Latest news with #Iskcon
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Two suspects held for assaulting, robbing American in S Delhi park
New Delhi: Three days after an American was assaulted and robbed during a late-night walk through a park in south Delhi, police shot at and arrested the two suspects in Amar Colony on Sunday. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The accused — Jatin alias Mogli and Akshay, both 20 — were intercepted by a police team from the southeast district inside the DDA Astha Kunj Park, days after they allegedly attacked and robbed the American walking through the area. On June 26, the robbery was reported from the Nehru Place-Astha Kunj Park stretch. "The victim, a 28-year-old US citizen who had arrived in Delhi on June 20 and was staying at a hotel in East of Kailash, was walking through the park with a friend around midnight when the two men assaulted him with a sharp weapon and stole his mobile phone. He suffered injuries to both hands and was later admitted to a hospital for surgery," a senior police officer said. A case was registered at Amar Colony police station, and a police team began surveillance in and around Garhi, Kalkaji, and Nehru Place. "On the basis of CCTV footage and local informers, we received specific inputs about the suspects' movement early Sunday morning. A trap was laid at the park's exit near the Iskcon temple," an officer said. According to police, the duo opened fire when they were asked to surrender. "The officers retaliated, aiming for the legs to disable the suspects. Both the men suffered bullet injuries to their right legs and were taken to a hospital for treatment," additional DCP (south east) Aishwarya Sharma said. During questioning, Jatin allegedly told police that both he and Akshay dropped out of school in Class 5 and since then had taken to petty crime and substance abuse. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Jatin had two cases of assault involving sharp weapons, while Akshay did not have any prior record. The two allegedly confessed to targeting isolated areas like parks and empty roads. On the night of June 25, they were looking for such a spot when they came across the foreign national. Police said they found one sophisticated pistol with two live rounds, a country-made pistol with one live round, three empty bullet shells, and the mobile phone used in the crime.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
First Rath Yatra in Digha draws lakhs to seaside town
Digha: A sea of devotees swamped the road as the wheels of chariots rolled for the maiden Rath Yatra in Digha on Friday. In keeping with the tradition followed for the chariot festival in Puri, chief minister Mamata Banerjee took part in rituals, washed the road where the three chariots were parked, performed aarti with earthen lamps, and swept the path with a gold broom to set off the Rath Yatra from Jagannath Dham. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The rain could not dampen the festive fervour of devotees who started thronging the temple area with umbrellas since 6 am. The priests began the rituals around 9 am and the crowd swelled after 9.30 am, when the chariots decorated with flowers were parked outside the temple. The security in the precincts of the newly constructed Jagannath temple had been tightened since morning, and cops took a slew of measures to ensure smooth pedestrian traffic on barricaded pavements. A high alert was issued throughout Digha. Traffic on 116B National Highway leading from Old Digha to the Jagannath temple was shut. Over 20 police camps were set up, with more than 3,000 personnel deployed to implement the security arrangements monitored by senior officers of Kolkata Police, including DG Rajeev Kumar. Drop gates were also installed on the road leading to the temple. Around 10 am, the three deities boarded the chariots for the 'Pahandi Vijay' ritual. Devotional music played on stereo, and a dance performance by around 40 Iskcon devotees, mostly from abroad, entertained the audience. Around 2 pm, the CM reached the venue along with her cabinet colleagues and state ministers Aroop Biswas, Chandrima Bhattacharya, Sujit Bose, and Indranil Sen. There was a performance by children along with music from Madhab's rock band, after which, flanked by members of Iskcon, the CM set the wheels of the chariots rolling by pulling their ropes individually amid chants of "Jai Jagannath" by thousands of pilgrims, including foreigners. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Radharamn Das, a trustee of Digha Jagannath Dham and vice-president of Iskcon Kolkata, said, "The chariot festival in Digha has been organised following all the rituals of the Puri temple. However, as this is the first time the festival is being held here, the CM was adamant about not compromising on security. Therefore, the general public was not allowed to pull the chariot ropes. Instead, two ropes from the chariot were passed through a barricade, allowing everyone to touch them. " "The CM decided every aspect of this year's festival. Accordingly, Balabhadra's chariot was placed first, followed by Subhadra's. Jagannath's chariot brought up the rear," he said. All devotees and visitors at the temple received prasad on Friday. The district administration are now preparing for Ulto Rath on July 5. "Although the chief minister may not be present here during the return journey of the chariots, there will be no compromise on security," an official said.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Braving visa delays, hike in flight fares, foreigners flock to Puri for Rath
