Page 191 - Religion Belief
Clever packaging, reason behind Modi's win: Tharoor
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Saturday took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said his (Modi's) victory "came because of a very clever packaging of development message".Tharoor had also described Prime Minister Modi as an excellent salesman with an empty bag."Vajpayee made the government with 182 seats, Modi has 282. These extra 100 seats did not come because of Hindutva message. These seats came because of a very clever packaging of development message," Tharoor said at an 'In conversation' programme on his book 'Why I am a Hindu' as part of the Krithi international book festival here."That is what bottled those extra percent of votes," Tharoor added.Further questioning over the acceptance of those people, who attack others for marrying into another faith or eating beef, Tharoor noted, "People who are willing to attack others for marrying into another faith or allegedly eating beef, is gaining more acceptance than it should. People like them exist and we can't wish them .
Thousands of women offer pongala
Braving the hot sun, thousands of women prepared 'Pongala' (offering) in makeshift brick stoves to appease the presiding deity of Attukal Bhagavathy temple here, in what is called as one of the world's largest all women gatherings. The women, who converged here from all over the state and outside, prepared 'pongala' (a mix of rice, jaggery and scraped coconut) for about two hours in fresh earthen or metal pots by lining up on either side of the roads around the shrine. And thanks to makeshift brick stoves lined up on the either side of the road, the city seemed to be converted into a 'yaga shala'. The worshippers started converging here a day ahead of the festival, which also saw participation of eminent personalities, including the wife of the Kerala Governor, well known poetess Suguthakumari and veteran sprint queen P T Usha. In 2009, the ritual had made it to the Guinness Book of World Records for being the largest religious gathering of women on a single day when over 2.5 million .
Muslim cleric disassociates himself from Ayodhya dispute, awaits SC' verdict
A day after Art of Living (AoL) founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar met Muslim cleric Maulana Salman Nadvi to discuss the Ayodhya dispute, the latter disassociated himself from issue on Friday."I disassociate myself from the Ram Mandir issue. We will wait for the judgement of the court," Nadvi told ANI.AIMPLB member on Sunday informed that the committee has decided to remove Moulana Salman Hasni Nadvi's from the board .The Muslim cleric, who was recently removed from the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), said , "I will only return to the AIMPLB if four persons including its chief Asaduddin Owaisi and Kamal Faruqui are removed."Earlier on Thursday, Nadvi met Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in Lucknow to discuss the Ayodhya issue.After the meeting, Ravi Shankar said that the talk between two was initiated for harmonious co-existence of both communities and construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya.The spiritual guru further claimed that there is full cooperation from the Muslim community over the
Colour-smeared people celebrate Holi across nation
Colour-smeared people greet each other and spread happiness, as the whole country celebrates Holi with great fervor on Friday.While people are celebrating the festival with their families, Border Security Force (BSF) personnel are observing the festival with their colleagues at borders.Meanwhile in a bizarre way of celebration, people of Allahabad celebrate 'kapda faad' Holi where they rip off each other's clothes.The festival of Holi, which is celebrated across the country with great enthusiasm every year, marks the triumph of good over evil, along with the arrival of the spring season.On this occasion, people apply colours in each other's face and relish the festive sweet 'Gujiya' and have 'Thandai' with friends and family during evening.A day before Holi, people celebrate Choti Holi, where they burn stash of woods to fend off evil.Amritsar, Kanpur Varanasi, Ahmedabad, Tripura, Ludhiana, Bhopal are amongst the few cities that celebrate the festival in a grand manner.
Sports fraternity wishes folks 'Happy Holi'
While the festival of colors is being celebrated with great fervour across India, string of sportsperson took to social media to greet their fans and followers on the auspicious occasion of Holi.Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag took to Twitter to wish fans in his own sarcastic style.Sehwag wrote, " Cautioning people, Sehwag wrote, "Rangon se mat darna, Rang badalne waaon se darna. Don't be afraid of colours, beware of people changing colours. Wish you a Holi filled with love and harmony #Holi2018."Indian opener Rohit Sharma also wished the people and asked them to enjoy the festival without harming animals."Let Holi be a happy occasion for all including our animal friends," Sharma wrote on Twitter.The festival of Holi, which is celebrated across the country with great enthusiasm every year, marks the triumph of good over evil, along with the arrival of the spring season.
