Times Sharad Shrestha honours the best in idols, themes, safety | Kolkata News

By: Irene Saha
KOLKATA: Two “special” reasons have added to the excitement around Durga Puja this year: celebration after two years of restricted festivity amid the Cavid pandemic and the intangible heritage tag bestowed by Unesco.
Inaugurations of various pujas started early and revellers also started their pandal-hopping right from Dwitiya, ticking off their lists of innovative themes and idols. The list of the 16th edition of Times Sharad Shrestha 2022 has been declared. The community pujas of Kolkata, which registered with The Times of India, were judged on various parameters, such as the Best Puja, Best Theme, Best Idol, Safe Puja and Shera Dhaki.

The Best Puja accolade went to Chetla Agrani Club, while Tridhara Akalbodhan bagged the honours in the Best Theme category. According to the judges, Tala Prattoy had the Best Idol. The Safe Puja category had four winners: Kasi Bose Lane Durga Puja Samity, Jagat Mukherjee Park, Santoshpur Lake Pally and Dum Dum Park Bharat Chakra Club. Suruchi Sangha has won the Shera Dhaki award.

A Times of India initiative, Times Sharad Shrestha recognizes the efforts that community puja committees put in to magically transform the city into a gallery of installation art that enthrals millions, from here and abroad.
The process, which began a few days ago, involved senior art college students judging the initial rounds before a panel of judges took over for the final round. Taking time out of their hectic schedules, the judges went around the pandals on Panchami to choose the best in each category. The panel included Rana Dasgupta, CEO (eastern region), Apollo Multispeciality Hospitals, with Karabi Dasgupta; Joita Sen, director, Senco Gold and Diamonds; Pranay Poddar, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Kenya in Kolkata; Harish Agarwal, managing partner, EY with Anita Agarwal; Saikat Chakraborty, zonal sales manager, Shubhojeet Roy, assistant customer marketing manager, Soumyadeb Mukherjee, assistant sales manager, Beam Global Spirits and Wine India (P) Ltd; Alok Chattopadhyay, deputy director and advisor, finance and accounts, ICC and Madhuparna Bhowmick, director, ICC; Tamal Mukherjee, advocate, Chief Prosecutor City Sessions Court, Bankshall, and actors Tnusree Chakraborty, Souraseni Maitra, Lahoma Bhattacharya and Ushashi Ray.
Times Sharad Shrestha 2022 was presented by Ayurvedic Gasofast and powered by Apollo Multispeciality Hospitals. The associate sponsor was Oaksmith Packaged Drinking Water. Safety Partner was ICC Calcutta Foundation while knowledge partner was The Bhawanipur Education Society College.

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Indonesia Football Match Stampede: 127 Killed, 180 Injured In Stampede At Football Match: Indonesia Police

127 people had died and 180 were injured. (Representational)

Jakarta:

Indonesia’s policy chief in East Java province said on Sunday that 127 people had died and 180 were injured after a crowd stampede during crowd trouble at a football match.

Supporters from the losing side had invaded the pitch and authorities had fired tear gas, leading to a crowd stampede and cases of suffocation, Nico Afinta told reporters.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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At least 127 people killed in riot at football match in Indonesia | World News

At least 127 people were killed and dozens injured in a stampede after violence broke out at a football match in Indonesia, Reuters reported quoting police. The incident occurred during a football match of Indonesian top league BRI Liga 1 at the Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang Regency in East Java on Saturday night.

Indonesia’s police chief in East Java province, Nico Afinta, told reporters that authorities had to fire tear gas after supporters from the losing side invaded the pitch after a match between Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya, leading to a stampede and cases of suffocation.

The league has suspended games for a week following the riot which claimed at least 127 lives and injured 180.

(This is a developing story…)

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Navratri 2022 Day 7: Date, Colour of the Day, Maa Kalaratri Puja Vidhi, Shubh Muhurat, Mantra, Bhog and Significance

SHARDIYA NAVRATRI 2022: It is that time of the year again when Hindu devotees worship the nine avatars of Goddess Durga with much zeal and zest during the festivities of Navratri. This festival is celebrated twice a year, the first one is known as Chaitra Navratri which falls in March-April. The one we celebrate in the months of September and October is called the Sharad Navratri. This year, the Sharad Navratri commenced on September 26, during the Shukla Paksha in the month of Ashwin.

