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Singer Chithra faces online attack for urging followers to celebrate Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha by lighting diyas

OpIndia Staff
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Singer Chithra faces online attack for urging followers to celebrate Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha by lighting diyas

Famous playback singer KS Chithra is facing an attack on social media after she urged faithful among her followers to recite the Ram Mantra and light diyas in their houses on the Ram Lalla Pran Pratishtha at Bhavya Ram Mandir in Ayodhya scheduled for 22nd January 2024.

In a video on Monday, she urged people to observe the consecration day. Before that video, another video of her receiving the Akshatam from Ayodhya also went viral on social media. Though a few celebrities have supported her, others have criticised her. Notably, Chithra has over 45 years of singing career in the industry.

Indu Menon, an author, criticised Chithra and said, “Singer Chithra may be singing hymns in praise of Ram, Vishnu, Sita and Murugan. But that does not mean standing with killing innocent people. She has freedom of expression and can join any side of the issue. But glorifying a cause that led to genocide is cruel, even if it is inoffensive. Even if you Kindle five-wick lamps, no light will fill your mind”.

Source: Facebook

Singer and composer Sooraj Santhosh also criticised her. They said, “She forgets that the temple was constructed after demolishing the mosque. Icons are waiting to break down, one after another. How many Chithras are waiting to show their true colour?”.

While these celebrities called Chithra out and claimed the temple was being constructed after demolishing a mosque, they forgot the fact that the disputed structure that they were referring to as a mosque was built after demolishing Ram Mandir 500 years ago. Notably, Goswami Tulsidas had mentioned in one of his writings about the demolition of the temple and the construction of a mosque in its place.

Singer G Venugopal came out in support of Chithra and said she was never involved in any controversies. He added that Chithra was sad over the insults she was facing on social media. He said Chithra has no political affiliation and only concentrated on her career for over 44 years. He said, “If we disagree with her, why can’t we pardon her at least once? There won’t even be a revolutionary home sans mothers and elders who advise reciting nama japa in the evening, attending church every Sunday, and praying five times daily. You can disagree with these people. They have attained immortality in our music world. My only request is that we should be careful not to hurt them,” in a post in Malayalam on Facebook.

Source: Facebook

On the one hand, Hindus across the world celebrate the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony, but on the other hand, left-liberals and anti-Hindu elements ridicule Hindus for expressing their happiness. Even opposition leaders of parties like Congress, Samajwadi Party and others claim that BJP made the Pran Pratishtha ceremony a political event. There are claims that the temple is being constructed using government funds, but that is false. Ram devotees donated over Rs 3,500 crores for the construction of the temple.

Beware! Fraudsters are posing as representatives of Ram Janmabhoomi Trust to seek donations, brands pretending to sell Ram Mandir prasad. Here are the details

OpIndia Staff
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Beware! Fraudsters are posing as representatives of Ram Janmabhoomi Trust to seek donations, brands pretending to sell Ram Mandir prasad. Here are the details

The demand for every product and service related to Bhagwan Shri Ram and Ram Mandir is at its peak so much that the supply is falling short. Devotees are waiting in anticipation for the Pran Pratishtha on 22nd January.

This has also become an opportune moment for grifters to make the most out of common people. VHP national spokesperson Vinod Bansal took to X, formerly Twitter, to call out fake advertisements linked to the Ram Mandir.

“Sometimes for VIP darshan and sometimes for Prasad sitting at home, many advertisements are being made to mislead Ram devotees and are trying to deceive them. Many such advertisements are also being seen on websites like @amazon! Society has to be cautious of them. @ShriRamTeerth has not authorized anyone to do these things. Don’t fall into anyone’s trap. These websites should also remove such false advertisements immediately, otherwise, we will be forced to take legal action,” he wrote.

Bansal also shared images of the fake advertisements which were claiming to sell “Shri Ram Mandir Ayodhya Prasad” on the retail website Amazon. He also shared the image of a website called Khadi Organic which had been claiming to distribute prasad for free from the Pran Pratishtha ceremony for a shipping price of Rs 51.

