Latest news with #Saharanpur
The Print
18-07-2025
- The Print
UP bans tridents, hockey sticks during Kanwar Yatra following spate of violence & Oppn barbs
Saharanpur Range DIG Abhishek Singh directed officials Thursday to strictly implement all guidelines during a video conference with district officials and representatives of the Kanwar Yatra Sangh, emphasising the importance of enforcing the rules for Kanwariyas. The restrictions were imposed in Saharanpur, Shamli, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Bulandshahr, Hapur and Baghpat as the Kanwar Yatra progresses through several districts in Uttar Pradesh, with thousands of devotees travelling by foot and by vehicle to collect holy water from the Ganga. Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Police have banned Kanwar Yatra pilgrims from carrying sticks, tridents, hockey sticks and using motorbikes without silencers in parts of the state following a string of clashes and incidents of vandalism during the pilgrimage. 'No Kanwar pilgrim should carry sticks or tridents, and the use of modified bikes without silencers must stop,' he said in a video statement. He also urged those transporting Kanwars in large vehicles to ensure the size of the Kanwar and DJ setups are within permissible limits, citing road conditions and safety. Singh told ThePrint they were 'advisory measures for the Kanwaryias who are passing through Muzzaffarnagar, Saharanpur and Shamli'. Another senior UP police officer and ADG of Meerut Zone, Bhanu Bhasker, told ThePrint that authorities are taking all necessary steps to prevent incidents of vandalism during the Kanwar Yatra. 'We have implemented strict measures to curb any violence. Action has already been taken against those found involved in such activities. Additionally, the carrying of weapons during the Kanwar Yatra has also been prohibited in the Meerut zone.' The Kanwar Yatra, an annual event in which devotees travel to collect water from the Ganga in Haridwar and other holy sites to offer at Shiva temples, began on 11 July and will last for about two weeks. Also Read: SC stays UP and Uttarakhand's controversial nameplate orders for food stalls during Kanwar Yatra More than a dozen incidents reported The measures were put in place after over a dozen incidents of violence were reported in western Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand over the past week. UP police has not released any data on the cases registered against Kanwariyas, but data from the Mela Police Force Control Room in Uttarakhand showed that more than 170 Kanwariyas were booked under charges such as hooliganism, rioting, blocking highways, obstructing police personnel, breach of peace and wrongful restraint in five days since the Kanwar Yatra began. In Uttar Pradesh, most cases of vandalism occurred in Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Ghaziabad and Kanpur, while in Uttarakhand, Haridwar has emerged as the focal point of such disturbances. According to media reports, a group of Kanwariyas threw stones at a mini-truck Thursday and broke its windows after it allegedly hit a Kanwariya crossing a road in the Daurala area of Meerut on the Delhi-Dehradun Highway (NH-58). The situation escalated quickly as more Kanwariyas joined in. Police took the injured Kanwariya to the hospital and brought the situation under control. No FIR has been lodged. In another incident on 14 July, a group of Kanwariyas allegedly vandalised a dhaba in Meerapur, accusing its Muslim owners of not displaying their identities at their establishment, police said. Earlier, a group of Kanwariyas vandalised a dhaba in Muzaffarnagar after they were allegedly served onion in their food. The Kanwariyas are accused of damaging furniture, the kitchen and the ceiling fans at the dhaba. Another group of Kanwariyas damaged a car in Ghaziabad on the same day, claiming it had hit a Kanwar. Video clips showed a Kanwariya standing on top of the car, smashing its windshield with a stick. Police were present but did not stop them. In Meerut, Kanwariyas damaged a school bus Tuesday, alleging it had brushed a Kanwar. Tension also rose in the Shivrajpur area of Kanpur on 15 July, after a Kanwar pilgrim was injured. Other Kanwariyas blamed the police for the injury and attacked them. Later, around 80-90 people reached the Shivrajpur police station, created a ruckus and reportedly entered the station. They are accused of misbehaving with the inspector and other policemen. In Uttarakhand's Haridwar, four Kanwariyas reportedly vandalised an eyeglass shop on Tuesday after the shopkeeper refused to lower the price. Although the incident was caught on CCTV installed by the police, no action was taken against them. Politicians raising questions Azad Samaj Party chief and Nagina MP Chandrashekhar Azad questioned the UP administration for not being able to control vandalism during the Kanwar Yatra. 