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Friday, January 23, 2026
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.

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.

For kanwariyas, this is a time for free train rides — the ‘ticket’ is their saffron clothes

Kanwariyas say no one dares question them, and even TTEs don’t ask for tickets. But passengers complain of harassment, want separate coaches for kanwariyas.

On Camera

Controversial dog-walker IAS Sanjeev Khirwar is back in Delhi. What happened to his wife?

In 2022, athletes claimed they were asked to wind up training early at Thyagraj Stadium so that the IAS couple could walk their dog. Then came the memes and public outrage.

IndiGo profit plunges 78% as Dec meltdown with 3k flight cancellations takes a toll

Net income for InterGlobe Aviation Ltd slipped 78 percent to Rs 5.5 billion for the three months ended Dec 31 compared with the year-ago period.

Rafale saga: 25 yrs of detours, deadlocks & political hesitation. Now IAF getting what it always wanted

Instead of buying more Mirages outright in early 2000s, the requirement was tweaked in favour of a medium-weight, multi-role fighter with Mirage-like performance. 

Pakistan se azaadi. Grow up India, stop giving it prime real estate in your psyche

Pakistan not only has zero chance of catching up with India in most areas, but will inevitably see the gap rising. Its leaders will offer its people the same snake oil in different bottles.