Another fraud by gangs from Jamtara and Mewat has reportedly been raised by netizens. A video of a shopkeeper’s confrontation with one such fraudster over a phone call has gone viral.

In the video, a trickster posing as a representative of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra called a shopkeeper who was aware of the fraud.

The shopkeeper attends the call and is greeted by a man posing as a representative of Shri Ram Mandir Seva Trust, when no such trust exists.

He says that the trust is calling from UP to all Hindu devotees across India. He then talks about Pran Pratishtha and demands a donation. In return for their donation, he promises that the names of such donors will be engraved in the walls of the temple in gold.

The shopkeeper then extracts more details of the fraud by pretending to be trapped into the fraud. He asks the fraudster if he can donate when he will be visiting the temple on 22nd January. However, the fraudster insists that he donate the money online through gpay, phonepay or paytm.

He says that if the amount is too big then the donor can transfer through bank details. He then sends a QR code which includes a bank account number too and has the logo of SBI.

As soon as the shopkeeper reveals to the fraudster that he is fooling no one, the latter turns aggressive and abusive. The fraudster says, “What will you do about it? The country is full of c*. Do whatever you think you can.”

When told that he is being recorded on video, he is baffled and tell the shopkeeper not to release the video and cuts the call immediately.

Meanwhile, Khadi Organic has already been in the news for its claims that it will distribute free prasad across the country on 22nd January.

As per Jansatta, the brand is run by NRI Ashish Singh who works in Meta in the US. Meanwhile, his company Khadi Organic is not linked to the Ram Mandir Trust or any government institution.

The company charged Rs 51 to deliver the prasad of Ram Mandir online. The offer managed to hit the news. However, according to Live mint, some netizens claimed this was a scam or a “marketing strategy”.

Another social media user reportedly claimed that as soon as the users tagged Khadi Organic, they stopped taking orders. Whereas Jansatta claimed that the bookings are closed on the website owing to “huge demand”.

Another user raised suspicion pointing out that the additional director of the company is Noor Fahad. Moreover, the director of Khadi Organics put our a clarification video on YouTube.

High-Speed Rail Project between Chennai-Bengaluru-Mysuru to be a game changer; to benefit business, techies, and industries

OpIndia Staff
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High-Speed Rail Project between Chennai-Bengaluru-Mysuru to be a game changer; to benefit business, techies, and industries

The ambitious 435-kilometer Chennai-Bengaluru-Mysuru high-speed rail (HSR) project will soon link the automobile manufacturing hub Chennai, the IT and start-up hub Bengaluru, and Karnataka’s cultural capital, Mysuru.

The Chennai-Bengaluru-Mysuru corridor is densely populated, with corporations, tech parks, manufacturing facilities, and townships spread along its length. The high-speed rail project is additionally anticipated to shorten the travel time between Mysuru and the two southern state capitals.

The proposed route, as per a Moneycontrol report, for the Chennai-Bengaluru-Mysuru HSR has nine stations: Chennai, Poonamallee, Arakkonam (Tamil Nadu), Chittoor (Andhra Pradesh), Bangarapet (Karnataka), Bengaluru, Channapatna, Mandya, and Mysuru.

The National High-Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRCL) has already awarded contracts for the creation of General Alignment Drawings, surveying, identifying overhead, overground, and underground utilities, and determining power sourcing choices for substations.

According to reports, a land survey along the corridor is currently ongoing, and the NHSRCL has also met with impacted landowners. The Detailed Project Report (DPR) will outline the exact alignment, station locations, expected ridership, and fare structure.

The HSR track is being proposed along the Bengaluru-Chennai expressway between Hoskote near Bengaluru, Karnataka, and Sriperumbudur near Chennai. It is also likely to be closer to the second airport in Chennai at Parandur, which is barely 3 km away from the new Bengaluru-Chennai road.

