Latest news with #Dussehra
News18
2 days ago
- News18
The World's Longest Festival Is Celebrated In This Indian State
The world's longest-running festival, Bastar Dussehra 2025, began on Friday, July 25, with Hareli Amavasya in Chhattisgarh. Spanning an extraordinary 75 days, this unique celebration is steeped in centuries-old traditions and spiritual rituals that set it apart from the typical Dussehra festivities observed elsewhere in India. The grandeur of Bastar Dussehra, rooted in tribal culture and local beliefs, draws visitors and devotees from across the country and abroad. (News18 Hindi) The festival starts with Pat Jatra, a ritual where wood from the sacred Sal tree is brought from the forest and worshiped at the temple of Goddess Danteshwari, the presiding deity of Bastar. What makes it even more special is that it begins long before Navratri and continues well beyond the usual Dussehra dates. Each ritual in the festival is deeply symbolic and integral to the tribal way of life in the region. (News18 HIndi) 3/5 Among the most striking features of Bastar Dussehra is the construction of a massive wooden chariot, a responsibility given exclusively to the residents of two designated villages. The wood for this chariot is sourced from the Bilori forest, and the construction process reflects a blend of ancient craftsmanship, cultural pride, and royal tradition. The Rath Yatra has become a major visual and spiritual highlight of the celebrations. (News18 HIndi) Throughout the 75 days, numerous rituals are performed in sequence, such as Deri Gadai, Kalash Sthapana, Jogi Bithai, Nisha Jatra, Mawali Parghav, Muria Darbar, and the final Kutumb Jatra. Each holds deep cultural and spiritual meaning and showcases the rich heritage of the tribal communities that have preserved these customs for generations. The continuity of these traditions underscores the festival's enduring significance. (News18 Hindi) 5/5 Legend has it that Bastar Dussehra is linked to Lord Jagannath. King Purushottam of Bastar is said to have undertaken a Dandavat Yatra (a pilgrimage in prostration) to Jagannath Puri, where Lord Jagannath, pleased by his devotion, awarded him the title of ' Rathapat i' and a divine chariot. As a result, the Rath Yatra is central to Bastar Dussehra. While Dussehra will end on October 2 across most of India, Bastar Dussehra will conclude on October 7, marking the end of its 75-day-long spiritual journey. (News18 Hindi)
Economic Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Economic Times
Gloom lifts, India Inc ready: Consumer cos step up festive ad spends after slow H1; expect 15–20% jump
iStock India Inc FY25 sales (Image for representation) Companies across consumer sectors are readying to loosen their purse strings to step up advertising during the upcoming festive season, with ad spends expected to increase 15-20% year-on-year according to industry executives, after having curtailed spending in the first half of 2025 on account of geopolitical issues, including the India-Pakistan conflict, and a rain-soaked summer. Media buyers said companies from the personal care, food, automobiles, retail, electronics, hospitality and real estate sectors have taken the lead in booking advertising slots. Beverage maker Coca-Cola's global chief executive James Quincey said on an investor call earlier this week, "In India, after a strong start to the year, volume declined as our business was impacted by early monsoons and geopolitical conflict in the important summer season. In response, Coca-Cola is developing more granular, execution strategies... tailored to festivals and regional needs," he said. Discretionary sectors, which saw subdued sales growth of 4-5% in the past 12 months owing to a combination of factors, are pinning hopes on the next five months for momentum to pick up, hoping that the income tax relief on salaries of up to ₹12 lakh annually, favourable monsoon, easing of some commodity inflation and stability in geopolitical sentiment could bring back demand. "While the auto industry has faced subdued demand, we expect good revival in the coming months backed by favourable monsoon and upcoming festive season starting with Onam from August. We will enhance our marketing campaigns and introduce product updates to catch this uptick in buying season," said Kunal Behl, vice president, marketing and sales, Honda Cars India. The festive season, comprising a series of festivals in different parts of the country, from Raksha Bandhan and Janmashtami in August to Dussehra and Diwali in October and Christmas in December, is traditionally associated with an uptick in spending and provides businesses an opportunity to push sales on these auspicious occasions. 'Companies that had held back ad budgets so far this year, are expectedly ploughing them back into the next two quarters, hoping for demand recovery in the second half of the year,' said Shashi Sinha, chairman at media planning and buying firm IPG Mediabrands, which represents companies such as ITC, Mahindra Group and PhonePe digital wallet app. Car and two-wheeler sales in India, the world's third largest automobile market, slipped in the June quarter, snapping a four-year growth streak. 'But a busy pipeline of new model launches in the run-up to the festive season and a weak demand is prompting auto companies to jack up advertising, marketing and sales promotion spend,' an executive at a large passenger vehicle maker said on condition of anonymity. 'Automakers are leveraging digital-first strategies to drive festive demand and clear elevated inventory levels.' Summer-centric companies such as those making cold beverages, air-conditioners, ice-cream and refrigerators, in particular, were caught off guard in the crucial April-June quarter, which contributes more than half to their annual sales, on account of consistent unseasonal rains. Many such companies, which had stalled launches during the season and hence ad and marketing spends, are now reviving their plans, supported by an advertising push. 