ALSO READ: Happy Maha Saptami 2022: Subho Maha Saptami Wishes, Quotes, Messages, Images and WhatsApp Greetings to Share on Durga Puja

On the 7th day of Navratri, the seventh incarnation of the goddess Durga, Maa Kaalratri is worshipped. Maa Kaalratri, also referred to as Goddess Shubhankari, is portrayed as a destructive form of the goddess because of her dark black appearance, unkempt hair, three eyes, and four hands in the Abhaya and Varada mudras. In her left hands, she is holding her astras.

Watch Maa Kaalratri Video Tweeted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi Earlier:

Date and Shubh Muhurat:

The seventh day of Navratri will be marked today on October 2, during the Saptami Tithi. According to the Drik Panchang, the Saptami Tithi will be in effect from 7:16 PM on October 1 to 5:17 PM on October 2.

Navratri 2022 Day 7 Colour: Orange

Orange colour symbolises brightness, knowledge and tranquillity.

ALSO READ: Happy Navratri 2022: Best Images, Wishes, Quotes, Messages and WhatsApp Greetings to Share on Shardiya Navratri

Mantra:

Om Devi Kalaratryai Namah॥

Significance:

Maa Kaalratri is regarded as a divine luminary and an unending wellspring of knowledge. It is believed that she rules the planet Shani. Hence, those who worship Maa Kaalratri on this day are said to have good fortune as well as wisdom.

Navratri 2022 Day 7: Maa Kaalratri is regarded as a divine luminary and an unending wellspring of knowledge. (Representative image)

Puja Vidhi and bhog for Maa Kalaratri:

1. Performing Navgraha Puja on this day is deemed particularly auspicious.
2. The adherents perform the puja with rice, bhog, flowers, incense sticks, ganga jal, dry fruits and panchamrita.
3. Jasmine which blooms at night is Maa Kaalratri’s favourite flower, thus, to appease the goddess, jasmine is offered to her during the puja.

Jaggery or anything made of jaggery is offered to Maa Kaalratri as prasad. On Saptami night, devotees also do the sringar puja, in which they present items used in day-to-day cosmetics in a set of two. The items are split into two sets, one set is later given in the temples, and the other set is kept by the adherents as a form of prasad.

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King Charles Won't Attend Climate Summit After UK PM Liz Truss' Objection: Report

Both Downing Street and Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the report. (File)

London:

King Charles III will not travel to next month’s COP27 climate summit in Egypt after UK Prime Minister Liz Truss “objected” to the avid environmentalist attending, a report late Saturday said.

Britain’s new monarch, who took the throne when his mother Queen Elizabeth II died last month, had intended to deliver a speech at the November 6-18 gathering, the Sunday Times reported.

But the plan has been axed after Truss – who was only appointed prime minister by the late queen two days before she died – opposed it during a personal audience with Charles at Buckingham Palace last month.

The report comes amid speculation Britain’s new leader, already under fire over her economic plans which have sparked market turmoil, could controversially scale back the country’s climate change commitments.

Her newly assembled cabinet contains a number of ministers who have expressed scepticism about the so-called 2050 net zero goals, while Truss herself is seen as less enthusiastic about the policy than predecessor Boris Johnson.

The Sunday Times said she is unlikely to attend COP27 – the 27th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – at the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

Britain hosted the last summit in the Scottish city Glasgow, when Charles, the late queen and his son William all addressed the event.

Both Downing Street and Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the report.

The newspaper said the episode was “likely to fuel tensions” between Charles and Truss, but cited a government source who claimed the audience had been “cordial” and there had “not been a row”.

Meanwhile, a royal source told the paper: “It is no mystery that the king was invited to go there.

“He had to think very carefully about what steps to take for his first overseas tour, and he is not going to be attending COP(27).”

Under convention in Britain, all overseas official visits by members of the royal family are undertaken in accordance with advice from the government.

However, despite not attending in person, reports said the king still hopes to be able to contribute in some form to the conference.

Charles III is a committed environmentalist with a long history of campaigning for better conservation, organic farming and tackling climate change.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Hyderabad: Airfares sting, holidayers pick getaways closer home | Hyderabad News

HYDERABAD: Kashmir, Leh, Ladakh, and Varanasi have given way to Coorg, Ooty, Srisailam, and Vizag this Dasara holiday season thanks to exorbitant airfares. With the one-way price on many of these popular routes shooting past Rs 15,000, Hyderabadis are eyeing getaways closer home.
Travel agents and tour operators from the city say many are looking at destinations that can be reached by road, to save money on travel.