The Vande Bharat Express currently takes 6 hours and 30 minutes to travel from Mysuru to Chennai via Bengaluru. However, the bullet train can cover the distance in 2 hours and 25 minutes. Bullet trains will move at a maximum speed of 350 kmph, and the average speed is estimated to be 250 kmph, with each train having a capacity of 750 people.

The HSR project is intended to help thousands of people, mainly persons in business, techies, and others who travel between Mysuru, Bengaluru, and Chennai.

Mohandas Pai, former CFO of Infosys and Chairman of Aarin Capital informed Moneycontrol, “The Chennai-Bengaluru-Mysuru high-speed train project will be a big boost to business travel. I estimate that business agreements and visits will grow by 5X. Once the travel time between Chennai and Bengaluru/Mysuru is shortened with HSR, we will observe more business trips.”

Rail experts suggested the HSR may attract air travelers to trains. K N Krishna Prasad, railway activist and member of the NGO Karnataka Railway Vedike said, “The distance between Mysuru and Chennai is now 490 kms on the existing railway line, while the proposed alignment via Bangarapet is roughly 435 km, which will minimize travel time. The HSR ticket fee is projected to be higher than the first-class AC rate on Indian Railways”.

He stated that air customers flying on the Chennai-Bengaluru-Mysuru sector may consider moving, since they won’t need to be early for airport check-ins and also avoid the trek to the Bengaluru airport, which is located roughly 40 km from the Central Business District.”

Citing the example of the Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway, Pai remarked, “It has positively impacted tourism in Mysuru and nearby districts, and improved hotel occupancy. Imagine an employee being able to stay in Mysuru, work in Bengaluru, and return to Mysuru after work. The Bengaluru-Chennai region has a lot of industries and vast potential, so the project should be expedited.”

In 2016, a team of German engineers did a feasibility assessment for the Chennai-Bengaluru-Mysuru corridor. According to the final feasibility analysis filed to the railroads in 2018, which was wholly sponsored by the German government, the anticipated cost of the 435-km HSR network will be roughly $16 billion (about Rs 1 lakh crore).

According to the report, of the 435 Km, 84 percent of the track will be elevated, 11 percent underground, and the remaining five percent will be at ground level. NHSRCL is likely to develop HSR routes based on Japan’s E5 Shinkansen bullet train technology with JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) funding.

Image- Moneycontrol

Separately, in June 2015, China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group filed an interim report for a semi-high-speed rail project that aimed to reinforce the rails to allow trains to travel at 160 kmph on the Mysuru-Bengaluru-Chennai route. According to the Chinese company, the journey time between Chennai and Mysuru via Bengaluru could be cut to 4 hours and 45 minutes with an investment of Rs 4,350 crore to adapt the current lines to run trains at 160 kmph. However, given the tensions between New Delhi and Beijing as a result of Covid-19 and border issues, India is unlikely to work with Chinese companies.

In addition, the railways recently solicited proposals for a final location survey (FLS) for a new semi-high-speed broad gauge line connecting Chennai and Bengaluru. The proposed line’s design speed is 220 kmph, with an operational speed of 200 kmph. The Rail Ministry has earmarked Rs 8.3 crore for the survey, which would cover a 350-kilometer route between Byappanahalli in Bengaluru and Chennai Central.

Following the introduction of the Vande Bharat Express, both the South Western Railway (KSR Bengaluru City-Jolarpettai portion) and the Southern Railway (Jolarpettai-Chennai segment) worked to raise the maximum allowable speed from 110 kmph to 130 kmph. When the rails are expanded to 130-160 kmph, trains might travel at an average speed of 110-120 kmph.

South Western Railway conducted a speed trial on the KSR Bengaluru City-Jolarpettai section last year in order to enhance the maximum allowable speed from 110 kmph to 130 kmph. Similarly, the maximum allowable speed on the Chennai-Jolarpettai line has been increased to 130 kmph.

After MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma receive invitation for Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony

ANI
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After MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma receive invitation for Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony

India’s batting talisman Virat Kohli and his wife actor Anushka Sharma on Tuesday received an invitation to attend the Ram Temple ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony on January 22 in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.

