Varanasi

Yogi, Vaishnaw flag off Vande Bharat Sleeper train on Varanasi-Delhi route

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday flagged off the Vande Bharat Sleeper Express between Varanasi and New Delhi, marking the launch of a new overnight rail service that will connect the two cities in less than 10 hours. The Railway Ministry had announced on Friday that the new service would strengthen connectivity between one of India's most prominent spiritual and cultural destinations and the national capital. The train will connect Varanasi, Prayagraj, Kanpur Central, Aligarh and Ghaziabad before reaching New Delhi. These stations serve important urban centres and provide connectivity to surrounding districts, extending the benefits of modern rail travel to a wider passenger base. The service will depart Varanasi at 8.50 pm and arrive in New Delhi at 6.10 am the following morning. In the return direction, it will leave New Delhi at 9.40 pm and reach Varanasi at 7.10 am the next day. Compared with the existing Shiv

PM Modi to visit Varanasi, Bhubaneswar on Sunday for key inaugurations

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will go to Uttar Pradesh and Odisha on Sunday during which he will witness the Air Force Day aerial display in Varanasi and inaugurate an RBI data centre and cyber security training institute in Bhubaneswar. In Varanasi, the prime minister will also inaugurate Arvind Limited's new garment manufacturing facility which marks an important step towards strengthening India's textile and apparel manufacturing ecosystem and promoting industrial growth in the region, an official statement said. Focusing on modern manufacturing practices, the facility will create meaningful employment opportunities, particularly for women, and contribute to the region's economic progress, it said. The inauguration also highlights Uttar Pradesh's growing role as a destination for industrial investment and manufacturing-led growth, it added. With a global customer base, it is a testament to how products manufactured in Varanasi will reach across the world, the statement said. Bei

Amazon opens first fulfilment, sort centres in Varanasi for festive season

Amazon has launched its first fulfilment centre and sort centre in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi ahead of the festive season, the company said in a statement. According to Amazon, the new fulfilment centre has a storage capacity of one lakh cubic feet, while the sort centre spans 13,000 square feet. The facilities will help speed up deliveries to customers in Varanasi and nearby areas and create hundreds of local jobs. The new facilities are being operated by logistics industry partner firms, the company said in the statement on Tuesday . "With the expansion, Amazon now has two fulfilment centres, five sort centres and 170 last-mile delivery stations across Uttar Pradesh," it said. Amazon said the Varanasi expansion is part of its nationwide network expansion, involving 20 new fulfilment centres, six sort centres and 150 last-mile delivery stations. The company said the expansion has increased its total storage capacity by 50 per cent to 64 million cubic feet and sorting space by 25 p

Voices from Kashi: 'Tourism, SMEs, MSMEs powering Purvanchal's growth'

A dedicated Purvanchal Tourism Board could help market the region as a multi-day travel circuit. Excluding Varanasi, many destinations have yet to receive the visibility they deserve

Govt unveiling affordable housing plans in Varanasi as realty prices soar

Varanasi's property prices are soaring as VDA rolls out land pooling, new townships and affordable housing projects to support the city's rapid urban expansion

Union Cabinet approves ₹25,000 crore road projects for Varanasi

The Union Cabinet has approved two road corridor projects worth ₹25,445 crore in Varanasi to improve connectivity, reduce congestion and enhance access to key religious and urban destinations

New aviation model to cut travel time, expand global access: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the Hub and Spoke international flights model will reduce travel time for passengers as well as being regions of India closer to global opportunities. The Hub and Spoke model seeks to enable seamless connectivity between Tier-II and Tier-III airports with international destinations. Under this model, Air India on Thursday launched flight operations from Varanasi that will connect passengers to various overseas cities through Delhi. Describing the launch of the first Hub and Spoke international flight operations as a historic milestone, Modi said better international connectivity creates new opportunities for trade, tourism, investment, education and business. "It enables people from smaller cities to access global destinations through a single, integrated journey while also supporting the movement of goods and services. This will contribute to regional development and strengthen India's economic growth," he said in a message. The message

Explained: What is 'hub-and-spoke' aviation model and why it matters now

The government has launched the first service under the hub-and-spoke model; here's how the system works and what it could mean for travellers from smaller cities

Sajid Qureshi: The Mastermind Behind Landmark Film Deals Now Eyes 'Varanasi' as Indian Cinema's Next Global Phenomenon

