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Times of Oman
7 days ago
- Times of Oman
Nepali Hindu devotees throng Pashupatinath temple as sacred month of Shrawan begins
Kathmandu: Thousands of Hindu devotees on Thursday flocked to the Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, observing "Shrawan Sakranti," or the first day of the religious month of Shrawan dedicated to Lord Shiva. A serpentine line stretched to all corners of the temple, where devotees holding baskets of offerings waited for their turn to enter the temple for worship. The fourth month -- Shrawan -- as per the Nepali calendar, is considered sacred by Hindu devotees and is dedicated to Lord Shiva, when women fast and adorn green, yellow, and red bangles and beads. "At home, Mother and Grandmother have taught us to worship Lord Shiva, pray for the well-being, wealth, and wellness of the family members, refrain from having non-vegetarian items, as well as fast on Mondays worshipping Lord Shiva," Manisha Ranabhat, a devotee who thronged the temple on Thursday morning, told ANI. During this month, especially on Mondays, devotees, despite their ages and sexes, go to the Shiva temple to worship the Lord. It is believed that an unmarried girl keeping fast on every Monday of the month shall get the husband of her choice. Married women, however, keep the fast for the good health and prosperity of their husbands and family members. In the month of Shrawan, unmarried females keep fasting and take part in the procession, praying for a good husband, while married females fast for the longevity of their husbands and the wellness of family members. As per religious belief, one's wishes are fulfilled and Lord Shiva will shower fortune on the devotees who visit the shrines dedicated to him and pay homage after taking an early morning shower on the first Monday of the month of Shrawan. "The month of Shrawan is a special month for Hindu devotees. In this month, we keep fasts for Bhole Baba and only eat fruits for the entire month, wearing green bangles and yellow-colored saris," Meena Thapaliya, another devotee, told ANI. Enlisted as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, the Pashupati Temple has high importance for the followers of the Hindu religion, as Lord Shiva is regarded as the creator, destroyer, and preserver of the world. Apart from its religious importance, the Pashupatinath Temple is also regarded as the saviour of Nepal in times of difficulty. A large swath of pilgrims from India and other countries come to Pashupatinath once in their life. Apart from Pashupati, other Shiva temples or Shivalayas in the capital Kathmandu also witnessed a surge of devotees on the day devoted to Lord Shiva.
Al Jazeera
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Hindu pilgrimage begins in Kashmir in wake of India-Pakistan conflict
Hindus have embarked on a monthlong pilgrimage in Muslim-majority Indian-administered Kashmir, with many of the faithful on Thursday starting from near the site where a deadly attack in April triggered a four-day conflict between India and Pakistan, which propelled the region to the cusp of their fifth all-out war. Last year, half a million devotees took part in the Amarnath pilgrimage to a sacred ice pillar, located in a cave in the forested Himalayan hills above the town of Pahalgam, where gunmen on April 22 killed 26 mostly Hindu tourists. New Delhi said the gunmen were backed by Pakistan, claims Islamabad vehemently rejected, setting off a series of tit-for-tat diplomatic measures that then erupted into a four-day conflict on May 7. It was the worst standoff by the nuclear-armed nations since 1999, with more than 70 people killed in missile, drone and artillery fire on both sides, before a ceasefire was declared on May 10. 'Pilgrims I spoke to earlier said they were worried about the security at first, but now feel safe after seeing the strong security arrangements,' said Al Jazeera's Umar Mehraj, reporting from Pahalgam. 'The April attack has made this year's pilgrimage more cautious and technology-based, with the highest level of security ever, with around 600 additional paramilitary units having been deployed, making it the most heavily guarded pilgrimage so far,' he added. Pilgrim Muneshwar Das Shashtri, who travelled from Uttar Pradesh state, told the AFP news agency that 'there is no fear of any kind. 'Our army is standing guard everywhere. No one can raise a finger towards us,' he said. India has ramped up security for the event, deploying 45,000 soldiers with high-tech surveillance tools to oversee the gruelling trek to the high-altitude cave, dedicated to the Hindu deity of destruction, Shiva. 'We have multi-layered and in-depth security arrangements so that we can make the pilgrimage safe and smooth for the devotees,' said VK Birdi, police chief for the territory. Surveillance systems like security cameras and facial recognition have been set up, as well as checkpoints, added Mehraj, with paramilitary posts every 100 metres (330ft). 'Public confidence is returning' All pilgrims must be registered and travel in guarded vehicle convoys until they start on the walk. Camouflaged bunkers have been erected in the forests along the route, where dozens of makeshift kitchens provide free food, and electronic radio cards pinpoint their location. Pilgrims can take several days to reach the cave, perched at 3,900 metres (12,800ft) high, about 30km (20 miles) uphill from the last easily motorable track. 