'Why is there free rein for hooliganism in the name of religion?' Every other day, vandalism happens in West UP in the name of faith; this is worrisome,' he told ThePrint. Badaun Samajwadi Party MP Aditya Yadav raised concern over the recent violent incidents during the Kanwar Yatra. Referring to an incident where a girl was beaten simply for touching a scooter, he said in Sambhal such actions go against the spirit of devotion and added that God would not accept Gangajal brought through such behaviour. He emphasised that Kanwariyas who carry Gangajal with true devotion deserve respect, while those engaging in anti-social activities in the name of the Yatra must be strongly condemned. He also urged the police administration to ensure peace and harmony throughout the pilgrimage. Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad (ABAP) urged devotees to maintain the spiritual essence of the pilgrimage and avoid actions that tarnish its religious significance. In a statement, ABAP president Mahant Ravindra Puri expressed concern over the rising violence, emphasising that the Yatra stands for 'compassion', not 'aggression'. Yogi & Dhami have a different stand Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami told the media that security had been tightened, but the number of Kanwariyas is increasing every day. 'We have clearly directed the police to ensure that no one takes the law into their own hands, and they are carrying out their duties accordingly,' he said. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath strongly condemned attempts to malign the image of Kanwar pilgrims, saying that branding them as miscreants or 'terrorists' is an insult to India's cultural and spiritual heritage. 'During the holy month of Sawan, Kanwariyas undertake their yatra with devotion, chanting 'Har Har Bam Bam'. Yet, some people from other communities insult them and label them as terrorists. They are subjected to media trials and defamed, which is completely wrong,' the chief minister said at a public event in Varanasi on Friday. He added that such a mindset not only targets the pilgrims but also disrespects the faith and traditions of the country. Earlier on Monday, he instructed officials to arrange floral showers from helicopters at key points along the Kanwar Yatra route as a mark of respect and welcome for devotees during the holy month of Sawan. In a review meeting on Kanwar Yatra on 14 July, Adityanath emphasised the need for officials to remain alert, sensitive and proactive to ensure a safe and peaceful environment for the pilgrims. He also stressed the importance of comprehensive arrangements along the Yatra route, including cleanliness, medical aid, drinking water, food canteens, rest stops and toilets. Officials have been directed to pay special attention to the safety and comfort of women Kanwariyas, with instructions for the effective deployment of female police personnel. (Edited by Sugita Katyal) Also Read: Displaying eatery owners' names doesn't protect Kanwariyas' sentiments. It's discrimination
Indian Express
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Badminton: How Satwik-Chirag's success is bringing about a ‘tall' revolution in Indian men's doubles
Back in 2018, national badminton coach Pullela Gopichand had scouted for tall players to make an impact in the men's doubles category. The success enjoyed by the towering pairing of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy has since convinced the top coaching brass that this was the way to go in the modern game. The long-term plan seems to have provided the desired result with three of that batch – all from Gopichand's Noida academy and now training at National Centre, Guwahati – becoming part of the Indian squad for the U19 Asian Junior Championship starting at Solo, Indonesia on Friday. Bhavya Chhabra is a towering 6-foot-3 from Vaishali in Ghaziabad, and spent most of June working on his agility under the strength and conditioning (S&C) programme at Reliance Foundations's Mumbai facility to improve his bends and squats low at the net. He is among a bunch of 8-10 tall youngsters, scouted seven years ago at the Noida facility. Chhabra and the other tall shuttlers in his batch have been encouraged to follow the template set by former World No.1 Shetty who, while being upwards of 6 feet, has a world-class net-game and has evolved into a versatile player. Chhabra's partner Param Choudhary, also from Ghaziabad and north of 6 feet, has styled his game on Rankireddy's, whose deceptive drops and low lifts cheekily feign a smash. The third in this tall group is C Lalramsanga, a Mizoram talent selected for mixed doubles. He is also training to master front-court skills, while Saharanpur shuttler Divyam Arora, who pairs with Arsh Mohammad, is 189 cm (6'1 1/2') and recently recorded a monster 63 cm jump at the Reliance facility, comparable to what the best Malaysians, known for their leaps. With