Kohli became the latest cricketer to be invited to the ceremony.

Apart from Kohli, world Cup-winning former India captain MS Dhoni and India’s all-time great Sachin Tendulkar have also been invited to the ceremony at the grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

Several Bollywood celebrities including Akshay Kumar, Kangana Ranaut, Tiger Shroff, Jackie Shroff, Hariharan, Rajinikanth, Amitabh Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Randeep Hooda have also received the invitation for the Ram Mandir ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony in Ayodhya.

Vedic rituals for the Pran-Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya began on Tuesday, a week before the main ceremony. General secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust Champat Rai said Ram temple will be open for ‘darshan’ for the general public from January 23.

“The ‘Pran Prathishtha’ is expected to conclude by 1 pm. PM Modi and others present on the occasion will express their thoughts after the ceremony. As per tradition, gifts in 1000 baskets have come from Nepal’s Janakpur and areas of Mithila. On Jan 20 and 21 darshan will remain closed to public,” he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has started an 11-day special ritual in the run-up to the Pran Pratishtha of Shri Ramlala at the temple at Ayodhya.

Meanwhile, Kohli is a part of India’s T20I squad against Afghanistan. India and visitors will lock horns on Wednesday in the third and last match of the three-match T20I series at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Sacrifice of Satyavan Singh: Police, on orders of Mulayam Singh Govt, encircled his village and opened fire after villagers extended help to Karsevaks

राहुल पाण्डेय
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Sacrifice of Satyavan Singh: Police, on orders of Mulayam Singh Govt, encircled his village and opened fire after villagers extended help to Karsevaks

The rituals for the Pre-Pran Pratishtha ceremony at Ram Mandir commenced on 16th January, and will continue until the auspicious ceremony is performed on 22nd January 2024. The Rammay atmosphere (presence of Shri Ram and devotion to him in everything) has materialised because of unparalleled sacrifice from unsung karsevaks and Ram Bhakts.  

In our ground report, the OpIndia team reached out to connect with several anonymous Ram Bhakts or their family members. This aimed to unravel the strenuous but devotional journey that made it possible for Shri Ram to be housed in his Janmabhoomi, highlighting their sacrifices alongside their present-day living conditions.

In an earlier article in this continuing series, OpIndia had reported that the first massacre of Ram Bhakts and karsevaks took place on 22nd October 1990 under the Mulayam Singh Yadav government in Uttar Pradesh. Back then, the police on the orders from the Mulayam Singh government raided Sandpur village in the Basti district on the information that Karsevaks had gathered in the village. 

Following the police raid, villagers, particularly Ram Bhakts and Karsevaks, were subjected to police excesses as the Police opened indiscriminate firing on villagers who protested against Police actions. As a result of indiscriminate firing, 3 Ram devotees lost their lives and many others were injured.

In the previous report, we highlighted the sacrifices of 16-year-old Ram Chander Yadav —who was fatally shot and was the first Karsevak martyr in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement – and his family. 

Satyavan Singh was another karsevak who became the victim of Police excesses during the massacre of Ram Bhakts on 22nd October 1990.  

OpIndia went to Satyavan Singh’s house to gather information where we learned about the ordeal of the family. Satyavan Singh belonged to a middle-class family. The family’s livelihood is sustained through farming. We met Satyavan Singh’s brother Satyaprakash Singh in Sandpur village.

The administration was enraged that Ram Bhakts had gathered in the village

Satyaprakash Singh revealed that he was an eyewitness to the massacre that occurred on 22nd October 1990. He mentioned that at that time, several karsevaks had come from outside to stay in Sandpur village, and the villagers had made arrangements for their accommodation and meals. During that period, all routes to and from Ayodhya were blocked. However, Sandpur was considered a suitable place for such arrangements.

According to his account, due to the presence of a river near Sandpur village, karsevaks were entering Ayodhya through this river using boats. The boats were provided by the villagers. Meanwhile, someone informed Ram Chander Rai, the in-charge of the Dubauliya police station, about this. As soon as the information was received, the police, along with the PAC and paramilitary forces, surrounded the entire village.