“With airfares out of reach of the common man, many are cancelling or postponing their travel plans to faraway places and are considering short trips to nearby destinations,” said Nagesh Pampati, chairman, Travel Agents Association of India, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana chapter. He added that international travel too is out of the question for many because of the expensive flight tickets.
“During Dasara holidays, many used to travel to Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia, among other places. But, this year, as airfares more than double the normal fare, not many from the state are going to these locations or preferring international travel,” he added.
Nearby destinations that are, instead, in demand include Chikkamagaluru, Coonoor, Araku, and resorts, located on the outskirts of Hyderabad.
“Domestic travel has not reached the pre-pandemic level lyet, but many are taking two-three-day trips to nearby locations, where they can spend some quality time with family,” said Siraj Ansari, president, Tour Operators Association of Telangana adding that cost is deterrent for many as prices of travel, including bus fares, accommodation, and food has increased exorbitantly. Denizens said that after being stuck at home for about two years in the pandemic, they just want to get out of the house even if it means travelling to some known location close by.
“We have decided to drive to Srisailam this weekend. We will be spending a couple of days there and will come back to the city to celebrate Dasara,” said Kiran D, a techie. Y Suresh, a private employee, said that he had to cancel his plan of going to Varanasi in October due to exorbitant prices. “For two people, I needed to spend about Rs 35,000 to Rs 40, 000 only on flight tickets. Instead of spending so much, I decided to go when prices drop,” he said.

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US, Japan, Australia Vow To Work Together Against China

The US is pressing a diplomatic offensive to counter China. (Image Credit: Twitter/SecDef)

United States:

The defense ministers of the United States, Australia and Japan agreed Saturday to boost military cooperation in the face of China’s growing ambitions.

“We are deeply concerned by China’s increasingly aggressive and bullying behavior in the Taiwan Strait, and elsewhere in the region,” US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said as he welcomed his counterparts from Australia and Japan to the US military headquarters for the Pacific region.

Excellent trilateral discussion on our efforts to deepen defense integration with my counterparts from 🇦🇺 Australia & 🇯🇵 Japan – Minister @RichardMarlesMP & Minister of Defense Hamada Yasukazu. For decades, our three democracies have worked together for a #FreeAndOpenIndoPacific. pic.twitter.com/cFjV8EJ68o

— Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) October 1, 2022

“Our interest lies in the upholding of the global rules-based order. But we see that order under pressure in the Indo-Pacific as well, as China is seeking to shape the world around it in a way that we’ve not seen before,” said the Australian minister, Richard Marles.

The United States is pressing a diplomatic offensive to counter Chinese influence in the region.

On Thursday Washington announced an $810 million aid package for Pacific Island nations where the United States plans to intensify its diplomatic presence.

Vice President Kamala Harris traveled last week to Japan and South Korea and said the United States would act without fear or hesitation throughout Asia, including the Taiwan Strait.

Beijing considers Taiwan to be part of China and also claims the thin and busy channel of water that separate the two.

Harris also traveled to Seoul and visited the demilitarized zone between the two Koreas. Her visit was designed to show Washington’s commitment to defending South Korea against North Korea.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Coronavirus India LIVE Updates, Coronavirus Cases Today, COVID 19 Cases In India, Omicron Covid Cases, India Covid Cases October 2

COVID-19 LIVE: At least 26 Covid-related deaths reported in India in the last 24 hours.

New Delhi:

India on Friday reported 3,805 new coronavirus cases, taking the total number of cases to 4,45,91,112, the Health ministry said.

The death count climbed to 5,28,655 with 26 more deaths in the last 24 hours, including 13 fatalities reconciled by Kerala.

The active cases comprise 0.09 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate increased to 98.73 per cent, the health ministry said.

A decline of 1,290 cases has been recorded in the active caseload in a span of 24 hours. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 1.29 per cent while the weekly positivity rate was 1.39 per cent, according to the health ministry.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,40,24,164, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.19 per cent.

Here are the Live Updates on coronavirus cases in India:

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India rings in new era, enters select 5G club

NEW DELHI: India on Saturday took a mega generational leap in mobile telephony as the ball was set rolling for the launch of 5G network with PM Narendra Modi – who inaugurated the services – promising a leg-up in economic activities and citizen empowerment through the high-speed network that boasts of minimum speeds of at least 100 Mbps.
India now joins a select set of countries that offer 5G telephony and these include the US, Korea, UK, Japan, China, and nations across Europe. While Airtel has launched the service in eight cities, Jio will begin from Diwali and Vodafone Idea is also gearing up.