1 2 3 Puri: Despite travel uncertainties due to recent conflicts in some parts of the world, people from Europe and elsewhere have reached Puri to witness the annual Ratha Yatra of the sibling deities. As non-Hindus are not allowed inside the 12th-century Jagannath Temple, the Ratha Yatra provides a rare opportunity for devotees across the world to see the deities in their full glory atop their majestic wooden chariots. "Back home, we are surrounded by uncertainty and fear. But here, I found peace. I came because this is my only chance to see Lord Jagannath. He comes out for the whole world. This is very emotional for me," said Maria Frink, a devotee from Germany The Grand Road was full of international pilgrims, many donning traditional Indian clothes, dancing and chanting with folded hands. Their presence added a truly global spirit to the centuries-old Odia tradition. "I can't go inside the temple, and I respect that. But this festival brings the gods out to us. For one day, the distance between me and Jagannath disappears," said Nguyen Minh, a devotee from Vietnam. Even amid war and global unrest, faith and devotion have triumphed. Many foreign devotees had to navigate visa delays, increased ticket prices, and travel warnings, but remained undeterred in their mission. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo "My family was worried when I decided to come. But I told them I must see the Lord. The world may be in crisis, but Jagannath gives me hope," said Lea Romano from Italy, visibly emotional after witnessing the deities on the chariots. "This is the biggest chariot festival of India, I had a dream to witness it. Finally I am here. Amid the sea of human beings, I am able to get a glimpse of the three chariots. I feel so lucky to be here in Puri. For the first time I have visited here," said Mei Lin, a devotee from Singapore. The Puri district administration and Iskcon volunteers provided logistical and spiritual support to the foreign visitors, ensuring they felt welcomed and guided them through the spiritual proceedings.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Odias, foreigners among visitors at maiden festival
Digha: Devotees from Odisha and other states joined residents of Bengal to celebrate the first Rath Yatra in Digha on Friday. Foreigners, mostly from Iskcon, and non-resident Indians also witnessed the celebrations with great excitement. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now For people from Kolkata and other districts of Bengal, Digha has turned out to be a new favourite during Rath Yatra. Cops at police assistance booths, set up for crowd management, helped devotees make their way to the temple. "Several people have come from outside the state, and they started visiting the temple from the morning, hours before the Rath Yatra," an officer said. Bharati Nayak from Balasore, Odisha, was swaying to the beats of "Hare Rama Hare Krishna" during the festival. "We came to Digha last night, and I am happy with the grandeur of the festival on the maiden Rath Yatra celebration at the new Digha temple," she said. Debabrata Behera, also from Balasore, was spotted chanting "Jai Jagannath" with the crowd. He said, "Every year, we go to Puri on this day. But this time, we changed our plan. The celebration in Digha was made on a grand scale. Digha being close to Odisha, I hope more people will come here from my state for Rath Yatra in the coming years. The rituals observed in the run-up to the rolling of the chariot wheels conform to the tradition followed in our state." Partonen Platon from Finland, who danced on the road with others from Iskcon, said, "It is great to be part of the chariot festival in Digha. After Puri, it is a new addition to the Rath Yatra in India, and I feel that the festival in Digha started with on bigger dimension than expected." Prasun Sinha, originally from Gujarat and now settled in San Francisco, USA, flew to Bengal to be part of the first Rath Yatra festival in Digha. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "I saw the photographs of the temple after it was inaugurated in April and decided to visit during this festival. This is my first visit to Digha as well, although I have been to Puri earlier," said Sinha, who checked into a hotel in New Digha on Thursday. Rekha Sharma from Jamshedpur, who was accompanied by three other women, said, "We are happy to have darshan of Lord Jagannath in the temple in the morning. We were asked to stand behind the barricades and touch the ropes from a distance, and we did not find any problem in that. We may come here again during the festival next year." Purnima Das from Baranagar said, "Earlier, Puri was the only destination for holidaying during Rath Yatra. This year, we decided to come to Digha, which is wearing a new look for this festival. In years to come, Digha will turn into a new favourite for this festival for many Bengalis like me."
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Iskcon chariots roll out on Sukhoi wheels in Kol
1 2 3 4 Kolkata: This Rath Yatra, Lord Jagannath rode in on fresh wheels in Kolkata. Last year's chariot ride on the worn-out Boeing Jumbo Jet tyres was particularly bumpy, compounded by the steering mechanism failure that left the chariot stranded on the day of Rath Yatra. However, with the old tyres replaced by brand new ones from a fighter jet before this year's festival, the deities had a glitch-free journey on Friday. This is the 54th year that Iskcon has organised the Rath Yatra in Kolkata and the first time that Russian fighter aircraft Sukhoi Su-30MKI tyres have adorned Lord Jagannath's chariot. All three chariots have been in use since the inception of the event over half a century ago. The steel wheels of Lord Balabhadra's chariot were changed last year, while those of Devi Subhadra have undergone repairs in the past. Around 2 lakh people thronged the 8-km route, through which the three raths travelled on Friday. Apart from them, around 100 foreigners from Russia, Ukraine, China, Japan, US, Canada, UK, France, and a few other countries participated in the festival in the city. This year, the turnout of foreigners was lower compared to previous years, as many have been unable to travel due to geopolitical tensions that have made air travel between Asia and the West challenging. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Monster Hunter Wilds – Exclusive Discounts! Shop Now Undo You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata The Rath Yatra started at 1.45 pm from Hungerford Street, where the Iskcon temple is situated. It then turned left on to AJC Bose Road before turning right on to Sarat Bose Road. At the Sarat Bose Road-Hazra crossing, it turned right on to Hazra Road before again turning right on to SP Mukherjee Road. Thereafter, it had a long straight run through Ashutosh Mukherjee Road and then Chowringhee Road past Exide crossing, before it turned left on to Outram Road on reaching the Park Street-JL Nehru Road crossing. After a brief run on Outram Road, the raths reached their destination at Brigade Parade Ground at 6.45 pm. At the Brigade ground, the deities have been housed in a pandal resembling Puri's Jagannath temple. Iskcon vice-president Radharamn Das, who is in Digha to participate in the Rath Yatra there, said the pandal on Brigade ground was the Gundicha temple or 'Masir-bari', where the deities would reside till the return journey begins on Ulta Rath on July 5.