Union Ministers pour Holi wishes
As the whole country is celebrating the festival of colours Holi, string of leaders greeted the nation on the occasion.Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Dharmendra Pradhan celebrated the festival at their Delhi residence.Speaking to media, Naqvi said that Holi denotes "brotherhood, love and harmony" adding that the festival marks the tradition and culture of the country.The festival of Holi, which is celebrated across the country with great enthusiasm every year, marks the triumph of good over evil, along with the arrival of the spring season.
ITBP personnel draped in festive colour on Holi
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police(ITBP) personnel on Friday celebrated the festival of Holi with great zest here in Baddowal.Members of the force were seen applying colours on each other and tapping their feet to the rhythm of music as they welcomed the festival of colours.Earlier in the day, members of the Border Security Force (BSF) were also captured amid Holi celebrations in Agartala's Salbagan campus.The festival of Holi, which is celebrated across the country with great enthusiasm every year, marks the triumph of good over evil, along with the arrival of the spring season.Earlier in the day, President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders took to Twitter to extend their greetings to the nation.
Prime Minister extends Holi greetings to countrymen
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday extended Holi greetings to the nation.The Prime Minister took to his Twitter handle to wish the countrymen."Wishing everyone a Happy Holi!" tweeted the Prime Minister.Home Minister Rajnath Singh shared a video message on his Twitter handle conveying his Holi greetings for the entire nation.Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal also wished citizens of the country on the occasion of Holi via his Twitter handle.President Ram Nath Kovind had also greeted fellow citizens on the festival of Holi and prayed for peace, joy and prosperity in everyone's lives.President Kovind took to Twitter and said "Greetings and best wishes to fellow citizens on the auspicious occasion of Holi. The festival of colours, Holi is a celebration of harmony in our society. May it bring peace, joy and prosperity to everyone's lives." (sic)People across the country are celebrating the festival of colour with zeal and enthusiasm.On a similar note, The markets in Kerala's ...
Religion and politics clash in Russia's North Caucasus
A rare conflict between religious and political leaders has broken out in Russia's North Caucasus region, with Islamic imams accusing the local government of corruption while authorities install cameras in mosques to monitor sermons. Tensions in Ingushetia began when local imams claimed politicians were syphoning off funds from construction of a massive Islamic centre. Such accusations are unusual in a region where strongmen leaders, such as Chechnya's Ramzan Kadyrov, rule with an iron fist and leave little if any room for dissent. The planned project in the city of Magas includes a Muslim cultural centre and a university, as well as a mosque with a capacity of up to 8,000 worshipers, but it has been on hold for nearly two years. Religious leaders have pledged to hold a rally in Magas at the location of the planned mosque tomorrow, irking the regional government which has banned the gathering. "The money was diverted, the madrasas (religious schools) are deprived of funding, the imams
Kuwait's homegrown priest celebrates Bible and bedouin culture
Dressed in a traditional white Gulf headdress and with two red crosses embroidered on his black clerical robe, Kuwait's first homegrown priest cuts a unique figure in the predominantly Muslim emirate. Father Emmanuel Benjamin Jacob Gharib, 68, celebrates both the Bible and Gulf Arab culture with his Christian congregation in Kuwait City. In an interview with AFP ahead of the 20th anniversary of his ordination, he stressed the level of acceptance he has felt from fellow Kuwaitis. "Everyone welcomes me wherever I go," said Father Emmanuel. Born in the Qibla district of Kuwait City, Gharib was raised in a devout Christian family and surrounded by mostly Muslim neighbours. Like many Christian Kuwaitis, his roots lie elsewhere in the Middle East. The priest's father was born to an Assyrian family in southeast Turkey but forced to flee Ottoman massacres against the Armenian and Assyrian Christian minorities. The Red Cross took his father to Iraq, where he would eventually wed Gharib's ...
Celebrate Holi with colours of unity: Punjab CM
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday greeted the people on the occasion of Holi, with a call for celebrating the traditional Indian festival with the colours of unity, tolerance, brotherhood and compassion.
Himachal Governor, CM greet people on Holi
Himachal Pradesh Governor Acharya Devvrat and Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Friday greeted people on the occasion of Holi festival.