They were beating the elderly to extract information about the kar sevaks

Satyaprakash Singh narrated that security forces attacked their village Sandpur around 5 in the morning. However, the villagers had already received information about the police raid, so all the karsevaks were sent on their journey the previous night. When the security forces entered the village to search for the karsevaks, they couldn’t find a single one.

Unable to find the karsevaks in the village, the police forcibly entered homes and started beating the elderly people asking about the whereabouts of the karsevaks. The police team included in-charge from the Dubaulia police station Ram Chander Rai, Cantonment police station, Captainganj police station, and Haraiya police station, among others. The then Basti Superintendent of Police IPS Subhash Gupta was giving instructions to all of them.

When the villagers protested, the police opened fire

Satyaprakash Singh further stated that after beating the elderly, male police officers started to harass the women of Sandpur village. There was no female staff in the raiding team. At that time, most people in the village were asleep. Upon hearing the commotion, not only the residents of Sandpur but also people from surrounding villages gathered.

The villagers were outraged when they learned that the only fault of the people being harassed by the police was their devotion to Ram. At that point, the police, without any warning, started firing bullets at the villagers. According to Satyaprakash Singh, instead of firing bullets into the air, the police took direct aim at the chests and heads of the villagers. Women and children were not spared during this period.

Satyavan Singh, around 35 years old, was among the many villagers protesting against police brutality. Meanwhile, the police shot Satyavan Singh in the chest without any warning. As soon as the bullet hit him, Satyawan Singh fell to the ground. When Satya Prakash Singh ran to save his brother, he too became a target and was shot. However, the bullet grazed his ears without causing serious injury.

The body was not handed over to the family, brother was also sent to jail

According to Satyaprakash Singh, the bodies of his brother Satyawan Singh, and Ram Chander Yadav were lying nearby. The police took away both bodies without informing the family. These bodies were subjected to postmortem at the Basti District Hospital without informing the relatives and were cremated at the Amhat cremation ground in the city without notifying the family.

According to him, even after this firing incident, the police continued to raid the village. Fearing police excesses, most of the villagers fled their homes. Only women, children, and elderly people were left in the houses. Even among the elderly, only those people were left at home who were unable to walk due to illness or other reasons.

In this situation, police teams would enter homes, overturn the cots of the elderly, and behave indecently with women. Eventually, all the people of the village were arrested one by one. They were tortured severely and then sent to jail. Most villagers were granted bail by the High Court. Despite being granted bail, many people did not return home for several days due to fear of the police.

Performed funeral rites of his brother after returning from jail

Satyavan Singh’s brother Satyaprakash Singh was also among the victims who were jailed. Speaking with the OpIndia team, Satyaprakash Singh stated that they reached out to several political leaders to complain about police atrocities and that they are innocent, yet nobody heard their grievances. It took several days for Satyaprakash Singh to be released from jail. After coming out from jail, he performed the final rites of his brother after a considerable delay.

In the Basti District Court, Satyaprakash Singh is still fighting the case which was filed against him in 1990. Along with him, other villagers who were victims at that time are still going through legal proceedings. Satyaprakash Singh still regrets that no action has been taken against the police officers involved in the massacre in his village to this day.

Satyaprakash Singh considers Mulayam Singh Yadav guilty of the firing in his village and of the people killed in it. He said that Mulayam had done this only to please Muslims. Nonetheless, Satyaprakash Singh is extremely happy with the construction of Ram Mandir and considers that his brother’s sacrifice proved to be meaningful. He hopes that in the under-construction temple, the memories of all the martyrs, including his brothers, should be preserved.

