Skating rally, aarti to mark Environ Day, Ganga Dussehra
on Thursday. To mark the occasion, a skating rally will be organised under the joint auspices of Rajesh Dogra Roller Skating School Varanasi and Shri Aggarwal Seva Samiti to an environmental awareness.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
Meanwhile, as the day coincides with Ganga Dussehra, a grand Ganga aarti will be organised under the auspices of Gangotri Seva Samiti at the ancient Dashashwamedh Ghat.
Rajesh Dogra Roller Skating School director Rajesh Dogra said 150 boys and girls of different age groups will participate in the skating rally, wearing green outfits and carrying placards with environmental slogans.
The rally will start at 7am from Vanita Public School, Lahurabir and proceed through Piplani Katra, Kabir Chaura, Lohatia and Maidagin, concluding at Shri Aggarwal Girls Inter College located at Town Hall. During the environmental awareness skating rally, skaters will collect plastic bags along the route and on culmination of the rally, pledge to avoid using plastic bags and to raise awareness among the public.
Secretary of Gangotri Seva Samiti, Dinesh Shankar Dubey, said the samiti organises Ganga aarti every year on Ganga Dussehra and innumerable lamps are lighted at Dashashwamedh Ghat to present an ethereal scene.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
03-08-2025
- Time of India
Centuries of unity: Muslim family in Chamba crafts sacred Minjars for iconic festival
1 2 3 4 Chamba: In a shining testament to cultural unity and living heritage, Chamba's Mirza family continues to honour the sacred tradition of offering the first minjar (golden tassel) at the revered temples of Lord Lakshmi Narayan and Lord Raghunath during the internationally acclaimed Minjar fair. Taking this legacy forward, the Mirza family has now begun crafting these sacred minjars by hand and making them available to the public through stalls at their ancestral shop in Chamba's Dogra Bazar. This not only preserves a rich artisanal tradition but also allows devotees and visitors to take home a piece of spiritual and cultural harmony. Minjar mela is celebrated in the Chamba valley as a commemoration of the victory of the Raja of Chamba over the ruler of Trigarta (now known as Kangra) in 935 AD. This year, the festival will be celebrated from July 27 to Aug 3. Septuagenarian Aijaz Mirza Baig, head of the Mirza family, shared that their legacy blends devotion with craftsmanship, continuing to serve as a beacon of coexistence. He emphasised that in Chamba, as in much of India, unity is not merely a value but a living tradition. This deeply rooted mutual respect and centuries-old shared practice embody the enduring spirit of Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb, the syncretic blend of Hindu and Muslim cultures. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Is this legal? Access all TV channels without a subscription! Techno Mag Learn More Undo Khalid Baig Mirza, son of the late Asgar Baig Mirza. one of the four brothers of Aijaz Baig Mirza, said that the family begins making minjars in April, sourcing raw materials from either Amritsar or Delhi. "Each minjar takes around 40 minutes to make, and we produce nearly 20,000 minjars of varying qualities, including using silk threads in the lead-up to the Minjar festival," he said, adding that this is not their source of livelihood, but a tradition deeply rooted in their family's legacy, an act of devotion aimed at keeping a centuries-old cultural practice alive. Anish Mirza, son of Aijaz Baig Mirza, said the festival is one of Himachal Pradesh's most cherished celebrations that reinforces the secular fabric of the nation. "It is not just a cultural event, but a vibrant example of India's unity in diversity," he said. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
The Hindu
02-08-2025
- The Hindu
As govt. gears up to revive Buddhist history in Rajaghatta near Bengaluru, villagers stand divided
'During the first excavation, if we found one brick which we felt was historically significant, we gave it to the researchers. We used to get 10 paise for it,' a farmer working in a field in Rajaghatta, a village in Doddaballapur taluk, in Bengaluru Rural district, recalled. Rajaghatta, which was an ancient settlement of Buddhists probably around the fourth and fifth centuries, is getting ready once again for excavation. On July 16, Tourism Minister H.K. Patil, along with the officials of the Department of Archaeology and Museums, inaugurated the excavation programme to find more relics and artefacts from the ancient period. Boodi gundi Before it caught the eye of some local researchers as well as M.S. Krishnamurthy, formal principal of University of Mysore, a certain area of Rajaghatta has heaps of ashes, earning it the name of 'Boodi Gundi' (pit of ashes) from the locals. However, between 2001 and 2004, led by Mr. Krishnamurthy, excavators discovered that Rajaghatta was one of South Karnataka's prominent centres of Buddhism during the fourth and fifth centuries. Mr. Krishnamurthy said that the foundation of a Buddhist Chaityalaya, formed entirely of bricks, rooms of a Vihaara, a small medallion with an engraving of Buddha, several clay tablets, stupas and much more were found during the initial excavation. Many artifacts that were discovered here are now being kept in the museum of the University of Mysore. Upon the requests of Maha Bodhi Society (MBS), Buddhist Charitable Organization, the State government has once again taken up the excavation with Mr. Krishnamurthy at the helm again. Work is expected to begin post-monsoon. 