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PM holds roadshow in Varanasi, offers prayers at Kashi Vishwanath temple

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a roadshow in Varanasi on Wednesday morning, the second day of his two-day visit, drawing large crowds along the route, party leaders said. The roadshow commenced from Banaras Locomotive Works (BLW) and passed through Lahartara, Kachahri, Ambedkar Chauraha, Chaukaghat, Teliyabag, Lahurabir and Maidagin before culminating at the Kashi Vishwanath Dham. At the temple, the prime minister offered prayers and performed rituals amid Vedic chants. After completing the prayers, Modi was welcomed by local representatives, who presented him with a trishul, damru and a traditional stole. The prime minister acknowledged the gesture and greeted the gathering. As he emerged from the temple complex, devotees raised slogans of "Har Har Mahadev", to which Modi responded by waving and folding his hands. He also briefly interacted with children present at the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor. BJP media in-charge Arvind Mishra said people in Varanasi were eager to catch a ..

Temple town realty's new calling: Premium housing takes centre stage

Pilgrim footfall and investor demand spur gated, mixed-use projects

Kashi-Tamil Sangamam and a tribute to 'Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat'

The Prime Minister reflects on the Kashi-Tamil Sangamam, highlighting India's civilisational unity, cultural exchange, youth participation and the enduring spirit of Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat

Devotees take holy dip at Varanasi's Ganga ghat on occasion of Makar Sankranti

Watch devotees take holy dip at Varanasi's Ganga ghat on occasion of Makar Sankranti.

Land acquisition for townships near UP's religious cities in last stages

Ayodhya, Varanasi & Mathura in top bracket, says Housing Commissioner Balkar Singh

Kashi Vishwanath bans VIP darshan to manage devotee rush during New Year

Kashi Vishwanath Mandir CEO Vishwa Bhushan Mishra said the Temple Trust decided to suspend VIP darshan from December 24 due to expected increases in the number of devotees

How India travelled in 2025: Spiritual, concert-led trips top the chart

This surge in spiritual travel was much higher than the steady growth seen in 2024, when pilgrimage destinations such as Ayodhya and Varanasi recorded 50% growth

Varanasi police deploy next-gen drones for Kashi Tamil Sangamam security

The Varanasi district police have stepped up surveillance for the ongoing fourth edition of Kashi Tamil Sangamam by deploying an advanced fleet of new-generation drones. According to Deputy Commissioner of Police Varanasi Commissionerate Saravanan Thangamani, a dedicated 10-member drone team is ensuring the safety and protection of the people visiting the venue. "We are using new-generation drones. Last year, there was usage of drones but it was minimal. We are using the three types of drones which are mini drones, micro drones and nano drones," he told PTI here. Highlighting the role of the drone fleet, he said the Mini Drone is unique as it can be self-charged, allowing round-the-clock operations unlike other battery-dependent models. "This drone has the capability to run 24x7 and ensure constant surveillance in a region," he explained. On the 'Macro Drone', the official said it is capable of monitoring a vast 2 km area. "It can cover a larger area and will be used in the jungl

Varanasi's 'diaper tree' video shocks internet, sparks civic sense debate

The clip, posted by vlogger Shweta Kataria with the text overlay "unique house of Varanasi", has triggered debate around civic sense and environmental awareness in Varanasi city, in UP

Case filed against 28 drug dealers in Varanasi for smuggling spurious syrup

A case has been registered against 28 drug dealers, including a father-son duo, in Varanasi for allegedly smuggling codeine-laced cough syrup for intoxication, police said on Monday. They said that an investigation by the Food Safety and Drug Administration Department revealed that Shubham Jaiswal, a resident of Prahlad Ghat, Varanasi, and his father, Bholanath Prasad, supplied large quantities of the banned adulterated syrup to 26 Varanasi-based businessmen from their Ranchi-based firm, Shaili Traders. Subsequently, a case was registered on Saturday based on a complaint lodged by Drug Inspector Junab Ali in Varanasi, police said. In the complaint, the drug inspector mentioned that, following the discovery that Shaili Traders had been selling large quantities of codeine-laced cough syrup in various districts of Uttar Pradesh, including Varanasi, the 26 Varanasi-based firms were inspected, and several were found to be closed. Calls to the numbers available on the firms' portals were

PM Modi to visit Varanasi today, flag off 4 new Vande Bharat Express trains

Prime Minister Modi is also expected to hold a roadshow in the city