Bihar: 24-year-old Hindu youth found hanging from a tree a month after marrying a Muslim girl, family accuses girl’s family of murder

OpIndia Staff
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Bihar: 24-year-old Hindu youth found hanging from a tree a month after marrying a Muslim girl, family accuses girl’s family of murder

On Monday, January 15, a 24-year-old Hindu youth named Santosh Kumar Chaudhary was found dead in Bihar’s Vaishali district. This happened merely a month after he got married to his Muslim love interest Mosrath Khatun. The villagers had found his lifeless body hanging from a tree a day after he went missing from his house on Sunday (January 14). The family of Santosh Kumar has accused the family members of his Muslim wife of having a hand in their son’s murder.

Warning: The below post contains disturbing visuals. Viewer discretion is advised.

The Vaishali police probing the case said that Santosh Kumar, a resident of Bahuara village, was romantically involved with a 21-year-old Muslim girl named Mosrath Khatun, from his neighbouring village Maalpur, for the last three years. Reportedly, Santosh Kumar used to visit Mosrath Khatun’s father Shaukat Ali’s house to milk the cow, and it was there that he met Mosrath Khatun and the two fell in love.

Three months ago, the duo fled to Delhi. Eventually, on December 18, 2023, they married each other in a Temple as per Hindu rituals. Later, they also got their marriage registered in the court.

Meanwhile, in Vaishali, Khatun’s father Mohammad Shaukat Ali lodged a missing complaint of his daughter wherein he accused Santosh Kumar of kidnapping her. The police launched an investigation into the case. When police approached and interrogated Santosh Kumar, he not only brought Mosrath back to her native village but also presented her at the police station.

Here, Mosrath refuted the claims of kidnapping by reiterating her free will to go with Santosh Kumar. She also said that she married him of her own volition, yet the police handed her over to her father after recording her statement under section 164 of the CrPC.

Now, a month later, Santosh Kumar went missing on the night of Sunday (January 14) only to be found dead the next day.

Following Santosh’s mysterious disappearance and subsequent death, his family accused Mosrath’s family of having a hand in the murder. Satyanarayan Chaudhary, Santosh Kumar’s father has filed a complaint against 10 people, including Mosrath’s family members, a Sub-Inspector and a Sarpanch of Bahuara Panchayat.

Santosh’s father, Satyanarayan Chaudhary, meanwhile, told the media, “We have presented the girl in Patepur police station. She went with my son on December 17, 2023. My son did not kidnap her. She also confessed that she went with my son on her own but the police handed her over to Shaukat Ali.”

“Shaukat Ali asked my son Santosh to come home on Sunday evening. Since then, he had been missing and his body was found hanging from a tree on Monday. We strongly suspect that Shaukat Ali and his relatives were involved in the murder of my son,” Satyanarayan Chaudhary added.

Meanwhile, angry villagers blocked the Mahua-Tajpur road and demanded strict action against the accused. Only after being assured prompt action in the case, did the crowd eventually disperse.

‘Ram Mandir is being built 4 km away from Ram Janmabhoomi?’ Opposition spreading misinformation on Ayodhya, know where Ram Lalla will be installed

OpIndia Staff
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‘Ram Mandir is being built 4 km away from Ram Janmabhoomi?’ Opposition spreading misinformation on Ayodhya, know where Ram Lalla will be installed

The Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha is scheduled to take place on 22nd January in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya. The entire country is waiting for this, yet opposition leaders continue to spread hatred against the event. In this latest set of statements, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and MP Sanjay Raut has made misleading claims about the temple. Raut claims that the Ramlala temple is being constructed 4 kilometers away from the original birthplace, the Ram Janmabhoomi.

According to media reports, Sanjay Raut has claimed that the place where BJP is building the Ram temple is not the original place of the temple. The temple is being built 3-4 kilometers away from the place of birth of Lord Ram. He said that BJP people used to say ‘Ramlalla we will come and the temple will be built there’, but the temple is not being built there. Raut questioned the construction and pondered why is the temple not being built in the original birthplace. He said that anyone could have built a Ram temple away from the original place and indicated that nothing great is happening as claimed by the BJP.

Sanjay Raut stated that the disputed location is still the same. Opposition leaders have taken Raut’s statement and begun spreading misinformation about it on social media. A video of Sanjay Raut’s statement was also uploaded by Vikas Bansal, a Congress worker.