Shetty as his idol, Arora is bursting his lungs, imbibing the creativity and agility needed to occupy the front court. They were all scouted out by Gopichand and his former lieutenant Mohd Siyadatullah, and are now trained at the National Centre in Guwahati by Russian 2016 All England doubles champion Ivan Sozonov, who understands a fair bit about tall agility and the European style of play, and can guide them to the next level. When the Noida academy was turned into an isolation centre in Covid times, the shuttlers moved to Hyderabad where many pairings were rejigged and new combinations tried out, which means that now there's a crop of carefully-curated tall doubles shuttlers. Shetty's game encouraged them to be versatile and step forward for the net role. So, they all boast of a big smash, but can also handle eyeball confrontations of fast drives at the net. Gopichand explains the thinking from back when they were in the 10-11 year range. 'Obviously, you don't know how tall they will shoot up. But they hit hard because they are tall, and the power element can't be stressed enough in international badminton. Stroke-wise for the net game in the front court, we stressed they should learn all skills early. Strength and speed can be worked on. Satwik and Chirag were massive role models for them,' he says, adding that a further 8-10 tall shuttlers are developing in Guwahati and Hyderabad. While Chirag Shetty, marginally taller than Satwiksairaj Reddy but taller than 6 feet, was encouraged to play in the front court a decade ago by Malaysian coach Tab Kim Her, it wasn't simply about standing a couple of steps ahead of his partner. He might have had the natural speed which helps him with the lightning quick interceptions at the net, but developing a natural front-court style needed a lot of work. It helped that Mathias Boe, his subsequent coach, had been a tall Danish Olympic finalist himself, and guided him through the basics of bending, absorbing the attack on the fast drives and the basic return of serve as he squatted and took the shuttle at eye level. This required a lot of agility drills and also managing his lower-back niggles, besides the mental adjustment of curbing his instinct of naturally drifting to the back court in a rally, and assuming an attacking position for leaping smashes. It was no less than a sacrifice for the Mumbaikar, and eventually led even Satwik to inculcate front-court skills to complete the champion pair. However, this is a miniscule number given India's size, and the national coach reckons all players, tall or small, will be encouraged to become all-rounders in rotation, and adapt to the front court. 'Their grassroot coaches deserve credit for starting skills and keeping an open mind on not just choice of singles and doubles but front court and back court as well,' he says. Still, for a country that barely qualified for the 2016 Olympics in men's doubles with a taller Sumeeth Reddy playing front court with Manu Attri, there is some progress. Chhabra says Chirag's game style inspired him but playing on the front court has come with its challenges. 'Satwik and Chirag set up the legacy and gave us belief and a headstart, and my favourite players growing up were Chirag and Indonesian legend Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo,' he says. 'So when coaches at Hyderabad said I should try front court, since I control the shuttle well, I felt ready because Chirag has succeeded there.' The challenges are plenty, though Shetty made them look easy. 'You have to learn to move quickly, bend, play strokes perfectly and have the agility to shift left and right which comes naturally to smaller players. My S&C trainer Arjun Jain is helping me overcome the height disadvantages,' Chhabra said. Arora, of the 63cm jump fame while grazing 6'2', says Shetty was a big reason he picked doubles. 'I think I'm a natural doubles player. I love it, and Chirag is my idol. I have good smashes from the back but also a good sense of the front court. I'm still far from perfect but I take bending as a challenge,' Arora says. He has built up his massive jump after a back surgery, and says Sozonov is teaching him how to think creatively as a front-court Choudhary, watching the Indonesian former World No.1s, dubbed Minions – Kevin and Marcus Fernaldi Gideon – addictively on loop, cured him of all singles ambitions. 'The Minions changed men's doubles skill- and speed-wise. They were everyone's idols but we are not built like them. We are taller. We have Satwik in India, who plays in a way so that you don't take pressure on the body. He starts with a big smash action and fools with drops and low lifts. Now we are also learning the European style through Sozonov, with tall and flat lifts,' he says. Like India's finest, Satwik-Chirag, this next batch is scouted out for their tall frames, but taught to hunker down and play flat, before leaping to explode.