'While we formally inaugurated the excavation, we will carry it out once monsoon is over as rains slow down the process. The preparation has already begun in a couple of sites and as there were good findings earlier, we want to see what else comes up this time,' Mr. Patil told The Hindu. Villagers divided Krishnappa, who currently owns the land under which the remnants of the Chaityalaya was found, has agreed to give it for excavation. But not all villagers are onboard as the areas where the ancient structures were found are now agricultural lands. Rajaghatta Ravi, a resident of the village who is also working with historians, says, 'Many villagers are not aware of the history. Many of them found artifacts over the years in their fields and just kept it under wraps as they did not want to give up lands. Some of us believe that when there is such a rich history, dating back almost 2,000 years, we should not let it go. That is why we are pulling all stops to ensure Rajaghatta gets is due.' A little behind Krishnappa's land is another agricultural field where an engraved stone, which is supposed to be from a later period of history (probably of Ganga period) is situated. Parijatha, whose family owns the land, says that there is no way they will give up their land for excavation. She said, 'When they cleared the ashes the first time, they checked this stone and said that this is not from the Buddhist settlement period.' Further down is another field filled with cabbage plants where two samadhis (final resting place) of some Buddhist monks are situated. Future plans Once the excavation process is completed, the plan is to make Rajaghatta a tourist site and exhibit its ancient Buddhist history to the public. 'We would like to convince the villagers to make way for excavation in these lands. If they do not agree, then acquisition is inevitable and we would either have to give them land parcels elsewhere or monetary compensation,' Mr. Patil said. 'Rajaghatta is so close to Bengaluru and even to the Bengaluru International Airport. We want the public to know how this was a prominent Buddhist centre once,' said Gopalakrishna, a member of the MBS. 'We want to bring the artifcats that are being kept in University of Mysore here once the excavation is completed and showcase it all together.' Meanwhile, to encourage more villagers to come forth with information, the police have started the Mane Manege Police (door-to-door police service) initiative in Rajaghatta. 'While people might not usually know how to report their findings or even about possible encroachment in some of these historic sites, we hope that this programme will bring them the confidence to tell us,' said Sadiq Pasha, police inspector, Doddaballapur Rural Police Station.
India Today
27-07-2025
- India Today
UP launches river revival scheme to rejuvenate 50 rivers, restore ecology
The Uttar Pradesh government has launched a comprehensive river revival scheme aimed at rejuvenating the state's disappearing, polluted, and seasonal rivers. The initiative is being implemented in coordination with the Namami Gange Mission, Jal Jeevan Mission, and the Forest campaign seeks to restore rivers to their natural state by reviving water flow, protecting catchment areas, ensuring pollution-free streams, enhancing groundwater levels, and safeguarding local ecology and initiative forms part of a larger plan prepared in 2019 to conserve small rivers and tributaries across the state, with active coordination between the departments of environment, water, agriculture, forest, and panchayati raj. Under this new campaign, authorities have identified rivers in all 75 districts that were either dry or at risk due to pollution or encroachment. The government has undertaken efforts to revive these water bodies using sustainable and scientific improve water quality, the administration is treating sewage and industrial waste before releasing it into rivers. Urban sewage is being redirected to Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), and biological techniques are being used to enhance water measures like the construction of check dams, desilting, riverbank strengthening, and rainwater harvesting have been adopted to sustain river efforts have begun to yield results. So far, 50 rivers have been rejuvenated across a total stretch of 3,363 kilometres. This revival has provided new life to rural areas and improved irrigation access for farmers. As part of the initiative, the government is also reviving small rivers and water bodies in 1,011 Ganga gram boost water storage in rural regions, the state has constructed and reinforced 3,388 ponds. These ponds now serve as reliable water sources for agriculture, livestock, and domestic Forest Department, in collaboration with district Ganga committees, is planting trees on a massive scale along riverbanks. More than 2.14 crore trees have been planted along the banks of 82 rivers in the state, contributing to ecological restoration and flood technology is also playing a crucial role in the revival drive. Institutions such as IIT Kanpur, IIT BHU, BBAAU Lucknow, and IIT Roorkee are providing technical expertise and guidance to ensure the success of the monitor progress, the government has formed committees in each administrative division, headed by the respective divisional commissioner. These committees regularly review revival plans to ensure timely and quality the rivers currently being revived are the Noon River in Kanpur, the Kukrail River in Lucknow, the Tilodki River in Ayodhya, the Pili River in Jaunpur, and the Belan River in Sonbhadra.- EndsMust Watch IN THIS STORY#Uttar Pradesh