Talking to OpIndia regarding Sanjay Raut’s statement, Vishwa Hindu Parishad spokesperson Vinod Bansal said that politicians making such claims are anti-Hindu. Bansal added that people making such allegations are crossing the heights of mental bankruptcy.

Vinod Bansal told OpIndia, “Respected saints… great people… senior people have decided this place. If any person has doubts about this place, that too a political person, then he should take refuge in the saints.” He completely rejected Sanjay Raut’s claim.

Here is the truth behind Sanjay Raut’s statements

Actually, Sanjay Raut is attempting to spread blatant misinformation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the significant Ram temple on August 5, 2020. He performed the rite while singing mantras. This was the same site where Lord Ram’s temple had always existed. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the Ram temple in the same location where Lord Ram had lived in a tent for decades.

This was the same place where the Kar Sevaks had demolished the Babri structure, leveled it, and made a platform. Ramlala had been kept on this platform. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also said, “Now a grand temple will be built for ‘our Ramlala’ who has been living under sackcloth and tents for years.”

Lord Ram was shifted to a temporary temple in March 2020

In fact, even before construction of the grand temple at Lord Ram’s birthplace began, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath relocated Lord Ram to a temporary shrine. Yogi Adityanath accomplished this task early in the morning on March 25, 2020.

He stated on the social media platform X, “The first phase of construction of the grand Ram temple was completed today. Maryada Purushottam Prabhu Shriram is seated on the new seat from Tripal. Relocated the idol of ‘Ramlalla’ to a temporary structure near Manas Bhawan. Offered a cheque for 11 lakh to build a big temple.”

Actually, Ramlalla was liberated from the tarpaulin and moved to a temporary temple near Manas Bhawan. This information is also publicly available.

World’s largest open-air theatre: Krishna’s childhood comes alive as annual Dhanu Yatra begins in Bargarh, Odisha

Sanghamitra
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World’s largest open-air theatre: Krishna’s childhood comes alive as annual Dhanu Yatra begins in Bargarh, Odisha

On Monday, January 15, the annual Dhanu Yatra started in Odisha’s Bargarh city. Widely regarded as the world’s largest open-air theatre, the festival celebrates the childhood of Lord Krishna in a unique way.

Bargarh MP Suresh Pujari inaugurated the festival on Monday. On the inaugural night, artists showcased the wedding of Maharaj Basudev and Devaki. King Kansa, the brother of Mata Devaki, hears a divine prophecy that he will be killed at the hands of his nephew, the child of the very same sister whose wedding procession he is carrying out.

As per Hindu legends, the theatre then showcased an infuriated Kansa usurping his father Ugrasen’s throne in Mathura and putting his sister Devaki and her husband Basudev in jail.

In this unique festival, the entire city of Bargah is transformed into the legendary ‘Mathura Nagri’, the capital of Kansa’s kingdom and Krishna’s birthplace. The Jeera River is made into Yamuna and the adjoining village of Ambapali, on the other side of the Jeera River, becomes ‘Gop and Vrindavan’, where the child Krishna and Balram grow in Nanda and Yashoda’s household.

Bargarh’s Dhanu Yatra is unique in several ways. During the 11-day-long festivities every year, Kansa Maharaj, or rather the artist playing the Kansa Maharaj, becomes the de-facto ‘ruler’ of the city. Kansa Maharaj even summons the local police officers, DM, and other government officials and ‘orders’ them to perform their duties well.

Government officials also play along, in honour of the festival. They regularly arrive to report to Kansa Maharaj in his Darbar, to provide details of government works and ‘obey’ his orders.

Dhanu Yatra sees Krishna’s childhood enacted in a large-scale, open-air play. Krishna and Balram are welcomed into local households and worshipped. Even the villagers cry when they depart for Mathura. Kansa Maharaj carries out Nagar Parikrama, or tours of the city, like an actual king, and entertains guests at his darbar.

