Kurnool gears up for Ganesh celebrations with clay idols only mandate
The Kurnool district Ganesh Utsav Samithi has urged the pandal organisers to conduct the festivities in a traditional manner and install only clay idols of Lord Ganesh.
Leaders of the Utsava Samithi from across the district and Kurnool town held a meeting on Sunday to discuss the modalities for conducting the festivities.
Addressing the media at the Samithi office at Vinayaka Ghat in Kurnool, Samithi district president Venugopal called upon pandal organisers to install only clay idols of Lord Ganesha. 'Pandal organisers should desist from installing Ganesh idols depicting film actors and non-traditional forms. The idols should be in traditional forms,' Mr Venugopal said.
Mr Venugopal said the festivities should reflect Hindu unity, traditions and culture and should be organised in a peaceful manner. He said the the celebrations should honour the memory of Hindus who lost their lives in the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam and commend the victory of the Indian Armed Forces in Operation Sindoor against terror operatives and their hideouts in Pakistan.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
an hour ago
- New Indian Express
Dog's Day Out: Bengaluru's Midday Meal Scheme
If the Lord works in mysterious ways, his representatives on earth – politicians – aren't very far off. Last week, an announcement for a midday meal scheme was made – not for humans, but for stray dogs of the Garden City of India. The news, like every other in the country, brought up a string of opinions from both sides – from jubilation to outrage. Thankfully, no dogs were invited to TV studios, but when has that ever stopped some humans from howling on camera? If X is a fire, I'm the soggy towel left in the rain. Some people hailed the decision as a landmark move for animal rights. Others bemoaned the lack of basic human rights before we move on to trickier frontiers like animal rights. Personally, I'm learning NOT to have opinions on every topic. That being said, I admit I have always gotten along fabulously with stray dogs. It all began when I was in Himachal Pradesh, a state where everything and everybody is beautiful. We were trekking up a hill, and a dog joined us silently. Like the final story in the Mahabharata, as the Pandavas walk up to heaven with a dog in tow, we climbed up the hill, and the dog was content to give us company. We had no snacks or biscuits to offer, only pats and love. That is when I understood that dogs aren't just man's best friend, they're also man's greatest acquaintances. Since then, I have been friends with the local strays in every city I have lived in or visited. It's the cheapest therapy available. You get to play with the local dogs, your brain releases oxytocin, and you get a friend whose stories you don't have to ignore on Instagram. People often ask me –Why stray dogs? I think it's because they're the last creatures who've stuck with us through our concrete-jungle madness. We cut down forests, drove out wildlife, filled the skies with smog, and these chaps just shrugged and said, 'Alright, we'll sit next to your dosae cart and bark at your SUVs.' You've got to respect that. They're survivors. Crows, too, by the way. They never get the same PR as dogs, but they're just as smart, social, and judgmental. If we ever build a society from scratch after the apocalypse, it'll be led by stray dogs and crows, while humans argue about which filter to use for their disaster selfies. That said, the stray dog issue in India is undeniably serious. Unchecked populations, poor vaccination, and occasional aggressive behaviour have turned them from companions to controversies. So when the stray dog feeding scheme was announced, I braced myself for chaos. But I must admit – I was impressed by the menu. Chicken and rice. Not biryani, mind you. We are not monsters. I imagine a group of strays sitting around like old uncles at a canteen, discussing politics over their midday meal. 'The quality of chicken is not so great, da. I told you to move to Indiranagar.'. Of course, critics will argue: Shouldn't we fix potholes, traffic, and garbage before feeding dogs gourmet lunches? To them, I say – have you ever tried fixing traffic in Bengaluru? Feeding dogs is the easier option. And arguably more effective. Every dog has its day. And in Bengaluru, that day now includes a hearty lunch. As for me, I will continue to vibe with the strays while not having an opinion. Unless they ever launch a breakfast scheme for cats. Then, we riot. (The writer's views are personal)
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
PM Modi likely to be in Kashi in Aug,Sarnath may be venue this time
