The Centre on Thursday said it did not deny permission to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to visit Chicago on 125th anniversary of Swami Vivekanandas historic speech.


Centre refutes denying permission to Mamata to visit Chicago


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Ganesh Chaturthi began with pomp and gaiety in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh on Thursday as devotees installed the idols across the two states.


Ganesh Chaturthi begins with gaiety in Telangana, Andhra


The Agra district administration on Thursday imposed a ban on the sale and immersion of Ganesha idols made of Plaster of Paris in the Yamuna river and community ponds.


Agra authorities ban anti-green Ganesha idols


Bishop Franco Mulakkal, who has been named in a sexual abuse case by a nun, got a breather from the Kerala High Court on Thursday as it said "arrest is not the issue".


Kerala nun rape case: Relief for Bishop Mulakkal


Religion holds centre-stage in Punjab's murky politics, especially in the run-up to important elections, be it assembly or parliamentary polls.


Religion again to the fore before polls in Punjab (News Analysis)


President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday greeted the country on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi.


President, PM greets nation on Ganesh Chaturthi


A new report from Germany's Catholic Church admits to "at least" 3,766 cases of child sex abuse by the clergy between 1946 and 2014, according to media outlets Die Zeit and Spiegel Online.


Germany's Catholic Church 'dismayed, ashamed' by child sex abuse


The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) on Wednesday sealed 11 structures, including an "illegal mosque" falling within the restricted area of an ammunition depot here on Old Delhi Road.


'Illegal mosque' among 11 structures sealed in Gurugram


The Kerala Police on Wednesday sent a notice to controversial Bishop Franco Mulakkal of the Roman Catholic Diocese in Jalandhar, asking him to appear before them on September 19.


Controversial bishop asked to appear before Kerala Police


Ganesh Chaturthi helps promote goodwill, friendship and unity among people, Governor Mridula Sinha said in her message on Wednesday, on the eve of Goa's most popular Hindu festival.


Ganesh Chaturthi promotes goodwill, friendship and unity: Goa Governor


China on Wednesday told the US to stop interfering in its domestic affairs on the pretext of Uighurs in Xinjiang and warned that bilateral ties will be hurt if it slapped sanctions against senior Chinese officials.


China tells US to stop playing Xinjiang card


Maharashtra is all set to welcome the popular elephant-headed god, Lord Ganesha, during the 10-day long biggest public festival which gets underway on Thursday.


Maharashtra all set to welcome Lord Ganesha


"Recent events in India have damaged the country's image as a vibrant, plural and successful democracy." That is the opening line of former Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran's recent article in which he expresses his "growing concern over the rising polarisation and communalism of our social and political discourse". Saran pointed out: "We pride ourselves in being the most tolerant of people, celebrating our diversity of faith, culture and tradition, ways of life and language. Diversity thrives on sharing; it becomes poison when it becomes an instrument for separating 'us' from 'them'. One cannot construct an over-arching Hindu identity on the basis of creating a binary Hindu-Muslim divide."


Finding spiritual common ground between India's religions (Comment)


Preacher Devkinandan Thakur was on Tuesday arrested in Agra city where he had gone to address a meeting of people protesting against the changes in the law pertaining to atrocities on the Dalits and tribals, police said.


Spiritual guru held in Agra


West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday alleged that "evil forces" threatened the Ramakrishna Mission, forcing it to cancel her trip to Chicago to celebrate the 125th anniversary of Swami Vivekanandas historic speech there.


Ramakrishna Mission was told to cancel my Chicago programme: Mamata


Bangladesh on Tuesday urged the international community to put more pressure on Myanmar to provide a permanent solution to the Rohingya refugee crisis and ensure their safe return.


Rohingya crisis: Bangladesh urges global pressure on Myanmar


Title: The Life and Times of Yogananda; Author: Philip Goldberg, Publisher: Hay House India; Pages: 336; Price: Rs 399.


A riveting tale of an extraordinary Indian (Book Review)


West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday announced a grant of Rs 10,000 and waiver of licence fee for each of the 28,000 Durga Puja  committees across the state.


Bengal's Durga Puja committees to get Rs 10,000 each: CM


The Supreme Court on Monday asked for a report from the Additional District Judge, Lucknow, holding trial in Babri Masjid demolition conspiracy case, as to how trial in the case would be completed in two years as ordered by the apex court on April 19, 2017.


SC for Babri trial court judge's report


Historian Ramachandra Guha, who has penned a monumental 1,100-page biography of Mahatma Gandhi, says that he finds double standards in the respect that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), accord to the Father of the Nation nowadays.


Double standards in BJP-RSS respect for Gandhi: Ramachandra Guha


The Uttar Pradesh police has stepped up vigil ahead of Moharram and Ganesh Chaturthi this week, an official said on Monday.

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