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Friday, August 22, 2025
TopicPilgrimage

Topic: Pilgrimage

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.

Arvind Kejriwal promises free pilgrimage scheme in Uttarakhand if AAP comes to power

Under the scheme, Hindus will be taken to Ayodhya, Muslims to Ajmer Sharif and Sikhs to Kartarpur Sahib, Delhi CM Kejriwal Sunday announced at a press conference in Haridwar.

Saudi Arabia allows Umrah pilgrimage to Mecca after 7-mth Covid shutdown, restrictions remain

Protective measures in place include disinfection & social distancing. Over 108,000 foreign and local pilgrims have received permission to take part in Umrah.

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. 

On Camera

Tariffs, chips, and China — how Trump’s trade playbook affects India

Trump’s OBBB is framed to augment domestic semiconductor production and enhance trade protection, even at the expense of certain social programs such as Medicaid, food stamps, and student loans, as well as a projected ballooning federal deficit from US$2.8 to 3.3 trillion

New insolvency frameworks to shorter timelines, how 2025 amendment bill proposes to transform IBC

New bill aims to fix key issues with IBC 2016, including delays & patchy implementation, and protect creditors, with window for genuine promoters to retain control of their companies.

Indian firm joins hands with US manufacturer to locally develop all-terrain vehicles for armed forces

Under joint venture, JSW Sarbloh Motors will indigenise and manufacture TX range ATVs in Chandigarh. The first India-assembled unit is expected by early 2026.

War of IAF, PAF doctrines: As Pakistan obsesses over numbers, India embraces risk, wins

Now that both IAF and PAF have made formal claims of having shot down the other’s aircraft in the 87-hour war in May, we can ask a larger question: do such numbers really matter?