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China used Op Sindoor as 'live lab' to test weapons: Deputy Chief of Army Staff
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Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Dalai Lama's reincarnation our internal affair, says China
Dalai Lama NEW DELHI: The recent tensions over the Dalai Lama 's announcement that China will have no role in his reincarnation seemed set to intensify with the Chinese ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, rejecting his statement and also the support expressed by Union minister Kiren Rijiju for the Tibetan spiritual leader 's decision. While Rijiju had clarified that he had spoken in his personal capacity as a devotee, Xu said in a post Sunday that "no interference by any external forces will be allowed". The Indian govt had said in response that India takes no position on issues of faith and religion. "It has been noted that some Indian official recently made some remarks regarding the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama," said Xu on X. "Chinese govt opposes any attempts by overseas organisations or individuals to interfere in or dictate the reincarnation process. Xizang (Tibet) is an inalienable part of China's territory." Xu said the Dalai Lama will have no role in his reincarnation. "The conferment of their religious status and titles is the prerogative of the central govt of China. The reincarnation and succession of the Dalai Lama is inherently an internal affair of China."
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Biryani Day: Dish now most-ordered, replaces Chinese as Kolkata's fave
Kolkata: While the city experienced its first tryst with it 170 years ago, Kolkata's love affair with biryani has taken off and blossomed post-pandemic, with the volume of orders across restaurants and online trebling since 2022. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Even as the city celebrated World Biryani Day on Sunday, biryani sales soared past its Continental and Chinese competition by a fair margin at several restaurants. The aromatic rice and meat blend has now overtaken Chinese food as the most preferred dish if online orders are included, according to restaurant owners in Kolkata. Multiple restaurants marked the day with special offers on biryani. Flame & Grill, for instance, is offering a free biryani with every chicken and egg biryani ordered till July 8. "We have seen a significant rise in biryani sales over the last three years that reflects a change in taste," said Anjan Chatterjee, founder and MD of Specialty Restaurants that owns several outlets selling biryani, including Flame & Grill and Riyasat. It is the introduction of various kinds of biryani that catapulted the dish to the top of popularity charts and challenged chilli chicken and chowmein, said Shiladitya Choudhury, co-founder and owner of Oudh 1590. The restaurant saw sales soar by a whopping 25% in May when it held a month-long biryani festival. "Chinese has traditionally been the most ordered across restaurants, but it has been replaced by biryani in the last five years. We have played a part by introducing Awadhi handi, raan, mahi, moti, and palak biryanis after research in Lucknow. Till a decade ago, only the traditional Kolkata biryani was available here, and it had a limited appeal. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now We introduced galauti kebab, jhinga (prawn) kebab, kakori kebab, and murgh Irani that have enhanced the appeal of biryani. Previously, you had only boti kebabs, chaanp, and tandoori to go with biryani, which failed to tickle taste buds," said Chaudhury. Oudh sold 1 million biryanis in Kolkata in the last year. According to an online food delivery service, 83 million biryanis were ordered in 2024 across India, which translates to 158 orders per minute. It has been the most ordered dish on the app for the last nine years. Other than being a meal in itself, biryani doesn't vary in taste from one joint to another as much as Chinese, according to Sudesh Poddar, president of the Hotel and Restaurants' Association of Eastern India. "Easy availability and the fact that it is a rice-based dish has led Kolkatans to fall for it in a big way. At my restaurant, sales have trebled in the last five years," said Poddar, also the owner of Songhai and Manthan. Aminia, one of the oldest Mughlai chains in the city, now sells 3,500 plates of biryani a day across its 14 Kolkata outlets. "Biryani has gained popularity in a big way, thanks to a couple of shops in the outskirts that took to the suburbs. In the city, you have street-corner shops that have turned biryani into street food. Our sales have doubled in the last five years," said Kabir Azhar of Aminia. He felt more outlets and the special taste of Kolkata biryani have led to this spurt in popularity. It's a mix of carb and meat that makes biryani a complete food, said Chaudhury. "Also, it has a pan-India presence with each region having its own biryani genre. From Nizami, Awadhi, and Kolkata to Malabari and Thalakapatty, biryani has a wide variety," he added.
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
Dalai's b'day celebrated amid diplomatic crossfire
1 2 Gaya: Amid chants of peace and spiritual homage, the 90th birthday of the 14th Dalai Lama was celebrated with solemnity and joy at the world heritage Mahabodhi Mahavihara in Bodh Gaya on Sunday even as the event drew sharp responses from the Chinese embassy and a clarifying statement from India's ministry of external affairs (MEA). The Chinese embassy in India on Sunday asserted that the Dalai Lama could not decide whether the reincarnation system would continue. Responding, Indian MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "The govt of India does not take a position on matters concerning beliefs and religious practices. It has always upheld and will continue to uphold freedom of religion for all in India." As far as Dalai's birthday celebrations at Bodh Gaya are concerned, the morning ceremony, jointly organised by Namgyal Tibet Monastery and the International Buddhist Council (IBC), began with special prayers, robe offerings and chanting in both Theravada and Mahayana traditions before the statue of the Buddha. Devotees, monks and lamas from Tibet, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia and other countries gathered to honour the spiritual leader and pray for his long life. District magistrate and Bodh Gaya Temple Management Committee (BTMC) chairperson Shashank Shubhankar, who was the chief guest, and BTMC member secretary Mahashweta Maharathi offered butter lamps and traditional 'khadas' before the Dalai Lama's portrait. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo The ceremonial cake was cut in the presence of Venerable Amji Lama, head of Namgyal Monastery. A sangh-dana (community meal offering) followed the prayer session. Students from a local school performed welcome songs and a birthday dance, adding a cultural dimension to the spiritual gathering. Highlighting the Dalai Lama's global impact, IBC general secretary Bhikkhu Prajnadip said, "His message of peace and compassion has touched millions across the world." IBC president Tashi Dorjee added, "This celebration is a heartfelt tribute to his enduring legacy of wisdom, peace, and human values. " In the evening, BTMC held another session with the offering of 1,000 butter lamps, attended by Mahavihara chief priest Bhikkhu Chalinda and other monastic leaders. The celebrations coincided with strong statements over the future of the Dalai Lama's succession. A senior monk of Chakma Buddhist Monastery, Bhikkhu Priyapal, said, "On the eve of his birthday, His Holiness told us he would live a long life, so the discussion on his successor is premature. Any decision on succession is purely a religious matter and interference is inappropriate." "The Tibetan govt-in-exile has a democratically elected prime minister and ministers. Decisions about his successor are a matter of religious freedom and basic human rights," he said. Bhikkhu Ratneshwar Chakma, general secretary of Watpa Monastery, said, "We follow the Dalai Lama for his emphasis on non-violence, compassion, inner peace and mindfulness."
