Festivals

Analysts at Elara Capital, in a note last week, said they expect the retail companies to deliver a revenue growth of 12 per cent year-on-year (YoY) in the quarter

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said Pongal, which gave the message of maintaining harmonious balance with nature, has emerged as a global festival, cherished by Tamilians world over. Participating in Pongal celebrations at the residence of Union Minister L Murugan, the prime minister said this festival celebrates the hard work of the farmers and expresses gratitude to the land and the Sun. "The festival of Pongal reminds us that gratitude should go beyond mere words and become an integral part of our daily lives. When the Earth provides us with so much, it is our responsibility to cherish and protect it," Modi said at the celebrations that had Union Ministers, bureaucrats, and people from a cross-section of society in attendance. The prime minister said that around the world, the Tamil community and those who cherish Tamil culture celebrate Pongal with great enthusiasm, and he was proud to be among them. Modi said Tamil culture was one of the oldest living civilisations

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India and Nepal celebrate Makar Sankranti, a Hindu holiday. The end of winter and the beginning of a new agricultural cycle are marked by this harvest festival. Here's all you need to know

North India will observe Lohri 2026 on January 13 with traditional bonfire ceremonies. The celebration honours Punjabi cultural history and marks the end of winter by uniting communities

Once a quiet riverside ritual, Dev Deepawali has evolved into UP's largest soft-power spectacle - merging faith, art, enterprise into a global cultural brand that reflects state's growing confidence

Spending between Sept 22 and Oct 21 - the period between the Hindu festivals of Navratri and Diwali - increased 8.5 per cent from the same time last year

The Delhi Traffic Police has issued an advisory ahead of Chhath Puja, anticipating heavy traffic near major roads and ponds from the afternoon of October 27 to the morning of October 28

President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday greeted citizens on Chhath Puja and said the festival gives the message of unity, cooperation and collective participation in the society. During Chhath Puja, devotees worship and offer 'arghya' to the Sun, she said in a message. "On this festival, we express our gratitude to nature. We worship the rivers and ponds, and pray for the well-being of our families. This festival also conveys a message of cleanliness and environment conservation," the President said. Chhath Puja also gives the message of unity, cooperation and collective participation in the society, Murmu said. "On this sacred occasion, I pray for happiness and prosperity of all citizens," she said, and extended wishes to all her fellow citizens. Chhath Puja, a four-day festival dedicated to the Sun God and Chhathi Maiya, is being celebrated and it will conclude on October 28.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday extended greetings on the occasion of Chhath, a four-day festival to worship the Sun god celebrated across the country, especially in Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern UP. "With the sacred ritual of 'Nahay-Khay', the four-day grand festival of Chhath begins today. I extend my heartfelt wishes to devotees across Bihar and the entire nation. My respect and salute to all those observing the fast," the prime minister said in a post on X. He also shared a song by noted singer Sharda Sinha, whose soulful renditions add to the festival fervour. Modi said he was in Begusarai on Friday, a place with which Sinha shared a soulful connection. "This magnificent festival of our culture symbolises simplicity and restraint, whose sanctity and adherence to rules are unparalleled. The sights at the Chhath ghats on this auspicious occasion inspire wonderful familial and social harmony. The ancient tradition of Chhath has had a profound impact on our society," Modi

The Railway Ministry has released a list of 12,011 train trips scheduled between October 1 and November 30, 2025, suggesting that an average 196 special trains are operating daily from various destinations in the country to cater to the heavy festive rush. The highest number of special trains operated so far on a single day was around 280 on October 18, while the lowest was approximately 166 on October 8. Officials said that the ministry worked day and night for months with all the zones and divisions to identify and utilise all available coaches to ensure that passengers could reach their destinations in time to celebrate festivals. Almost all the coaches, including those sent for repair, were retrieved ensuring their fitness from all 70 railway divisions across the country to facilitate 12,011 trips based on passenger movements, a railway official said. However, a section of officials and railway activists claimed that the list includes not only some short-distance local trains b

Historically, Delhi's air has turned hazardous near the Diwali week not just because of the burning of firecrackers, but also due to paddy stubble burning and rising vehicular emissions

The Central Railway has so far operated 705 special trains for Diwali and Chhath, carrying more than 10.6 lakh passengers, a senior official said on Tuesday. Speaking to the media, Central Railway General Manager Vijay Kumar said that the CR plans to operate as many as 1,998 Diwali and Chhath special trains out of the 12,011 special trains scheduled by zonal railways across the country between September 19 and November 30. Of the 1,998 trains, the highest number of special services are scheduled from Pune, followed by Mumbai, he said. "The festival special trains are expected to facilitate travel for more than 30 lakh passengers, offering convenient options to states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh," Kumar added. According to Central Railway, over 600 special trains have been notified from Mumbai alone. "More than 100 regular trains and 8 to 10 special trains are being operated from Mumbai daily, the official said. On Tuesday and the following three day

Too many sweets, sleepless nights, smog, and heavy makeup can trigger festive breakouts. Dermatologists share how to calm your skin, restore its glow, and prevent post-Diwali damage

For singles, and those far from family, Diwali can feel isolating. Experts explain why festive joy often deepens the ache of solitude, and how to ease it

She said this marginal deviation was due to cases where input taxes remained higher than output rates, leading to small adjustments before products reach consumers

The Centre said that the timing of the GST cuts just before the festival and wedding season proved ideal, boosting consumer sentiment across sectors

Doctors warn that even small festive indulgences can strain your liver. Experts share science-backed tips to celebrate responsibly and stay healthy this Diwali

Metro Railway Kolkata will run special night services on the Blue line on October 20 on the occasion of Kali Puja, an official statement said on Friday. While the last train will leave from Dakshineswar station for Sahid Khudiram at 10:51 pm instead of the normal 9:28 pm, the last train from Sahid Khudiram will depart at 11 pm for Dakshineswar instead of 9:33 pm, the Metro Railway said in a statement. On October 20, 144 services (72 services on UP and DN sections each) will be run along the Blue Line (Dakshineswar-Sahid Khudiram) corridor instead of 272 services on other Mondays, but the special services will be run at night to enable thousands of devotees to attend the puja rituals at the two heritage Kali temples at Kalighat and Dakshineswar.

As Delhi gears up for Diwali, city's roads turned into a gridlock on Wednesday with heavy congestion reported from many parts of the city, leaving commuters stuck for hours. Long snarls were reported in central, south, east, northwest, outer and outernorth Delhi, with several stretches witnessing bumper-to-bumper traffic for over half an hour. "The heavy traffic is a result of the festive rush and people returning back to the city for the holidays," a senior police officer said. Several commuters shared pictures of traffic jams on social media platforms. Complaints poured from people stuck for hours as the festive rush combined with office-hour movement brought the capital to a crawl. "Delhi's traffic is unbelievable, I've been stuck on Wazirabad Road for the past 37 minutes!" a netizen posted. "Every road in south Delhi is jammed today. Driving virtually on first gear for an hour now," another wrote. A commuter heading to Gurugram said they had to postpone a meeting three times