1 2 Varanasi: With Prime Minister Narendra Modi maintaining a tradition of visiting his parliamentary constituency of Varanasi after every three months, preparations are underway for his next visit due in the month of August itself. If the visit is finalised, the local party unit is likely to propose making Sarnath as the venue of his public meeting keeping in mind the PM mentioning Buddha's teachings of peace during all his recent diplomatic meetings. Following his April visit, preparations had begun for his next visit. Bharatiya Janata Party Kashi regional unit President Dilip Singh Patel had said last week that Jul 20 was tentative date of his arrival, but in view of the Shrawan crowd of devotees and pilgrims and the weather conditions, the visit was postponed and is now likely in Aug after the Shrawan month ends. Following intimation of PM's likely visit, a large number of officials could be found taking stock of a site near the Sarangnath temple for his public meeting. Patel said since the PM's public meeting had already taken place in almost all parts of Varanasi parliamentary constituency, this time focus was on selecting a site at Sarnath. A suitable area will be selected at Sarnath with coordination of the party and district administration when the date of PM's next visit is finalised, he added. On Tuesday, police and district administration officials visited Sarnath to take a stock of things. Party sources said, the idea behind selecting a site at Sarnath, where Lord Buddha preached his first sermons after enlightenment, was to give a broader message to the world after teaching a lesson to Pakistan through Operation Sindoor and at a time Russia and Ukraine were in conflict. During his Austria visit in Jul 2024, Modi had said, "India has given Buddha to the world, not 'yuddh'." In his address at the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas convention in Jan, he stated that the future was in Buddha, not yuddha. During his Independence Day address in 2024, he said, "We are the country of Buddha, 'yuddh' is not our path." Officials said that the process of listing ready projects for inauguration by the PM and laying the foundation of new ones had also started.
Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Indian Express
NCERT social science textbook: Class 8 new book flags ‘brutality' of Mughals, with no-blame disclaimer
Describing Babur as a 'brutal and ruthless conqueror, slaughtering entire populations of cities', Akbar's reign as a 'blend of brutality and tolerance', and Aurangzeb who destroyed temples and gurdwaras, the NCERT's new Class 8 Social Science textbook, which introduces students to the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughals, points to 'many instances of religious intolerance' during the period. The NCERT says the rationale for including them has been explained in a 'Note on Some Darker Periods in History' and one of the chapters in the book includes a cautionary note that 'no one should be held responsible today for events of the past'. Part 1 of the Social Science book for Class 8 — 'Exploring Society: Indian and Beyond' — was released this week for use in the ongoing academic session. Of the new NCERT books, this is the first to introduce students to the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughals. Although this period was introduced to students in Class 7 in earlier years, the NCERT says that the period of Indian history that will cover the Delhi Sultanate, the Mughals, and the Marathas will now only be dealt with in Class 8 in the new syllabus. In the new book, the chapter covering Indian history from the 13th to the 17th century – 'Reshaping India's Political Map' – spans the rise and fall of the Delhi Sultanate and resistance to it, the Vijayanagara Empire, the Mughals and the resistance to them, and the rise of the Sikhs. It describes the Sultanate period as one marked by political instability and military campaigns that saw villages and cities being plundered and temples and seats of learning destroyed. The sections on the Sultanate and the Mughals contain multiple references to 'attacks' on temples, and the 'brutality' of some of the rulers, none of which are mentioned in the old Class 7 NCERT book that introduced students to this period of history. 🔴 Alauddin Khilji's General Malik Kafur 'attacked a number of Hindu centres such as Srirangam, Madurai, Chidambaram, and possibly Rameswaram'. 🔴 The Delhi Sultanate period witnessed 'numerous attacks on sacred or revered images in Buddhist, Jain and Hindu temples; such destruction was motivated not just by plunder but also by iconoclasm'. 🔴 Referring to 'jiziya', a tax that some sultans imposed on non-Muslim subjects to grant them protection and exemption from military service, the book says that the tax was a source of public humiliation and formed a financial and social incentive for subjects to convert to Islam. In the old Class 7 book, 'jiziya' was described as tax paid by non-Muslims initially along with land tax, but later as a separate one. 