Latest news with #MahakumbhMela
Time of India
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
After Mahakumbh's Monalisa, this pretty 'Chai Wali' from Nepal goes viral
In the age of the Internet, a viral moment can make a random person an overnight star. Earlier this year, Monalisa Bhonsle , a girl who was selling garlands at the Mahakumbh Mela in Pragyaraj, went viral for her beauty, and her fortunes changed forever. Today, Monalisa is on the way to make her Bollywood debut. She will play the lead role in a movie titled The Diary of Manipur. The film is helmed by Sanoj Mishra, who had earlier made The Diary of West Bengal. Now it's the turn of a pretty tea seller in Nepal to have her moment in the limelight. A video of a young woman diligently preparing tea for customers was shared on Instagram and quickly went viral. In the video, the 'Chai Wali' was dressed in a simple light blue churidar kurta paired with a white dupatta and sported forehead bangs. Netizens were awestruck at her natural beauty. In particular, her doe-like eyes and charming smile left users giddy. Play Video Play Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 30:17 Loaded : 0.32% 00:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 30:17 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like New Container Houses Cote D'ivoire (Prices May Surprise You) Container House | Search ads Search Now Undo Reacting to the video, a social media user said, 'Graceful girl." Another said, 'She is so pretty and very hardworking." The video, shared on Instagram by a page that mentioned her tea stall is located on the streets of Kathmandu, has since crossed over a million views. This is far from the first time an aam aadmi from the neighbouring nation went viral for their impeccable good looks. In 2016, a humble tea vendor from Pakistan, Arshad Khan , captured global attention. His rise to fame began with a single photograph taken by photographer Jiah Ali. In the image, Khan was seen pouring tea at a street stall — a routine part of his day — but what made the image go viral was his piercing blue eyes and strikingly photogenic appearance. Almost overnight, he became an internet sensation, charming millions around the world. That one candid snapshot dramatically transformed Arshad Khan's life. The young man, once serving tea on the streets of Islamabad, found himself in the spotlight, receiving offers from modeling agencies and gaining a substantial following online. Instead of fading away like many viral personalities, Khan used this newfound recognition to shape a better future for himself. Today, he is a successful entrepreneur, owning and running a café named 'Chaiwala' in Ilford Lane, East London—a neighborhood predominantly inhabited by South Asians, including communities from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. His café blends cultural nostalgia with modern aesthetics, offering a slice of home to the diaspora while celebrating the roots of his story.
Time of India
30-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
AppsForBharat raises Rs 175 crore to deepen temple-tech infra
Bengaluru: AppsForBharat, the parent company of the devotional platform Sri Mandir, raised Rs 175 crore led by Susquehanna Asia Venture Capital. Existing investors, including Nandan Nilekani's Fundamentum, Elevation Capital, and Peak XV Partners, also participated. The company said the funds will be used to scale operations across over 20 temple towns, including Ayodhya, Varanasi, and Ujjain. Plans include expanding logistics and fulfilment infrastructure for the delivery of prasad and ritual goods, strengthening the services and commerce stack, and developing AI tools to personalise and simplify user experiences. Sri Mandir, which has over 4 crore downloads, allows users to book pujas and offerings online, stream devotional content, and receive temple prasad at home. In the past year alone, 12 lakh devotees conducted 52 lakh online pujas and chadhavas at 70 temples via the app. Nearly 20% of demand comes from the Indian diaspora in the US, UK, UAE, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru The company said digital engagement helped temples improve both reach and revenues. In temple towns such as Ujjain, Uttarakhand, and Tirunelveli, it reported increased devotee participation and footfall, while online puja bookings contributed an additional 25-30% to temple earnings. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Đăng ký Undo At the Mahakumbh Mela 2025, Sri Mandir partnered exclusively with the Vedashram Trust, enabling 3 lakh users to access services digitally. AppsForBharat said it plans to ramp up local hiring in temple towns to operate fulfilment hubs and expand temple partnerships. On the user side, it is developing AI features to support navigation, queries, and ritual guidance. "With this fundraise, we are entering the next phase of growth – scaling temple partnerships, improving digital infrastructure, and building AI capabilities," said Prashant Sachan, founder and CEO. "We've not only improved access and convenience for devotees, but also created consistent income opportunities for priests and vendors who traditionally relied on seasonal footfall." Founded in 2020, AppsForBharat is backed by a team that includes former operators and investors from Flipkart, Matrix Partners, Elevation Capital, and Airblack.
NDTV
19-06-2025
- NDTV
Who Is Kirti Patel, Influencer Arrested For Honeytrapping Gujarat Builder
Social media influencer Kirti Patel was arrested on Wednesday in Ahmedabad after evading police for more than 10 months in connection with a high-profile honey trapping and extortion case in Surat. She allegedly blackmailed a real estate builder in Surat and demanded crores. The case against her was registered on June 2 last year, after which a local court issued a warrant for her arrest. Four others named in the FIR were previously taken into custody. Surat Police said Patel managed to stay off the radar by constantly changing locations across Gujarat, using different SIM cards, and masking her digital footprint with multiple IP addresses. She was finally tracked down to the Sarkhej area of Ahmedabad with the help of cyber surveillance and coordination with Instagram. The police also confirmed that Patel is facing multiple other complaints, including allegations of land grabbing and extortion. Who Is Kirti Patel? Kirti Patel, also known as Kirti Adalja, is a Gujarati digital content creator with over 1.3 million followers on Instagram. She often posts videos that feature her riding bikes and engaging with the public. Despite being on the run for over a year in connection with the high-profile extortion case, Patel remained highly active on social media. Her last Instagram post, uploaded five days before her arrest, shows her interacting with young children on the street. Kirti Patel has frequently posted about attending religious events, including the Mahakumbh Mela in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, earlier this year. She also maintains a presence on YouTube, where she has nearly two lakh subscribers and has been posting since 2019. In a recent video, she shared a news clip related to an FIR being quashed and thanked her supporters for standing by her. In 2020, she was linked to an attempted murder case involving Raghu Bharwad alias Boliyo, who accused her of attacking him following a dispute and publicly insulting him on TikTok. Patel reportedly filed a counter-complaint against him, as per a report in the Times of India. That same year, Kirti Patel was fined Rs 25,000 by the forest department after she posted a TikTok video holding an owl, a protected species under wildlife law. The penalty was imposed by the Surat Wildlife Division for violating the Wildlife Protection Act.
