India wraps up mass Hindu pilgrimage in contested Kashmir
The pilgrimage began on July 3 and closes officially on Aug 9, but organisers said that lashing rains had damaged narrow paths forcing a premature end.
SRINAGAR - More than 400,000 Hindus took part in a month-long pilgrimage in contested Indian-run Kashmir, authorities said, shrugging off security worries weeks after conflict with Pakistan.
The pilgrimage began on July 3 and closes officially on Aug 9, but organisers said that lashing rains had damaged narrow paths forcing a premature end.
Official Vijay Kumar Bidhuri said in a statement late on Aug 2 that 415,000 pilgrims had taken part.
Many of the faithful began their trek to the Amarnath ice pillar from near Pahalgam, where gunmen on April 22 killed 26 mostly Hindu tourists in the Muslim-majority region.
New Delhi said the gunmen were backed by Pakistan, claims Islamabad rejected – triggering a series of tit-for-tat diplomatic measures that escalated into a four-day conflict.
It was the worst standoff by the nuclear-armed nations since 1999, with more than 70 people killed in missile, drone and artillery fire on both sides, before a May 10 ceasefire.
New Delhi last week said that three Pakistani men who carried out the Pahalgam attack were killed during a gun battle on July 28 in forests adjacent to the hills where the cave shrine is located.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore LTA, Singapore bus operators reviewing Malaysia's request to start services from JB at 4am
Singapore Despite bag checks and warnings, young partygoers continue to vape in clubs in Singapore
Singapore President Tharman meets migrant workers who saved driver of car that fell into sinkhole
Singapore Now flying solo, Acres CEO Kalaivanan Balakrishnan presses ahead with wildlife rescue efforts
Opinion The charm – and drawbacks – of living in a time warp in Singapore
Singapore Ong Beng Seng to plead guilty on Aug 4, more than 2 years after trip to Qatar with Iswaran
Business Decoupling to save on tax? You may lose right to property if ties go awry
Singapore NDP 2025: Veteran Red Lion says each leap 'feels like 5km run'
A few devotees may still visit the cave, but the numbers in 2025 fall short of the estimated half a million devotees who took part in 2024.
Officials appealed to Hindus to undertake the pilgrimage, ramping up security for the event by deploying 45,000 troops with high-tech surveillance tools overseeing the gruelling trek to the cave, dedicated to Shiva, the deity of destruction.
On Aug 3, Indian forces exchanged fire with gunmen for a third day in Kulgam, far from the Amarnath pilgrimage route.
Soldiers have killed two militants, a senior police officer said.
Kashmir has been divided between the India and Pakistan since their independence from British rule in 1947, with both administering it in part and claiming in full.
Rebel groups have fought Indian forces for decades, demanding Kashmir's independence or its merger with Pakistan. AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
7 hours ago
- Straits Times
Food Picks: Hearty French cooking at La Table D'Emma
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox SINGAPORE – On the day I visit La Table D'Emma, the ice-cream machine is broken. Workers come in towards the end of service to tinker around with the air-conditioning vents, which ostensibly also require some tender loving care. The kitchen, perennially short-staffed, is running on a skeleton crew. 'Just what I needed – more drama,' jokes chef Michael Muller, a kitchen veteran who meets whatever curveballs restaurant life flings at him with dry sanguinity. His response to the staff shortage has been to scale down the menu to focus on the few French dishes he does best at the restaurant, which opened in April 2024 and is named after his wife. One staple that remains, however, is the warm hospitality the restaurant continues to dish out. It is hard not to feel welcome when the chef shakes your hand like he means it and sets down a piping hot crock of French onion soup ($26++) covered in a golden dome just begging to be shattered for the love of Instagram. The other soup option equally invites interaction: a mushroom 'cappuccino' that has to be assembled by pouring shiitake broth into a bowl of mushroom foam ($22++). Do not be put off by its frothy creaminess – it tastes far more delicate than it looks. The creative presentation is a nice touch, but this is not a restaurant that needs to rely on visual gimmicks. It prides itself on unpretentious cooking that honours tradition, but not too rigidly. The Non-Classic Bouillabaisse ($44++), for instance, is served in a pan instead of a pot, soup and ingredients combined only at the table. This gives the prawns, squid and fish some time to brown, acquiring an added dimension of flavour before the saffron broth is tipped in. Another standout seafood dish is the French raviole ($42++), stuffed with scallop mousse and served in a sizzling pan, a glistening lobster tail tossed in for good measure. Everything is blanketed in a tarragon-infused lobster sauce so rich and robust, I start hoarding pieces of bread meant to accompany other dishes, just to have something to sop up every last drop. Kaya Mon Amour from La Table D'Emma. PHOTO: LA TABLE D'EMMA There are also nods to chef Muller's personal history. To start: Flemmakueche (from $24++), a pizza-like dish from his home town of Alsace. And to end: Kaya Mon Amour ($16++), his version of kaya toast, made with Kougelopf, housemade gula melaka and pandan mousseline cream – a delectable tribute to his current home.