🔴 On Babur, the first Mughal emperor, the book notes that his autobiography points to him as being cultured and intellectually curious. 'But he was also a brutal and ruthless conqueror, slaughtering entire populations of cities, enslaving women and children, and taking pride in erecting 'towers of skulls' made from the slaughtered people of plundered cities.' In the old Class 7 book, Babur was only described as having been forced to leave his ancestral throne, seizing Kabul, and then Delhi and Agra. 🔴 It describes Akbar's reign as being a 'blend of brutality and tolerance'. When Akbar attacked the Rajput fort of Chittorgarh and 'ordered the massacre of some 30,000 civilians', he sent a message of victory which read: 'We have succeeded in occupying a number of forts and towns belonging to the infidels and have established Islam there. With the help of our bloodthirsty sword, we have erased the signs of infidelity from their minds and have destroyed temples in those places and also all over Hindustan.' The book also notes that despite Akbar's later tolerance for different faiths, 'non-Muslims were kept in a minority in the higher echelons of the administration'. 🔴 On Aurangzeb, the book points out that some scholars argue that his motives were primarily political, and they give examples of his grants and assurances of protection to temples. While politics played a part in his decisions, his farmans (edicts) 'make his personal religious motive clear too.' He ordered governors of provinces to demolish schools and temples, and destroyed temples at Banaras, Mathura, Somnath, and Jain temples and Sikh gurdwaras. The chapter also refers to the administrative framework under the Mughals and the Sultanate, the vibrant economic activity between the 13th and 17th centuries, and progress in infrastructure and cities, followed by a period of economic stress in the late 1600s. 'Indian society showed adaptability and resilience in rebuilding towns, cities, temples, and other aspects of the economy,' it noted. This chapter is followed by one on the Marathas, where Shivaji is referred to as a 'master strategist and a true visionary', and the Marathas are seen as having 'contributed substantially to India's cultural developments.' Shivaji was a devout Hindu who respected other religions while upholding his own, it said, adding that he rebuilt desecrated temples. The old book had said Shivaji laid the foundations of a strong Maratha state with an efficient administrative system. The history section of the new book, which begins with the Delhi Sultanate and goes up to the colonial era, is preceded by a 'note on history's darker periods'. Referring to 'darker' periods of history when war, abuse, fanaticism, and bloodshed dominate the landscape, the note explains that it is important to study darker developments dispassionately without blaming anyone living today for them. 'Understanding the historical origin of cruel violence, abusive misrule or misplaced ambitions of power is the best way to heal the past and build a future where, hopefully, they will have no place,' the note states. Similarly, after the section on the Mughal rulers, the book notes that 'some of the invadrs and rulers mentioned above committed terrible deeds and atrocities,' but 'it is important to keep in mind that we, today, bear no responsibility for actions of individuals hundreds of years ago'. Asked for a response on the references to the attacks on temples and the 'brutality' of some Mughal rulers, the NCERT said: 'The events…(and many more) did happen and left their mark on Indian history; the rationale for including them has been explained in the 'Note on Some Darker Periods in History'. The historical account given, while it does not sanitise history, is balanced and entirely evidence-based. Besides, in addition to the 'Note on Some Darker Periods in History', a cautionary note has been inserted in one of the chapters to make it clear that no one should be held responsible today for events of the past. The emphasis is on an honest approach to history with a view to drawing from it important lessons for a better future.' 'It is important to note that the new textbooks are expected to reflect the NEP 2020 and the NCF-SE 2023; they are based not only on a wholly new approach but also on a new syllabus, a new design and new pedagogical tools. Any comparison with the old syllabus and textbooks is therefore fruitless,' the NCERT said. NCERT has been bringing out new school textbooks in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023. New books for classes 1 to 4, and classes 6 and 7 have been released so far; books for classes 5 and 8 are now being made available. In previous years, class 8 had three textbooks for Social Science — different books for history, social and political life, and geography. While Part 1 of the new book covers all three themes, Part 2 is expected to be available this year.