Time of India
22-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Rath Yatra on June 27, deities to be dressed in Rajasthani attire
1 2 Prayagraj: With barely four days left for Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra, the members of Shri Jagannath Ji Mahotsav Samiti Trust, are busy finalising all the arrangements for this festival. The Rath Yatra will be taken out in the city on June 27. The organisers and devotees are busy giving final touches to the chariot on which idols of Lord Balabhadra, Lord Jagannath, and Devi Subhadra will be placed for the yatra. Convenor of the yatra Rajesh Kesarwani told TOI that, "Lord Jagannath will be dressed in an attractive Rajasthani attire and Vrindavan's Rajat crown and the yatra will be taken out from Zero Road at Arya Bhawan. Lord Jagannath will appear in Shyam Varna Brahamand Swaroop among devotees. " The main chariot is 18 ft high, 16 ft long, and 12 ft wide. Kesarwani further added, "Tableux displaying forms of deities including Lord Ganesh, Garun Maharaj, Lord Hanuman, Sapta Rishi, Paanch Pandav, Devraj Indra, Lord Vishnu on Sheshnaag and showing Ujjain Mahakal Bhasm Arti, Vrindavan Maharas, Krishna-Sudama, Radha Krishna, Sitaram Ayodhya, and Kashi Mradang, along with bands of Prayagraj and Saharanpur, will be taken out with the yatra and all the deities will be dressed in traditional Rajasthani dresses. " The rath, popularly known as Nandi Ghosh Rath, will have 16 wheels, a Trailokyamohini flag, and four horses: Shankha, Balahaka, Suweta, and Haridashwa. Devotees will pull the rath by Basuki nose rope. The maha arti of Lord Jagannath will be performed with flowers, anna, water, fruit, conch, damru, and deepak.
The Hindu
05-06-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Exhibition of wooden crafts at Poompuhar in Coimbatore
The Tamil Nadu Handicrafts Development Corporation has organised an exhibition of wooden handicrafts at its retail outlet – Poompuhar – in Coimbatore city. The exhibition-cum-sale will be on till June 30 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and has a wide range of wooden products on display. These include swings, cots, dining tables, altars, and corner stands made of rosewood with inlay arts, Channapatna and Kondapalli wooden toys, country wood, sandalwood, and white wood products, and Saharanpur wooden boxes, plates, and bowls. Teak wood mukali (three-legged stools) with special designs to denote the five elements of Nature is a new product on display from a local artisan.
Time of India
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Women's cricket championship starts May 19
Kanpur: The third Dr Gaur Hari Singhania memorial state level women cricket championship for Spark Cup is set to be organised by the Kanpur Cricket Association at Kamla club ground from May 19. Besides defending champion KCA (Red), KCA (Blue), Saharanpur, Lucknow, Gazipur division and Allahabad district team will participate in this championship. According to Kaushal Kumar Singh, secretary KCA, all matches of the championship will be of 35 overs each innings. Teams have been divided in two pools and pool winners will clash in the final slated to be held on May 25. Table Tennis --- CECSE North Zone Table Tennis championship will be organised jointly by Dr VS Public school civil lines & Mahrana Pratap Education Centre Indrapuri on May 20 to 21. Around 84 players (boys & girls) from seven schools will participate in this event which will be held under 14, 17 & 19 years age group. Taekwondo – Kanpur won as many as 48 medals including 34 gold and 5 silver medals in fifth Bharat Ratna Atal Behari Bajpai state Taekwondo Championship being held at KD Singh babu stadium Lucknow from May 15 to 18. On day one, fresher event was held in which Kanpur team performed very well and collected maximum gold. Around 4,700 players are participating in this event.