Straits Times
9 hours ago
- Straits Times
Seoul cracks down on taxis overcharging foreign tourists
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The crackdown will take place in airports as well as tourist attractions in Seoul. SEOUL - The Seoul municipal government announced on Aug 6 that it would launch a 100-day special crackdown on cab drivers' unfair treatment of overseas tourists. The initiative will focus on illegal taxi activities such as overcharging, demanding tips , refusing to pick passengers up for short rides, and other inconveniences experienced by many overseas tourists when hailing taxis here. The crackdown will take place in airports as well as tourist attractions in Seoul, such as the Myeong-dong shopping district. In the capital's downtown, Seoul Metropolitan Government civil servants will penalise taxis that refuse to take overseas tourists on short trips; taxis that wait for foreign customers to demand prices above standard rates; and taxis that overcharge tourists at night. The 100-day crackdown is designed to 'rectify illegal taxi activities ahead of the peak tourism season in South Korea,' according to Mr Yeo Jang-kwon, head of the transportation office of the Seoul Metropolitan Government. The initiative will be in line with efforts by Seoul this year to bust 139 cases of overcharging at airports near Seoul, and 109 cases of taxi drivers refusing to accept foreign national passengers for short rides, as of the end of June. The regular crackdown has taken place since 2015. According to Seoul, visitors to Korea can also report taxi-related issues via card-sized survey slips available at Incheon Airport and Gimpo Airport. The card links users to a survey via QR code, which can be used to report violations. This service is available in English, Chinese and Japanese. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Some ageing condos in Singapore struggle with failing infrastructure, inadequate sinking funds Singapore PUB investigating waste water discharge in Eunos: Pritam World Trump eyes 100% chips tariff, but 0% for US investors like Apple World White House says Trump open to meeting Russia's Putin and Ukraine's Zelensky Singapore ST and Uniqlo launch design contest for Singapore stories T-shirt collection Business DBS Q2 profit up 1% to $2.82 billion on strong wealth fees and trading income; beats expectations Business UOB Q2 profit drops 6% to $1.34 billion, missing forecast Singapore MRT track issue causes 5-hour delay; Jeffrey Siow says 'we can and will do better' In Seoul, a base fare for a single standard taxi ride up to 1.6 kilometers is 4,800 won ($4.45). An additional 100 won is charged for every 131m of travel. The base fare for cabs at night ranges from 5,800 won to 6,700 won, depending on the time of the ride. THE KOREA HERALD/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK
Straits Times
11 hours ago
- Straits Times
Mexico, Dominican Republic propose joint efforts to fight sargassum seaweed
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox MEXICO CITY - The Dominican Republic's Foreign Minister Roberto Alvarez and top Mexican officials have proposed creating a bilateral roundtable to address the environmental impacts of sargassum seaweed on the countries' Caribbean coastlines, his office said on Wednesday. WHY IT'S IMPORTANT Hotel workers are struggling to keep beaches clean as mountains of pungent, decomposing sargassum accumulate on Caribbean coasts, releasing irritant gases, smothering marine ecosystems and hitting occupancy rates at seaside resorts. CONTEXT Atlantic sargassum blooms, a type of algae, have dramatically increased over the past decade, fueled by nutrient pollution exacerbated by deforestation, warmer ocean temperatures and changes in sea currents pushing the spread westwards into the Caribbean. KEY QUOTE "They proposed the creation of a bilateral inter-institutional roundtable between both countries' foreign and environment ministries to address the environmental threat posed by sargassum," the Dominican government said in a statement. BY THE NUMBERS The World Travel and Tourism Council estimates tourism could boost the economies of Mexico and the Dominican Republic by $281 billion and $21 billion respectively in 2025, both breaking fresh records and representing about 15% of GDP. In June, scientists at Mexico's UNAM university warned of sargassum levels close to double 2018 peaks, adding that some 10% - or 400,000 metric tons - could hit Caribbean coastlines throughout 2025. A quarter could arrive in Mexico, they said. WHAT'S NEXT Several nations are looking to repurpose sargassum into usable materials such as biofuels, fertilizers and bioplastics, but removing toxins and heavy metals such as arsenic from the seaweed is costly and research remains in early stages. There has been limited funding for projects seeking to repurpose sargassum, and the unpredictability of its blooms remains a barrier to investors looking for consistent harvests. REUTERS
