Triveni Sangam. "This Sanatana Dharma Sansad is ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Puri Jagannath Rath Yatra is not just one of the biggest festivals in the world but also a timeless tribute to devotion, courage, and cultural pride. The Rath Yatra is an ancient festival. The Ratha Yatra in Puri is the world's oldest and largest Hindu chariot festival. It happens every year during the bright half of the lunar month of Ashadh, which falls in June or July. The Puri Rath Yatra is approximately 3 kilometres long and spans from the Jagannath Temple to the Gundicha Temple in Puri. The three chariots carrying Lord Jagannath, his brother Balabhadra, and his sister Sub ...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 >
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 >
Puri (Odisha), Feb 4 (PTI) Thousands of people took a holy dip at Chandrabhaga at Konark in Odisha's Puri district on the occasion of 'Magha Saptami' on Tuesday. Magha Saptami is observed as the birthday of the Sun God and is held on the seventh day of 'Magha' month of the Hindu calendar. People offer prayer to 'Tri Mahadev' after taking a dip at the confluence of Chandrabhaga River and the Bay of Bengal. Devotees also offer puja at 'Naba Graha' on the premises of the Sun temple at Konark. This year, the holy dip started at 4.37 am and the sadhus were given the first opportunity to take a d ...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 >
VIJAYAWADA: The State government on Friday accorded approvals to a slew of industries. Among those are Krishnapatnam Power Corporation Limited (KPCL), which is set to establish a 350 MW Solar and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in Thamminapatnam and Mommidi villages of SPSR Nellore district with a Rs 1,225 crore investment, creating 575 jobs. Furthermore, the government also waived off a Rs 54 crore extension of time fee, contingent on project completion within two years as per the Andhra Pradesh Integrated Clean Energy Policy-2024. The government also allocated 22.80 acres at MPSEZ in N ...Read More >
New Delhi, June 28 (SocialNews.XYZ) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday participated in the inaugural ceremony of the year-long centenary celebrations marking the 100th birth anniversary of Acharya Vidyanand Ji Maharaj, a revered Jain spiritual leader, philosopher and social reformer. The event, held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi, was organised by the Ministry of Culture in collaboration with the Bhagwan Mahaveer Ahimsa Bharti Trust. The tribute programme aims to commemorate the enduring legacy of Acharya Vidyanand Ji Maharaj, known for his profound contributions to the promotion of Jai ...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 >
New Delhi [India], June 28 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the centenary celebrations of the revered Jain spiritual leader Acharya Shri 108 Vidyanand Ji Maharaj at Vigyan Bhawan in the national capital on Saturday. The celebrations mark the formal commencement of a year-long national tribute to the spiritual leader, being organised by the Union Culture Ministry in collaboration with the Bhagwan Mahaveer Ahimsa Bharti Trust, Delhi. Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Rashtrasant Paramparacharya Shri 108 Pragyasagar Ji Muniraj also graced the occasio ...Read More >
Puri (Odisha) [India], June 28 (ANI): Adani Group Chairperson Gautam Adani, along with his family, took part in the annual Rath Yatra celebrations of Lord Jagannath in Puri on Saturday and also offered 'Prasad Seva' to devotees. Accompanied by his wife Priti Adani and son Karan Adani, the industrialist participated in the rituals associated with the procession of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Goddess Subhadra. Also Read | Christy Martin Biopic: Sydney Sweeney Says She 'Didn't Care' About Getting Hurt While Filming Fight Scenes With Co-Star Katy O'Brian. "I have got everything from Lo ...Read More >
The shooting of the Telugu film 'The Paradise' began on June 21Actor Nani joined the Hyderabad set on SaturdayA 40-day shooting schedule is underway featuring lead cast The shooting of Telugu actor Nani and director Srikanth Odela's The Paradise' commenced on June 21. The actor joined the team on Saturday in Hyderabad. The makers of 'The Paradise' announced the latest development with a photo of the actor from the movie sets. 'The Paradise' has been making headlines ever since it was announced. ...Read More >
Imphal, June 29 (UNI) A series of successful operations carried out by Manipur Police and security forces during the last 24 hours led to the arrest of several individuals involved in vehicle theft, insurgent activity, and the recovery of a significant cache of arms and ammunition. Police arrested a vehicle lifter identified as Syed Riyaj from his residence at Lilong Chaobok in Thoubal District. The arrest was made under Lilong Police Station. Authorities seized a blue two wheeler without registration number, along with a key and an Aadhaar card believed to be linked to the suspect. In a s ...Read More >
Bengaluru, June 29 (PTI) Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Sunday said the government would respond in accordance with the law to the High Court notice regarding the proposed 'Cauvery Aarti' near the Krishna Raja Sagara (KRS) reservoir in Mandya district. The Karnataka High Court had issued the notice on Friday in response to a petition challenging the event, citing potential ecological and safety concerns. "Whatever it is, we will respond as per the law. No one will obstruct prayers. Some have concerns, and the government will do what's necessary to address them... we conduc ...Read More >
MADURAI: Likening the custodial murder of Ajith Kumar in Tiruppuvanam to an 'organised crime by police where the state kills its own citizens,' Madras high court lambasted the Tamil Nadu police and said the action against the perpetrators should be more stringent than in normal murder cases.A division bench of Justice S M Subramaniam and Justice A D Maria Clete pointed to 44 external injuries on the person of Ajith Kumar and said no part of the body was spared by the delinquent cops. "Even an ordinary murderer would not have inflicted such kind of injuries," the bench said on Tuesday.The natur ...Read More >
