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Saturday, March 7, 2026
TopicPilgrimage

Topic: Pilgrimage

Uttarakhand’s war on non-Hindus. Pushed out of Devbhoomi marriage mandaps & pilgrimages

At the entrance to Har Ki Pauri, new signboards warn that non-Hindus are not allowed, turning the sacred ghat into a flashpoint over faith and access.

Helicopters are Kedarnath pilgrims’ favoured transport. It’s also the most dangerous

The demand for helicopter services exceeds the supply by three or four times. This mismatch has given rise to a ticket black market and cybercriminals selling fake tickets.

The curious India tourism paradox. Domestic pilgrims opt for luxury, foreigners go budget

India’s pilgrimage business is booming, with choppers for the rich and dorm beds for the poor. But the days of wooing foreigners to the Taj, Jaisalmer, and Palace on Wheels are over.

Less than 50% of 46 projects sanctioned under tourism ministry’s PRASHAD scheme completed in 10 yrs

Parliamentary panel had in report tabled last year expressed concern over delay in completion of projects sanctioned under tourism ministry's PRASHAD scheme.

Ayodhya is selling like ‘hot cakes’. SOTC, Thomas Cook, MakeMyTrip cashing in

MakeMyTrip has witnessed a 97% growth in searches for spiritual destinations in the last 2 years. Among these, the top destination has been Ayodhya with a 585% increase.

Himalayan Hinduism is being reshaped in Kedarnath by climate change

There's nothing new in the assertion that human morality and the environment are intimately linked, but the degree of change now happening has introduced a new level of concern.

Alarm in Uttarakhand govt as 125 pilgrims die in 1st month of Char Dham, ‘7 times average toll’

Uttarakhand has resumed Char Dham Yatra in full scale after 2 years of Covid-related curbs. Seventy-five of the pilgrims who have died so far were above 60.

Masks & distancing don’t matter at Ganga Sagar mela, but ‘1 Covid case’ found in 3 lakh pilgrims

As lakhs took dips in Ganga during India’s second-largest pilgrimage, West Bengal officials claimed all Covid protocols were being followed amid a spurt in cases in the state.

YouTube kirtans, Facebook puja, helicopters — Maharashtra pilgrimage gets Covid twist

With a sharp rise in the number of Covid-19 cases, Maharashtra has decided to call off the state’s biggest pilgrimage this year, but some rituals will be observed. 

In 31 months, Modi govt has completed just 1.1 km of work on Char Dham highway project

The Char Dham road project, involving expansion of the 889-km highway into a two-lane stretch, is set to miss its second deadline of March 2020.

On Camera

A ship attack has shaken Asia’s faith in the US

Why should the US care? Because in the end, as its wrangle with Britain this week should have reminded them, America still needs bases, friendly ports, & overfly rights.

Amid the new war in Middle East, ‘God’ surfaces in oil and commodities contracts

Multiple companies have invoked the principle of ‘force majeure’, which lets a party off the hook in case of unforeseen ‘acts of God’, to avoid penalties.

Iranian naval ship Lavan with crew of 184 docked in Kochi same day US torpedoed IRIS Dena

IRIS Lavan was in the region for the International Fleet Review held last month and ‘sought urgent docking in Kochi citing technical issues,’ it is learnt.

Trump brings the Age of Humiliation for friends. Modi needs stoicism abroad, humility at home

Trump has ushered in the age of humiliation. His method is to push around America’s friends rudely and publicly. He knows none of them can afford to fight back.