PM Modi, who launched the services at the annual India Mobile Congress (IMC) in the presence of industry leaders such as Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani, Airtel chief Sunil Mittal and Vodafone Idea promoter Kumar Mangalam Birla, said that 5G – while being transformative for the industry and enterprises – will lead to empowerment of the poor in rural and semi-urban areas through efficiencies in areas such as education and health.

“Today, 130 crore Indians are getting a wonderful gift in the form of 5G from the country and from the telecom industry. 5G is a knock on the doors of a new era in the country. It is the beginning of an infinite sky of opportunities,” Modi said while launching the services, though he avoided the customary practice of making a call to herald the entry of a new technology.

The PM is being seen as one of the key driving forces behind the launch of the services, and has insisted that 5G should come in through indigenous technologies and network infrastructure. He said the development of local competencies means that India will take a lead in the launch and population of new telecom technologies across countries as the world moves to intelligent and efficient network solutions.
“New India will not remain a mere consumer of technology, but will play an active role in the development and implementation of that technology. With 5G, India is setting a global standard in telecom technology for the first time… India will play a big role in designing the future wireless technology, and manufacturing related to it.”
Apart from mobile operators, network companies also welcomed the launch. “Nokia is committed to support our partners in ushering the 5G era in India… Our global experience in 5G rollouts shows that it will provide a strong impetus to socio-economic growth and industrial development,” Sanjay Malik, head of Nokia’s India market said. Anku Jain, MD of MediaTek India, said 5G will usher in a new wave of opportunities for businesses, unlocking the next level of growth. “… 5G is going to revolutionise businesses and industries, enhancing advancements, and innovation & R&D while also improving customer experiences,” Jain said.
PM Modi said the growth in 4G and now new technologies such as 5G has been enabled by affordable smartphones as well as some of the lowest mobile tariffs in the world. Thus, even 5G will find a play not only in the urban and affluent India but also in smaller towns and rural India.
“The goal of this vision is to bring that technology to the common people which works for the people, works by connecting with the people,” Modi said, adding that he had always found the poor eager to adopt new technologies. “Today, you go to a local market or vegetable market, even a small street vendor will tell you, not to transact in cash, but via UPI. This shows… (that) when a facility is available, the thinking (of consumers) also gets emboldened,” he said.
The PM said the adoption of 5G will not be limited to high-speed internet access, but it had the capability to change lives. “5G technology should be used to bring about a revolution in the country.”

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Germany To Give Ukraine Air Defence System After Calls To Step Up Support

Ukraine War: Germany is facing calls to step up its support for Ukraine. (Representational)

Berlin:

Germany will deliver the first of four advanced IRIS-T air defence systems to Ukraine in the coming days to help ward off drone attacks, its defence minister Christine Lambrecht said during an unannounced visit to Odessa on Saturday.

As air raid sirens sounded in the port city above, Lambrecht held talks with her Ukrainian counterpart Oleksii Reznikov in an underground bunker. Lambrecht had extended a visit to nearby Moldova for the meeting.

“In a few days, we will deliver the very modern IRIS-T air defence system,” she told ARD television. “It is very important for drone defence in particular.”

Ukraine has been seeing more attacks from Iranian-made kamikaze drones in recent weeks, costing lives and causing serious damage to infrastructure.

It first emerged in May that Berlin was considering sending the IRIS-T surface-to-air defence system, which costs 150 million euros ($147 million) apiece.

The German armed forces themselves do not currently own the system, reckoned among the world’s most advanced.

Earlier, meeting her Moldovan counterpart Anatolie Nosatii in Chisinau, she urged Western countries not to be deterred from arming Ukraine by threats that Russia could use nuclear weapons.

“We have to be very careful,” she said. “But we mustn’t let ourselves be paralysed.”

Germany is facing calls to step up its support for Ukraine, including by sending offensive weapons such as the modern tanks Kyiv says it needs to take the fight to Russian forces.

Berlin has so far resisted such calls, arguing that such moves would escalate the situation and pointing out that no other country has so far sent tanks more modern than old Soviet stock sent by former Warsaw Pact countries.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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BJP Leader Accused Of Running Brothel In Meghalaya Granted Bail

Bernard N Marak’s wife LK Gracy had moved the bail application on Friday. (File)

Shillong:

The Meghalaya High Court on Saturday granted conditional bail to jailed state BJP leader Bernard N Marak, accused of running a sex racket at his farmhouse in the northeastern state. Marak was granted bail on the condition that he shall not abscond or tamper with evidence or leave the country and should cooperate with the investigation.