'Whatever the attack that was carried out here, I am not afraid. I have come to get a glimpse of baba (the ice formation),' said Ujwal Yadav, 29, from India's Uttar Pradesh state, undertaking his first pilgrimage to the shrine. 'Such are the security arrangements here that no one can be hurt.' Manoj Sinha, the Indian-appointed top administrator for Jammu and Kashmir, said 'public confidence is returning', but admits that pilgrim registration had dipped by 10 percent this year. Once a modest, little-known ritual attended by only a few thousand mainly local devotees, the pilgrimage has grown since an armed rebellion erupted in 1989. India's government has since heavily promoted the annual event, which runs until August 9. Rebels fighting against India's military presence in Kashmir have said the pilgrimage is not a target, but have warned they would act if it is used to assert Hindu dominance. The gunmen who carried out the April 22 killings remain at large, despite the manhunt by security forces in Kashmir, where India has half a million soldiers permanently deployed. On June 22, India's National Investigation Agency said two men had been arrested from the Pahalgam area, who they said had 'provided food, shelter and logistical support' to the gunmen. Indian police have issued wanted notices for three of the gunmen, two of whom they said were Pakistani citizens. In 2017, suspected rebels attacked a pilgrim bus, killing 11 people.
Japan Times
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
Hindu pilgrims set off to India's Amarnath, near site of deadly April attack
Hindus began a vast monthlong pilgrimage in contested Indian Kashmir on Thursday, with many of the faithful starting from near the site where a deadly April attack triggered conflict with Pakistan. Last year, half a million devotees took part in the Amarnath pilgrimage to a sacred ice pillar located in a cave in the forested Himalayan hills above the town of Pahalgam. Pahalgam is the site where gunmen on April 22 killed 26 mostly Hindu tourists. New Delhi said the gunmen were backed by Pakistan — claims Islamabad rejected, triggering a series of tit-for-tat diplomatic measures that escalated into a four-day conflict. It was the worst standoff between the nuclear-armed nations since 1999, with more than 70 people killed in missile, drone and artillery fire on both sides before a May 10 ceasefire. But pilgrim Muneshwar Das Shashtri, who traveled from the state of Uttar Pradesh, said "there is no fear of any kind. "Our army is standing guard everywhere. No one can raise a finger towards us," he said. India has ramped up security for the event, deploying 45,000 troops with high-tech surveillance tools to oversee the gruelling trek to reach the high-altitude cave dedicated to Shiva, the Hindu deity of destruction and regeneration. "We have multilayered and in-depth security arrangements so that we can make the pilgrimage safe and smooth for the devotees," said VK Birdi, police chief for the Muslim-majority territory. At Pahalgam, soldiers have turned a tented base camp into a fortress encircled by razor wire. Troops in newly deployed armored cars, or from gun positions behind sandbags, keep a close watch — efforts boosted by facial recognition cameras. "High-quality surveillance cameras have been installed at all major points along the route," said Manoj Sinha, the Indian-appointed top administrator for Jammu and Kashmir. All pilgrims must be registered and travel in guarded vehicle convoys until they start out to walk. Camouflaged bunkers have been erected in the forests along the route, where dozens of makeshift kitchens provide free food. Electronic radio cards pinpoint their location. Pilgrims can take several days to reach the cave, perched at 3,900 meters high, around 30 kilometers uphill from the last easily motorable track. "Whatever the attack that was carried out here, I am not afraid. I have come to get a glimpse of baba (the ice formation)" said Ujwal Yadav, 29, from India's Uttar Pradesh state, who was undertaking his first pilgrimage to the shrine. "Such are the security arrangements here that no one can be hurt." Sinha has said that "public confidence is returning," but admits that pilgrim registration had dipped by 10% this year. Once a modest, little-known ritual, attended by only a few thousand mainly local devotees, the pilgrimage has grown since an armed insurgency erupted in 1989. India's government has since heavily promoted the annual event, which runs until August 9. Rebels fighting against India's control of Kashmir have said the pilgrimage is not a target, but have warned they would act if it was used to assert Hindu dominance. In 2017, suspected rebels attacked a pilgrim bus, killing 11 people. The gunmen who carried out the April 22 killings remain at large, despite the manhunt by security forces in Kashmir where India has half a million soldiers permanently deployed. On June 22, India's National Investigation Agency said two men had been arrested from the Pahalgam area who they said had "provided food, shelter and logistical support" to the gunmen. Indian police have issued wanted notices for three of the gunmen, two of whom they said were Pakistani citizens.
