 |
 |
|
NEWS FROM INDIA Makaravilakku at Sabarimala Temple SABARIMALA: The hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa in the southern
state of Kerala closed on Dec 26 with the conclusion of the 41-day Mandalapooja
festival. It reopens on Jan 1 for the next pilgrim season of Makaravilakku
which lasts till the annual sighting of the mysterious light in the
horizon on Jan 14. 48 lakh Visit Vaishno Devi Go to top JAMMU: About 48 lakh pilgrims have visited the holy cave shrine of Vaishno Devi since Jan till Dec, 2001. On an average 15,000 pilgrims reach the base camp at Katra every day. Seat Belts Must Go to top NEW DELHI: With a view to checking the rising incidence
of road casualties, the Supreme Court has ordered seat belts mandatory
for drivers and others sitting on the front seat of light and medium
motor vehicles throughout the country. Raj Bhawan Open to Tourists Go to top NAINITAL: The glorious, century-old Raj Bhawan here, modelled after the Buckingham palace in London, has been opened to tourists. It used to be a government house for the Governors during British rule. In an area of 86 hectares, it has a reserve forest, magnificent buildings, gardens etc. District Passport Offices Go to top NEW DELHI: The Government is setting up passport offices
in the districts to facilitate easy issuance of passports. District
magistrates or police superintendents will be in charge of these centres. Idol Thieves Held Go to top JAIPUR: An inter-state gang of idol thieves has been unearthed with the arrest of 10 persons from here. Idols worth Rs 4 cr have also been recovered at their instance. The gang operated in the states of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat as well as the neighbouring Himalayan kingdom of Nepal. Badrinath, Kedarnath Close Go to top DEHRA DUN: The Badrinath and Kedarnath temples in the
Garhwal Himalayas were closed for winter on Nov 16 and Nov 9, respectively.
During winter, the idol of Badrinath temple is taken down to Joshimath
and the poojas (rituals) are conducetd there. Country-wide Ban on Smoking Go to top NEW DELHI: The Government has asked the states to enforce
the order of the Supreme Court banning smoking in public places such
as hospitals, public offices, public transport, courts, educational
institutions, libraries, auditoriums. 17 Rescued from Rohtang Pass Go to top NEW DELHI: Indian Air Force helicopters evacuated 17 people trapped in landslides in Rohtang Pass in Himachal Pradesh recently. A convoy of six civilian vehicles were caught in landslides sand snowfall. Fake Notes: No Harassment Go to top NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has come to the rescue of travellers found in possession of counterfeit currency notes. It has ruled that a person unknowingly possessing counterfeit currency cannot be punished. The police will have to prove that the person found in possession of fake notes knew that the notes were fake. There had been cases of conviction for using fake notes, knowingly or unknowingly. Entry Fee for Monuments Cut Go to top NEW DELHI: Following complaints of overcharge from the tourism industry, the Ministry of Culture has reduced the fee for entry to monuments for foreigners. The fee for heritage monuments has been reduced from US $ 10 to $ 5, and for non-heritage monuments from US $ 5 to $ 2. Foreigners can pay the fee in Indian rupee also - Rs 250 for heritage and Rs 100 for non-heritage monuments. For Indians the fee is very low. Koodiyattam as World Heritage Go to top NEW DELHI: The UNESCO has declared Koodiyattam, an ancient Sanskrit theatrical art form of Kerala, as a world heriatge to be protected. The actors in the drama used to be from the priest community called Chakyars. There are just about three centres in the state that carry on with the teaching and performance of the art today. RBI Withdraws Rs 500 Rupee Note Go to top NEW DELHI: The Reserve Bank of India is withdrawing the
Rs 500 rupee notes with the lion emblem. Mounting cases of counterfeit
relate to this series. -India Overseas
|
|