Durga Puja

Is Dussehra 2025 on October 1 or 2? When will Vijayadashami take place

Dussehra is a popular Hindu festival marking the victory of good over evil. It marks Lord Rama's victory over Ravana and Goddess Durga's over Mahishasura

Clashes during idol immersion trigger arson in Cuttack; internet suspended

According to a Government of Odisha circular, a prohibition has been imposed on the use and access of social media platforms, including WhatsApp, Facebook, and X, until 7 PM on Monday

11 feared drowned in MP's Khandwa during idol immersion, CM announces aid

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has condoled the demise of people in the incident, and announced Rs 4 lakh ex gratia for the families of the deceased

Dussehra 2025: 5 must-visit places to witness best Vijayadashami in India

Dussehra or Vijayadashami is being celebrated on Thursday, Oct 2. It celebrates the victory of good over evil, marking Lord Rama's victory over King Ravana & Goddess Durga over the Mahishasura

Why Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra's dance-drama, Ram, endures, 68 years on

The two-and-a-half-hour distillation of Tulsidas's epic has turned performance into pilgrimage, drawing audiences across generations

Happy Dussehra 2025: Safety tips for enjoying Vijayadashami mela foods

Today's celebration of Dussehra 2025 signifies the end of the Navratri celebrations and the victory of good over evil. Meanwhile, food vendors, colourful mela & Ravan dahan make the fair more joyful

Amit Shah to join Durga Puja festivities, inaugurate pandals in Kolkata

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will take part in Durga Puja festivities in Kolkata on Friday. He arrived in the metropolis on Thursday night and was received at the airport by senior state BJP leader Rahul Sinha. Shah will inaugurate the pandal of the Santosh Mitra Square Sarbojanin Durgotsab Samity in north Kolkata on Friday. Organised by BJP councillor Sajal Ghosh, the Durga Puja pandal has showcased 'Operation Sindoor'. Shah will then visit the Kalighat temple in south Kolkata and offer puja. Later, he will inaugurate the Durga Puja pandal of the BJP-backed Paschim Banga Sanskriti Mancha at the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC) in Salt Lake. He will leave the city in the evening.

Durga Puja 2025: Corporate sponsorship up across West Bengal's 45K pandals

Corporate sponsorship for Durga Puja is buoyant in Kolkata with brands returning strongly, though retail sales show mixed trends across malls, shopping hubs and markets

Moderate rain likely in Kolkata today; check key weather updates here

IMD forecasts light to moderate showers and gusty winds in Kolkata today, with mostly cloudy skies and occasional thundershowers; heavy rain is unlikely over the next 24 hours

Google Gemini Nano Banana AI: Top 5 prompts for a perfect Durga Puja look

The image editing app Nano Banana, developed by Google Gemini, has gone viral on social media. The recent trend enables users to create images inspired by Durga Puja from their photographs

Ramleela, Durga Puja events to continue in Delhi till midnight, says CM

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday said her government has permitted cultural events like Ramleela and Durga Puja to continue until midnight, asserting that "Ram-rajya should come in Delhi" and for that "we all should work a little." "I always used to say that our Hindu festivals were facing problems. Which Ramleela ends at 10 pm? Durga Puja cannot end at 10 pm. When in Gujarat, Dandiya can go on all night and events can take place throughout the night, then what is the fault of the people of Delhi?" Gupta said. "That is why this time we have given permission till 12 am. All the Ramleela, Durga Puja, and other cultural programmes can take place till midnight now," she added. On Monday, the Delhi government extended the permissible time for the use of loudspeakers and public address systems during Ramleela, Durga Puja, Dussehra, and related events. The relaxation, valid from September 22 to October 3, was approved by Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena. The extension pushes the

B'desh's Chief Adviser Yunus visits Dhakeshwari temple ahead of Durga Puja

Bangladesh interim government Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on Tuesday visited the Dhakeshwar National Temple to witness preparations for the upcoming Durga Puja and exchanged greetings with members of the minority Hindu community. He went around the temple premises and inspected the preparatory work ahead of the annual Hindu religious festival, state-run BSS news agency reported. Speaking at the function, he said that no government has the right to deny citizens their fundamental constitutional rights. "Whatever faith or ideology one follows, whether rich or poor, every person is first and foremost a citizen. All rights of citizens are guaranteed in the Constitution," he said. "We -- the entire nation is a broader family. The government is committed to ensuring equal rights and dignity for all citizens," The Daily Star newspaper quoted Yunus as saying. The interim chief's greetings came amid widespread concerns over repeated incidents of alleged attacks on members of the Hindu ...