CNA
03-07-2025
- Politics
- CNA
India Hindu pilgrimage begins in contested Kashmir
PAHALGAM: Hindus began a vast month-long pilgrimage in contested Indian Kashmir on Thursday (Jul 3), with many of the faithful starting from near the site where a deadly April attack triggered conflict with Pakistan. Last year, half a million devotees took part in the Amarnath pilgrimage to a sacred ice pillar located in a cave in the forested Himalayan hills above the town of Pahalgam. Pahalgam is the site where gunmen on Apr 22 killed 26 mostly Hindu tourists. New Delhi said the gunmen were backed by Pakistan, claims Islamabad rejected – triggering a series of tit-for-tat diplomatic measures that escalated into a four-day conflict. It was the worst standoff by the nuclear-armed nations since 1999, with more than 70 people killed in missile, drone and artillery fire on both sides, before a May 10 ceasefire. But pilgrim Muneshwar Das Shashtri, who travelled from Uttar Pradesh state, told AFP "there is no fear of any kind". "Our army is standing guard everywhere. No one can raise a finger towards us," he said. India has ramped up security for the event, deploying 45,000 troops with high-tech surveillance tools overseeing the gruelling trek to reach the high-altitude cave, dedicated to the Hindu deity of destruction Shiva. "We have multi-layered and in-depth security arrangements so that we can make the pilgrimage safe and smooth for the devotees," said VK Birdi, police chief for the Muslim-majority territory. "NOT AFRAID" At Pahalgam, soldiers have turned a tented base camp into a fortress encircled by razor wire. Troops in newly deployed armoured cars, or from gun positions behind sandbags, keep a close watch – efforts boosted by facial recognition cameras. "High-quality surveillance cameras have been installed at all major points along the route," said Manoj Sinha, the Indian-appointed top administrator for Jammu and Kashmir. All pilgrims must be registered and travel in guarded vehicle convoys, until they start out to walk. Camouflaged bunkers have been erected in the forests along the route, where dozens of makeshift kitchens provide free food. Electronic radio cards pinpoint their location. Pilgrims can take several days to reach the cave, perched at 3,900m high, around 30km uphill from the last easily motorable track. "Whatever the attack that was carried out here, I am not afraid. I have come to get a glimpse of baba (the ice formation)," said Ujwal Yadav, 29, from India's Uttar Pradesh state, undertaking his first pilgrimage to the shrine. "Such are the security arrangements here that no one can be hurt." Sinha has said that "public confidence is returning", but admits that pilgrim registration had dipped by 10 per cent this year. Once a modest, little-known ritual, attended by only a few thousand mainly local devotees, the pilgrimage has grown since an armed insurgency erupted in 1989. India's government has since heavily promoted the annual event, which runs until Aug 9. Rebels fighting against India's control of Kashmir have said the pilgrimage is not a target, but have warned they would act if it was used to assert Hindu dominance. In 2017, suspected rebels attacked a pilgrim bus, killing 11 people. The gunmen who carried out the Apr 22 killings remain at large, despite the manhunt by security forces in Kashmir where India has half a million soldiers permanently deployed. On Jun 22, India's National Investigation Agency said two men had been arrested from the Pahalgam area who they said had "provided food, shelter and logistical support" to the gunmen.
Al Arabiya
29-06-2025
- Al Arabiya
Three killed, six injured in stampede at Indian chariot festival
Three people were killed and six injured in a stampede during a festival in eastern India on Sunday, officials said. 'Three people have died and six sustained injuries; none of them are serious and all are out of danger,' Y.B. Khurania, director general of police in the state of Odisha, told Reuters. The incident occurred at dawn as thousands of Hindu devotees gathered at an annual chariot festival in Puri, said a senior administrative officer told Reuters. He asked not to be identified as he is not authorized to speak to the media. Stampedes occur routinely during large Hindu gatherings in the world's most-populous country, as huge crowds gather in tight spaces, often ignoring safety protocols. In January, at least 39 people were killed in a pre-dawn stampede during the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, northern India.