President Kovind wishes citizens on Holi
President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday greeted fellow citizens on the festival of Holi and prayed for peace, joy and prosperity in everyone's lives.President Kovind took to Twitter and said "Greetings and best wishes to fellow citizens on the auspicious occasion of Holi. The festival of colours, Holi is a celebration of harmony in our society. May it bring peace, joy and prosperity to everyone's lives." (sic)Across the country, people from villages and cities thronged temples in large numbers on the occasion of Holika Dahan on Thursday.Meanwhile, the markets in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram city have been decked up for the annual festival of Pongala.Holi also marks the culmination of a 10-day-long annual festival at the Attukal Bhagavathy temple. Devotees cook the offering to the deity on makeshift brick stoves that are arranged around a huge circumference of the shrine.
Clerics shift Friday namaz timing for Holi celebrations in Lucknow
Setting an example of communal harmony, the Friday prayer in Mosque of Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow will begin an hour later, in wake of the Holi celebration in the city tomorrow.This comes after Imam Aishbag Eidgah, Maulana Khalid Rashid Firangi Mahali made an appeal to alter the timings to maintain peace and harmony.The prayer which usually begins at 12.45 p.m. will begin an hour later at 1.45 p.m.Reportedly, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had asked officials to talk to Muslim clerics to see if namaz timings could be shifted.
Goa CM discharged from hospital; extends Holi greetings
Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar was on Thursday discharged from GMC where he was admitted following mild dehydration."Happy to be home. Thanks for your wishes," reads a tweet by the Goa Chief Minister.Parrikar was admitted to GMC on February 25 after complaints of dehydration and blood pressure.Earlier, Parrikar was hospitalised at the Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai on February 14 following mild pancreatitis problems and was discharged from there on February 22.The Chief Minister has also extended his greetings and best wishes to the people of Goa on the occasion of Holi."Holi which is the festival of colours is being celebrated by the people with joy, happiness and religious fervour.Chief Minister has urged people to celebrate this festival in its true spirit and wished that it would help in promoting brotherhood," reads an official note.
Dol festival celebrated in West Bengal
People in West Bengal on Thursday celebrated the spring festival, or Dol, with colours, songs, prayers and distribution of sweets.
LS Speaker Sumitra Mahajan conveys Holi greetings to citizens
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan today conveyed her greetings to fellow citizens on the eve of Holi and said the festival of colours reinforced the message of unity among all. "I extend my greetings to all my brothers and sisters. The colourful and vibrant festival of Holi reinforces the message of social harmony, unity and universal brotherhood among all," she said in a statement. Holi held a special place in our cultural milieu and celebrated the different hues of Indias diverse and multi-cultural mosaic, Mahajan said, while hoping that the festival would bring joy and happiness in the lives of people. The festival would be a harbinger of peace, progress and prosperity, she added.
Yogi flags off 'Shobha Yatra'
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today flagged off 'Shobha Yatra' here with over a dozen tableaus on religious and social themes taking part in the procession. The chief minister will also participate in 'Narsingh Shobha Yatra' in Gulaharia area tomorrow morning and also lead it from the Ghantaghar here. Adityanath showered flowers on people and performed 'aarti" of Bhakt Prahlad and also greeted people on the occasion of Holi. Adityanath said, Holi is a festival of harmony and brotherhood and it can be achieved only when we come together against evils like corruption, dirt, crime and poverty.
Namaz timings extended on Holi in Mathura
In a rare gesture, the shahar mufti here has extended timimings for 'jumme ki namaz' on Holi tomorrow, an official said. "Owing to Holi festival falling on Friday, the administration had requested shahar mufti Barkatullah Khan to advance namaz (prayers) timings, ADM Ravindra Kumar said. Shahar kazi Barkatullah Khan Qadari said, Now the namaz would be offered between 2.00 p.m. to 2.30 p.m." Normally 'jumme ki namaz starts at 1.00 p.m., but, shahar mufti has advanced the timings for the prayers tomorrow,he said. Lauding the decision of the shahar mufti, Kumar said that it is a step towards national integration and Hindu-Muslim unity.
Dharmendra Pradhan greets citizens on Holi
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday extended greetings to all citizens, on the occasion of Holi.Taking on to twitter, Pradhan wished that the festival brings new colours to the lives of all citizens."On this occasion, I pray to God for the happiness, health and prosperity of the citizens. It is a festival of brotherhood, of colours, and I wish that it brings new colours to the lives of all citizens," Pradhan told reporters here.This year, Holi will be celebrated on March 2.