He was also asked to furnish a personal bond of Rs 50,000 along with two solvent sureties of the like amount.

“The accused person, Bernard N Marak, is hereby directed to be released on bail, if not wanted in some other cases, provided the following conditions are complied with,” Justice W Diengdoh said in the court order.

Bernard N Marak’s wife LK Gracy had moved the bail application on Friday.

The high court was content that Bernard N Marak is the owner of the property, but expressed doubt whether there is enough evidence to point out that the place was used as a brothel.

“From the statement of the witnesses and the materials on record, there is insufficient evidence to link the accused person to the alleged offence in as much as there is no initial evidence that the place of occurrence has been used as a brothel, nor is there any evidence to prove that prostitution was carried on in the PO,” the court observed.

Bernard N Marak, a former militant leader, was arrested from Hapur district in Uttar Pradesh, days after police allegedly busted a sex racket at his private farmhouse ‘Rimpu Bagan’.

Police had also said it arrested 73 people from the farmhouse and rescued six minors – four boys and two girls.

A case under different sections of the Immoral Trafficking (Prevention) Act, 1956 was registered against the BJP Leader at the Tura women police station.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Congress Slams BJP Ad Calling Jawaharlal Nehru 'Grandfather Of Partition'

The right wing ideology has always been on the wrong side of the history, Pawan Khera said. (File)

Karnataka:

The Congress on Saturday slammed the BJP for putting up front page advertisements in a few vernacular dailies in Karnataka, calling the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru as the grandfather of India’s Partition.

As Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ (Unite India March) entered the second day in Karnataka, the State unit of the BJP put out an advertisement in some Kannada newspapers which read, “Can the great grandson unite what the ‘grandfather of India partition’ did?”

With a map dividing Pakistan and Bangladesh in the middle of Jawaharlal Nehru and Rahul Gandhi’s photographs, the advertisement painted in black questions, “Can the unity of India possible from a party, which caused the bloodbath of the citizens only to come to power?” The BJP alleged that the agenda of ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ is to disintegrate India.

The Congress took strong exception to the accusation, saying the right wing has always been on the wrong side of the history.

Rattled by success of #BharatJodoYatra the BJP has a front page ad in a Kannada newspaper that as usual mischievously distorts history. Savarkar propounded two-nation theory & Jinnah ensured it got done. Syama Prasad Mukherjee, founder of Jan Sangh championed partition of Bengal.

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) October 1, 2022

“The BJP gave the advertisement. The right wing ideology has always been on the wrong side of the history. Since they could not write history, they are trying to rewrite history,” the Congress chairman of media and publicity Pawan Khera told reporters.

He alleged that the two-nation theory was first mooted by the Hindu Maha Sabha in its Ahmedabad convention in 1937, which was presided over by Hindutva ideologue Savarkar.

In 1942, the founder of Pakistan Mohammed Ali Jinnah repeated the same in the Lahore convention of the Muslim League, the Congress leader said.

In 1942 when the Congress left all the provincial governments in protest and to participate in the Quit India movement, the Sabha joined hands in alliance with the Muslim League in three provincial Assemblies – West Bengal, NWFP and Sindh where the first resolution for Pakistan was passed, Mr Khera claimed.

“I challenge them (right wing) that they were in alliance with the Muslim League and they did not stop it. It’s clear who partitioned India. They (BJP) are talking to a person whose grandmother divided Pakistan. They (BJP) don’t know the history before 1947 and 1971. They don’t know their own history,” Mr Khera charged.

Former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah who was present there said the BJP is teaching history to those who brought Independence.

“Which party united all the provinces and made one nation? It’s Congress. Which RSS leader participated in the freedom struggle? Did RSS founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar or the second Sarsangh Chalak Madhav Sadashivrao Golwalkar participated in the freedom struggle? Anybody from RSS died in the freedom struggle? Now, these people are taking history lessons for the Congress,” Siddaramaiah charged.

“Nehru was in jail for nine years. Did he go to jail like Amit Shah did?” Siddaramaiah charged.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Lapete Me Neta Ji Kishore Ajwani के साथ LIVE | हफ़्ते की हर खबर पर, कवियों की नजर | Congress

from Live Now - News

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