This year, 14 different stages have been built all over the city where Kansa Maharaj will showcase his performance and hold his darbars. On the concluding day, Kansa dies at the hands of his nephew Krishna. The festival will conclude on January 25 this year.

Interestingly, the artist who plays the role of Kansa is the main attraction of this festival. The Dhanu Yatra festival came into existence in Bargarh in 1947-48, as per reports, as a part of enthusiastic celebrations for India’s independence.

In another interesting tradition, the artist who plays Kansa embarks on a pilgrimage to Puri after the festivities of Dhanu Yatra are over. As he has to use derogatory and insulting words for Lord Krishna as a part of his roleplaying, the artist takes a holy dip in the sea and visits the Jagannath temple. There he begs forgiveness from Lord Jagannath for his sins.

This year, the 76th edition of this unique open-air theatre is taking place, attracting thousands of visitors from all over Odisha and neighboring states.

Mumbai: Dead rat, cockroaches found in food ordered online from Worli-based Barbeque Nation by Prayagraj lawyer, hospitalised

OpIndia Staff
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Mumbai: Dead rat, cockroaches found in food ordered online from Worli-based Barbeque Nation by Prayagraj lawyer, hospitalised

A Prayagraj lawyer visiting Mumbai was hospitalised after consuming food he ordered online from a Worli-based restaurant Barbeque Nation.

35-year-old Rajeev Shukla was shocked to find a dead rat and cockroaches in his Classic Veg Meal Box Regular which he ordered online from Barbeque Nation.

Unfortunately, Rajeev had already tasted the Dal Makhni when he noticed a dead rat and cockroaches in it. As per reports, he began to develop gastric trouble and was rushed to the civic-run BYL Nair Hospital.

He took to social media platform X, formerly Twitter, and wrote, “I Rajeev shukla from prayagraj visited Mumbai, on 8th jan’24 night ordered veg meal box from BARBEQUE NATION, worli outlet that contained a dead mouse,hospitalised for 75+ hours.complaint has not been lodged at nagpada police not filing my FIR yet.”

Complaining that the Nagpada Police has not filed his FIR yet, Rajeev shared images of the bill. The address displays the Mumbai Central branch of Barbeque Nation.

He also shared images of the food parcel, the dead rat in the dal and a photo of himself in the hospital.

He was quoted by Free Press Journal as saying that he had come to explore Mumbai but this may be his last trip. He said that he is a pure vegetarian and has suffered food poisoning due to the food

“I wanted to explore Mumbai and so I did, coming from Prayagraj but possibly, this might be my last trip. I am a Brahmin and a pure vegetarian, but when my Barbeque Nation order arrived, it gave me the shock of my life. The food contained a dead rat and cockroaches. I suffered food poisoning and got admitted to Nair hospital,” he said.

Rajeev reportedly emailed Barbeque Nation complaining about the food.

“Received food with rat and insect and unfortunately I consumed its major portion. This is just not done since I am a vegetarian, also this is intolerable and I feel like puking; vomited already and it’s continuously running in my head and giving me nausea. Food business is (intended) to keep us alive and not to kill us, Shukla wrote, sharing an image of the rat floating in the dal,” he wrote in the email.

Shukla received a response from the restaurant but no one from the establishment came to pay a courtesy visit to the hospital and he had to bear the hospital expense.

A Manor CRS Team replied for the restaurant, “Dear Guest, We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced and appreciate you taking the time to bring it to our attention. I would like to assure you that your concerns are of the utmost importance to us. Mr Paresh from our Regional Team is already in touch with you to understand the details of the situation and work towards a resolution. Please be assured that we are committed to addressing your concerns promptly and effectively. Our team is actively working on finding a resolution that meets your expectations. Regards.”

6 days later, Shukla filed an FIR against the owner, manager and chef of Barbeque Nation at Nagpada Police Station.

Just 4 days ago, a Jain passenger was served chicken in her vegetarian meal onboard an Air India flight and when she complained on X, she was told to delete her tweet by the airlines.

In July 2023, a mouse dropped dead on the table of some visitors at the IKEA store in Bengaluru.

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