New Delhi, July 4 (SocialNews.XYZ) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday paid heartfelt homage to Swami Vivekananda on his death anniversary. Taking to his X handle, PM Modi, who is on a five-nation tour, paid tributes to the revered Hindu monk. He said that Swami Vivekananda's thoughts and vision for our society remain our guiding light. "I bow to Swami Vivekananda Ji on his Punya Tithi. His thoughts and vision for our society remains our guiding light. He ignited a sense of pride and confidence in our history and cultural heritage. He also emphasised on walking the path of service and com ...Read More >
Silchar: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday visited the flood-ravaged districts of Hailakandi and Sribhumi in the Barak Valley. He assured affected residents of providing timely disbursement of rehabilitation grants and swift repair of damaged infrastructure.This marks Sarma's second visit to the flood-hit region within four days, underscoring the gravity of the situation. Speaking to the media in Sribhumi after inspecting multiple relief camps, the CM said, "Flood-related problems may persist till July. I will return before Durga Puja to ensure that roads and infrastructure ar ...Read More >
Agartala (Tripura) [India], June 27 (ANI): Joining the nation in celebrating the auspicious festival of Rath Yatra, the ISKCON temple and Hare Krishna Mandir in Tripura's Agartala on Friday hosted a grand celebration, drawing thousands of devotees from across Tripura. The vibrant and spiritually uplifting procession was marked by chanting, devotional songs, cultural performances, and traditional rituals. The streets of Agartala came alive as Lord Jagannath, along with his siblings Balabhadra and Subhadra, embarked on the annual chariot journey amid joyous cries of "Jai Jagannath." The holy ch ...Read More >
Kolkata, June 28: A political slugfest has erupted in West Bengal after a woman accused Padma Shree awardee monk Kartik Maharaj, who is posted with the Murshidabad unit of Bharat Sevashram Sangha, of allegedly raping her 12 times for six months in 2013. As per the police complaint lodged by the woman, Kartik Maharaj raped her multiple times 12 years ago promising her a job at a local school. The ruling Trinamool Congress is highlighting the issue in a major way and accusing the BJP of being silent on it since the accused monk had been reportedly close to the saffron party. The woman accusin ...Read More >
Kolkata, July 1 (SocialNews.XYZ) Padma Shree awardee monk Kartik Maharaj, attached to the Murshidabad unit of the Bharat Sevashram Sangha, who had been accused by a woman recently of allegedly raping her for six months in 2013 and forcing her to abort her baby, on Tuesday, approached a single-judge Bench of the Calcutta High Court seeking cancellation of the FIR registered against him in the matter. The single-judge Bench of Justice Jay Sengupta has admitted the petition. The matter is expected to come up for hearing on Wednesday. Kartik Maharaj was supposed to be present at Nabagram Police ...Read More >
Raniwala 1881 unveils its much-anticipated Raas A/W 2024-25 Collection, a celebration of heritage, family, and love. The collection blends traditional craftsmanship with modern aesthetics, honoring the bride’s journey and creating an emotional connection across generations. Each piece, from polki necklaces to intricate earrings, tells a story of resilience and legacy. Crafted with care, these jewels are not just adornments but heirlooms in the making, meant to be passed down through families. Abhishek Raniwala, Co-founder & Creative Director, emphasizes that the collection celebrates the spiri ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 7 (ANI): Imam and Samajwadi MP Maulana Mohibullah Nadvi extended his greetings on Saturday on the occasion of Eid al-Adha. Speaking to ANI, Maulana Mohibullah Nadvi highlighted the significance of sacrifice in life. 'On this auspicious occasion of Eid Al Adha, we extend our greetings to all our countrymen... There are people among us who are less fortunate, and we advocate peace, love and justice for them. Let us sacrifice for their benefit by sharing our wealth and expressing our compassion; this is the essence of sacrifice. This message of sacrifice unites all our c ...Read More >
Puri (Odisha) [India], June 27 (ANI): A large number of devotees gathered at the Jagannath temple in Puri as the grand annual Rath Yatra festival began on Friday morning. People from across the country arrived to witness the grand chariots of the three deities, Lord Jagannath, his brother Lord Balabhadra, and sister goddess Subhadra, at the Gundicha temple, where the deities reside for a week and then return to Jagannath temple. Speaking to ANI, Pooja Anand, a devotee from Mumbai, shared her emotions while witnessing the yatra for the first time. 'I have come from Mumbai. It is an out-of-thi ...Read More >
New Delhi: The razing of a Durga temple in Dhaka's Khiliket area has cast a long shadow over India-Bangladesh ties, reviving questions about the safety of religious minorities in post-Hasina Bangladesh. With reports attributing the demolition to pressure from radical Islamist groups, the incident on Thursday represents a potential inflection point in India's foreign policy approach toward its eastern neighbour. "We understand that extremists were clamouring for demolishing the Durga temple in Khilkhet, Dhaka," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during a regular media ...Read More >
New Delhi: Today, OPPO India sets the vibe - and the countdown - for its Reno14 Series launch on 3rd July with its newest brand film under the 'Live the Aawara Life' campaign. After Ranbir Kapoor teased fans by name-dropping his "Aawara Gang" - Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ishaan Khatter and Pooja Hegde - OPPO India has now unveiled the full story, and it's a joyride of spontaneity, friendship, and rediscovery. Rooted in Reno's philosophy of living in the moment, the campaign positions the Reno14 Series as the ultimate travel companion - capturing fleeting experiences and turning them into unforgettab ...Read More >