'With the festive season bringing a wave of optimism and increased consumer spending, we will now introduce Jumpin's ready-to-drink portfolio, to capitalise on the favourable environment,' said Piruz Khambatta, group chairman of concentrate mix and fruit drinks maker Rasna. The company had acquired Jumpin from Hershey's India this year in peak summer in May for a valuation of an estimated Rs 350 crore. 'Given how much hinges on the festive quarters this year, we are seeing advertising focusing on exchange schemes and financing offers for additional incentives to urge consumers to spend, instead of routine seasonal festive campaigns that usually focus on launches and new collections,' said an executive at a creative agency, which is currently creating such advertising for two large brands. 'This is happening across sectors, whether it's jewellery, phones, electronics or cars.' A report by Sam Balsara-owned Madison Advertising, along with Pitch, forecasted that India's advertising expenditure would increase 11% year-on-year to Rs 1,19,857 crore in 2025. The report referred to 'positive market sentiment following the budget as a key driver for recovery'.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Gloom lifts, India Inc ready: Consumer cos step up festive ad spends after slow H1; expect 15–20% jump
Companies across consumer sectors are readying to loosen their purse strings to step up advertising during the upcoming festive season, with ad spends expected to increase 15-20% year-on-year according to industry executives, after having curtailed spending in the first half of 2025 on account of geopolitical issues, including the India-Pakistan conflict, and a rain-soaked summer. Media buyers said companies from the personal care, food, automobiles, retail, electronics, hospitality and real estate sectors have taken the lead in booking advertising slots. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Others MCA Degree Product Management CXO Digital Marketing Healthcare others Technology Data Science Public Policy Project Management Management Leadership Operations Management Data Analytics Design Thinking PGDM MBA Artificial Intelligence Finance healthcare Data Science Cybersecurity Skills you'll gain: Duration: 16 Weeks Indian School of Business CERT-ISB Transforming HR with Analytics & AI India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 28 Weeks MICA CERT-MICA SBMPR Async India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 9 months IIM Lucknow SEPO - IIML CHRO India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 7 Months S P Jain Institute of Management and Research CERT-SPJIMR Exec Cert Prog in AI for Biz India Starts on undefined Get Details Beverage maker Coca-Cola's global chief executive James Quincey said on an investor call earlier this week, "In India, after a strong start to the year, volume declined as our business was impacted by early monsoons and geopolitical conflict in the important summer season. In response, Coca-Cola is developing more granular, execution strategies... tailored to festivals and regional needs," he said. Discretionary sectors, which saw subdued sales growth of 4-5% in the past 12 months owing to a combination of factors, are pinning hopes on the next five months for momentum to pick up, hoping that the income tax relief on salaries of up to ₹12 lakh annually, favourable monsoon, easing of some commodity inflation and stability in geopolitical sentiment could bring back demand. "While the auto industry has faced subdued demand, we expect good revival in the coming months backed by favourable monsoon and upcoming festive season starting with Onam from August. We will enhance our marketing campaigns and introduce product updates to catch this uptick in buying season," said Kunal Behl, vice president, marketing and sales, Honda Cars India. Banking on demand revival The festive season, comprising a series of festivals in different parts of the country, from Raksha Bandhan and Janmashtami in August to Dussehra and Diwali in October and Christmas in December, is traditionally associated with an uptick in spending and provides businesses an opportunity to push sales on these auspicious occasions. 'Companies that had held back ad budgets so far this year, are expectedly ploughing them back into the next two quarters, hoping for demand recovery in the second half of the year,' said Shashi Sinha, chairman at media planning and buying firm IPG Mediabrands, which represents companies such as ITC , Mahindra Group and PhonePe digital wallet app. Car and two-wheeler sales in India, the world's third largest automobile market, slipped in the June quarter, snapping a four-year growth streak. 'But a busy pipeline of new model launches in the run-up to the festive season and a weak demand is prompting auto companies to jack up advertising, marketing and sales promotion spend,' an executive at a large passenger vehicle maker said on condition of anonymity. 'Automakers are leveraging digital-first strategies to drive festive demand and clear elevated inventory levels.' Launching ahead Summer-centric companies such as those making cold beverages, air-conditioners, ice-cream and refrigerators, in particular, were caught off guard in the crucial April-June quarter, which contributes more than half to their annual sales, on account of consistent unseasonal rains. Many such companies, which had stalled launches during the season and hence ad and marketing spends, are now reviving their plans, supported by an advertising push. 