India.com
03-06-2025
- Business
- India.com
Sanatan Path To Peace, Errol Musk Lauds Sanatan Dharmas Timeless Teachings
New Delhi: In a heartwarming display of cultural exchange, Errol Musk, father of Tesla CEO Elon Musk, has expressed his deep admiration for Sanatan Dharma, an ancient Indian philosophy. The 79-year-old businessman believes that following the principles of Lord Shiva could be the key to achieving world peace and well-being. Errol Musk's fascination with Indian heritage and spirituality is evident in his plans to visit the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, a sacred site for Hindus. This visit is a testament to his growing interest in the rich cultural legacy of India. "I think if the whole world followed Shiva, it would be all right," Musk said in an interview. "I'm not an expert, but I'm fascinated by it. It's so old, the religion is so ancient that it boggles my mind. It simply tells us how little we actually know." Errol Musk's remarks linking Sanatan Dharam with peace and well-being are sure to add to the growing global interest in Hinduism at a time when the Narendra Modi government is striving to invoke civilizational pride while leveraging the country's soft power. Musk senior's admiration for spirituality and Sanatan Dharam comes close to the Mahakumbh Mela, which served as a living showcase of India's civilizational legacy, attracting millions of visitors, including foreign dignitaries. In recent years, the Modi government has strived to use events like the Mahakumbh to nurture cross-cultural ties and demonstrate unity in diversity and to project India's spiritual and cultural vitality on the global stage. The South American businessman's adulation for Shiva and Hinduism is also an indication of how India has successfully used Sanatan Dharma for promoting its spiritual traditions, leveraging large-scale religious events, empowering its diaspora, and integrating cultural diplomacy into its foreign policy, thereby enhancing its global image and influence. In recent times, India's foreign policy has also increasingly integrated cultural and spiritual diplomacy, using its civilizational ethos as a tool to build goodwill, counter negative narratives, and position itself as a cultural superpower.
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Ixigo logs 128% rise in Q4 net profit; operating revenue up 72%
Le Travenues Technology , the parent company of online travel aggregator Ixigo, saw its net profit increase significantly by 128% year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 16.7 crore for the quarter ended March. The company reported operating revenue of Rs 284 crore for the quarter, up 72% from Rs 165 crore a year ago, on account of growth across all lines of business. The company's total expenses rose to Rs 263 crore in the March quarter from Rs 152 crore in the same period last year. A significant amount of the expenditure was attributed to employee benefits and other expenses. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Dubai villas | search ads Get Deals Undo With this, Ixigo's revenue for 2024-25 increased 39% to Rs 914 crore from Rs 656 crore in the previous fiscal. Its net profit went down 18% to Rs 60 crore from Rs 73 crore. 'In the flights and buses business, we are seeing material acceleration and some gains in market share as well. Buses, in fact, now have the largest share of contribution margin across our lines of business, so we are a much more diversified business in that sense,' said Aloke Bajpai, cofounder and chief executive, during a post-earnings analysts call on Wednesday. Live Events Revenue from train reservations stood at Rs 126 crore, up from Rs 94 crore a year ago. Revenue from airlines and buses stood at Rs 87 crore and Rs 66 crore, respectively. Discover the stories of your interest Blockchain 5 Stories Cyber-safety 7 Stories Fintech 9 Stories E-comm 9 Stories ML 8 Stories Edtech 6 Stories Founded in 2007 by Bajpai and Rajnish Kumar, Ixigo allows users to book train, flight, and bus tickets while offering various utility tools and services such as train PNR status and confirmation predictions and updates for train seat availability. It also provides personalised recommendations and automated customer support. According to the company, it has 544 million annual active users with 83 million monthly active users. According to Bajpai, macro developments also contributed to the company's growth. 'The Mahakumbh Mela in January and February 2025 saw a surge in searches and bookings for us across our three lines of businesses and not just for Prayagraj but also for nearby towns such as Varanasi , Lucknow, Kanpur, Ayodhya,' he said. Earlier, ET had reported that spiritual and devotional platforms along with travel and hospitality firms saw significant growth during the Mahakumbh festival. 'Our FY25 performance has proved that the market is evolving exactly how we expected it to, with flights and buses becoming our fastest-growing verticals, both in GTV (gross transaction value) terms and revenue terms,' Bajpai added. Commenting on the recent escalation in India-Pakistan tensions, Bajpai noted that the Pahalgam terror attacks occurred during a period when Jammu and Kashmir was experiencing a 70% YoY surge in bookings on the platform for April. Ixigo had suspended all bookings—both flights and accommodations—to Turkey, China, and Azerbaijan amid concerns over the perceived diplomatic leanings of Turkey and Azerbaijan towards Pakistan during the conflict. 'We remain dedicated to reviewing this position as the situation evolves. Should geopolitical equations change, we'll reassess the stance and we'll do what is right for the broader travel ecosystem,' he added. Ixigo was listed on the exchanges on June 18 last year at Rs 138, a premium of 48.5% over its issue price of Rs 93. It closed on Wednesday up 0.24% at Rs 165.90 on the BSE . The results were declared post-market hours.