Hilsa prices to pinch pockets this Puja despite Bangladesh exports: Traders

The Md Yunus government in Bangladesh may have chosen to honour the commitment of culinary tradition and issue a notification to export hilsa to India ahead of the festive season, but fish importers in West Bengal aren't sure whether the move will broaden smiles of the average middle class waiting to savour the delight of Padmar Ilish' this Durga Puja. Fish traders on this side of the international border attribute dual factors of lower quantity of export from Bangladesh compared to previous years, as well as higher cost of imports, as reasons behind the high prices of 'rupali shosyo', which means 'silver crop'. Putting apprehensions of an export freeze on hilsa to rest, the Bangladesh government's notice on Monday stated that it has approved in-principle the conditional export of 1200 metric tonnes of hilsa to India this year, in keeping with its traditional Durga Puja gift to Bengalis in India. For this, the Md Yunus government has invited applications from interested exporters i

Delhi govt to offer free power, civic aid to Ramleela, Durga pandals

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday announced a series of measures to support Ramleela and Durga pandal committees ahead of the festive season. The measures include free electricity, single-window no-objectionable certificates (NOC) and enhanced civic facilities. After meeting representatives of Ramleela committees, Gupta said the Delhi government will provide 1,200 units of free electricity, while meters will be installed on just 25 per cent security deposit. "This is a welcoming and happy news for all the Ramleela and Durga pandal committees," she said. She further said that public amenities such as toilets, security arrangements, healthcare services, ambulances and fire brigades will be ensured at the venues. The government, to ease administrative hurdles, will issue NOCs for various services through a single-window system, eliminating the need for organisers to approach multiple departments. "The Delhi government will also ensure cleanliness in the grounds. A committ

More organisers opt for event insurance before major festive season

The Dahi Handi festival saw 160,000 participants insured for ₹10 lakh each, with the Maharashtra government bearing the cost for 150,000 Govindas

CM Mamata hikes Durga Puja grant to ₹1.1 lakh, waives taxes for committees

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee hiked the Durga Puja grant to Rs 1.10 lakh for 40,000 committees, waived taxes, announced an 80 per cent electricity concession, drawing cheers from organisers and criticism from the opposition ahead of the 2026 assembly polls. Addressing a mega coordination meeting of Puja committees at the Netaji Indoor Stadium here, Banerjee said the enhanced financial assistance, up from Rs 85,000 last year, was a recognition of Durga Puja's cultural significance and its status as a UNESCO-recognised intangible heritage. Durga Puja is not just a religious celebration. It is the lifeline of Bengal's cultural identity, our praner utsab' (festival of the heart). We are proud that UNESCO has recognised this. It's our collective responsibility to preserve that glory, Banerjee told a packed audience of organisers and top bureaucrats. Along with the increased grant, Banerjee announced an 80 per cent concession on electricity bills for Puja pandals, a waiver of

Tripura govt asks NHDCL to complete NH repair work before Durga puja

The Tripura government has asked the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) to complete the repair work of the Assam-Agartala National Highway (NH-8) before Durga puja, a senior official said on Sunday. The Durga puja, the biggest festival in the northeastern state, will commence on September 29. Following reports of the bad condition of the national highway from Kumarghat to Churaibari in Unakoti and North districts, PWD secretary Kiran Gitte, along with senior officials of NHIDCL and state PWD, visited the national highway to take stock of the situation on Saturday. Earlier, Chief Minister Manik Saha also held a meeting with officials to review the bad condition or roads, including the national highway and asked for repair works on a war footing. "On Saturday, I travelled over 400 km through the national highway from Khowai to Kamalpur and Churaribari via Manu and Kumarghat. Senior officials from NHIDCL and state PWD also accompanied me. The roa

Bangladesh clarifies Durga temple built without permission on Railway land

According to the Foreign Ministry, the local Hindu community installed a makeshift Puja Mandap on railway land during Durga Puja last year without prior permission

India criticises Bangladesh for demolition of Durga temple in Dhaka

The MEA condemned the demolition of a Durga temple in Dhaka's Khilkhet by Bangladesh Railway, saying the interim government failed to protect Hindu religious institutions

Bengaluru man attends meeting on laptop at Durga puja pandal, video viral

A video of a Bangalore man doing a client meeting with his phone and laptop while surrounded by people praying at a Durga Puja pandal went viral, sparking a debate