'With the festive season bringing a wave of optimism and increased consumer spending, we will now introduce Jumpin's ready-to-drink portfolio, to capitalise on the favourable environment,' said Piruz Khambatta, group chairman of concentrate mix and fruit drinks maker Rasna. The company had acquired Jumpin from Hershey's India this year in peak summer in May for a valuation of an estimated Rs 350 crore. 'Given how much hinges on the festive quarters this year, we are seeing advertising focusing on exchange schemes and financing offers for additional incentives to urge consumers to spend, instead of routine seasonal festive campaigns that usually focus on launches and new collections,' said an executive at a creative agency, which is currently creating such advertising for two large brands. 'This is happening across sectors, whether it's jewellery, phones, electronics or cars.' A report by Sam Balsara-owned Madison Advertising, along with Pitch, forecasted that India's advertising expenditure would increase 11% year-on-year to Rs 1,19,857 crore in 2025. The report referred to 'positive market sentiment following the budget as a key driver for recovery'.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Vishwambhara: Chiranjeevi and Mouni Roy team up for a special dance number in final schedule of film
Vishwambhara is Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi's most-awaited film that has been in the making for the last two years. Earlier slated to release during the Sankranthi season of 2025, the film was postponed due to poor VFX. A teaser was unveiled on the occasion of Chiranjeevi's birthday, but sadly, the promo was trolled for its tacky VFX, following which, the megastar asked the makers to redo those portions entirely. Vishwambhara to be wrapped up with special number featuring Chiranjeevi and Mouni Roy Meanwhile, the last leg of the film's shoot has kick-started in Hyderabad, with a special song featuring Hindi actress Mouni Roy being canned at a specially-erected set. This song will also feature Chiranjeevi in a proper dance number after a very long time. As the film has been delayed, Vishwambhara has lost some of its buzz, and to make things interesting, the makers have added this special number. Vassistha, of Bimbisara fame, is directing this film, and it is only his second movie in his career. Trisha Krishnan is playing the female lead in this film, and this is also the second time she is teaming up with Chiranjeevi after Stalin. MM Keeravani, the Oscar award winner, is composing music for this film, which is a fantasy drama being made on a massive budget. Vishwambhara aiming at a Dussehra 2025 release With the completion of this special song, the shoot will be wrapped up. The news in film circles is that the makers are planning a Dussehra release in October 2025. Vishwambhara is high on fantasy and is expected to be on the lines of Chiranjeevi's iconic hit, Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari, featuring Sridevi as the female lead. On the other hand, Chiranjeevi has also started shooting for yet another film of his that is being directed by Anil Ravipudi, who is high on the success of Sankranthiki Vasthunnam. The yet-untitled film has Nayanthara as the female lead. But all eyes are on Vishwambhara as it has finally reached completion, and the release date will be announced soon.
Indian Express
6 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Learn from Ram's exile, recite Ramcharitmanas: MP Police to homesick recruits
Amid a surge in requests from police recruits to shift them to training centres closer home, the Madhya Pradesh Police plans to start Ramcharitmanas sessions every evening, in the hope that Lord Ram's 14-year exile can offer a lesson or two. The new batch of recruits began their training this week in eight police training schools (PTS) across the state. Officials said they will be asked to recite at least two chapters of Ramcharitmanas daily before sleeping to stave off homesickness. ADG (training) Raja Babu Singh told The Indian Express, 'I have been receiving applications from new recruits asking for a change of their PTS closer to home. But this mindset is counterproductive. If officers are trained only near their homes, how will they ever adapt to postings in challenging regions like those affected by Naxal insurgency?' Drawing parallels with Lord Ram's exile, Singh apprised senior officers that the idea of staying away from home is not new to Indian tradition. 'Lord Ram did not return to Ayodhya for 14 years. During that time, he learned to live in the forest, built an army, and overcame hardship. If we want to teach our recruits lessons, they will have to be from our local culture, which they can relate to,' he said. According to the MP police, 300 fresh recruits have applied for transfer to a PTS near their home district. Senior officials said that if even a few are allowed, 'the floodgates for the transfer will open up'. Currently, 4,000 recruits are set to undergo the nine-month basic course training. The Ramcharitmanas sessions will be conducted by the head of the barracks every evening. This is not the first time Rajababu Singh has drawn on spiritual and cultural traditions in policing. Known for his earlier 'Gita Gyan' awareness campaign while serving as ADG of Gwalior zone, Singh had distributed copies in jails during Dussehra. The MP police have also moved to promote regional identity and pride, with every PTS required to introduce local folk martial arts and dances. 'There are also training schools where martial arts like Kalaripayattu are taught; we are going to make a list of all Indian martial arts forms and teach them to the recruits,' Singh said. Commando drills such as frog jumps, monkey walks, duck walks, and inchworm walks have also been integrated to simulate combat readiness using the body's natural movement, officials said.
