
PM Modi offers prayers at Chola-era Lord Brihadeeswara temple in Tamil Nadu
Amid chants of Vedic and Saivite Thirumurai, PM Modi prayed at the temple and brought a 'kalasam' (metal pot) with traditional decorations which is believed to contain water from River Ganga regarded as sacred.
On his arrival, the PM was received by temple priests with traditional temple honours, the "poorana kumbham".
Clad in veshti (dhoti), white shirt and angavasthram worn around the neck, the prime minister Narendra Modi circumambulated the inner corridor of the temple, a part of the great living Chola temples, a UNESCO heritage site. He also offered prayers by conducting a "deeparathanai."
The PM also visited an exhibition organised by the Archaeological Survey of India on Chola Shaivism and architecture. Modi is in Tamil Nadu for a two-day visit.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
22 minutes ago
- Time of India
India-US trade: Officials react cautiously to Russia penalty threat
NEW DELHI: As President Trump threatened to impose a penalty on India for its trade ties with Russia, Indian officials reacted cautiously as they reiterated India's position that securing energy needs of the Indian people is the overriding priority. A source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said India is buying oil not because it wants to help Moscow but because it's the right thing to do based on the prevailing market conditions and the global geopolitical situation. Trump said India has always bought "a vast majority of their military equipment from Russia, and are Russia's largest buyer of energy along with China". However, India had been keen on announcing new plans for defence procurement and co-production arrangements with the US too. During PM Narendra Modi's visit to the US in Feb, Trump pushed India to lower tariffs and buy more defence products from the US that would facilitate a fair trade deal. With the US encouraging India to reduce its dependence on Russian-origin equipment, the leaders had agreed to expand defence sales and co-production to strengthen interoperability and defence industrial cooperation. In that context, govt sources here said some of Trump's claims don't stand up to scrutiny. "The fact is that India-US defence trade has been increasing since 2008, while the dependence on Russia continues to reduce considerably," said an official on condition of anonymity, adding that the US is now among the top arms suppliers to India along with Russia and France. While much has been made of India's imports from Russia, little attention has been paid to the fact that its crude imports from the US have seen a significant jump too with the US emerging as the 4th largest supplier to India in April this year, according to Indian officials. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . Discover stories of India's leading eco-innovators at Ecopreneur Honours 2025


Time of India
37 minutes ago
- Time of India
Trump's rant against India undercuts claim of having used trade to broker Operation Sindoor truce with Pakistan
NEW DELHI: When he lashed out at India for not lowering tariffs for American businesses, US President Donald Trump undercut the claim he has incessantly made: that on May 10, the Modi govt caved in to his threat of not doing trade with India if it did not pause Operation Sindoor against Pakistan. He had also suggested that India would get a good deal for its compliance. Trump's outburst on Truth Social on Wednesday conflicted with his claim of having frog marched India to cease Operation Sindoor by dangling the threat of stopping trade. Interestingly, the 'all things not good' admission from the US president, who has earned the reputation of being the global scold because of his petulance and pugnacity, came on a day when the two Houses of Parliament concluded a debate on Operation Sindoor that was dominated by Trump's claim of having mediated the suspension of hostilities. On Tuesday, PM Modi had refuted Trump's claim, saying no global leader had asked him to cease the offensive, and that it was the sheer ferocity of the IAF strikes on Pakistan's airbases that led Islamabad to sue for peace on May 10. That was getting as close as an Indian PM could get to accuse the US president of inexactitude. External affairs minister S Jaishankar went a step further on both Tuesday and Wednesday, stating that Trump and Modi did not talk between April 22 and June 16 when in a telephonic conversation, Modi had rebutted the suggestion that the operation against Pakistan was ceased because of anyone's mediation. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Modern manufacturing techniques explained. Shopper Experts Learn More Undo In a significant decision, the Modi govt got foreign secretary Vikram Misri to let out details of the conversation. India has also consistently rebutted Trump's claim that trade was a factor in India's decision to stop attacking Pakistan after May 10.


Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Yogi reviews devpt projects, seeks inputs from public representatives
1 2 Lucknow: Reiterating that public representatives were a crucial bridge between the govt and the public, chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday said that their inputs and suggestions were crucial for the proper implementation of projects and schemes. The CM was reviewing 3,397 development proposals worth Rs 42,891 crore for the Lucknow division, where he interacted with 42 MLAs and five MLCs from assembly constituencies like Lucknow, Hardoi, Rae Bareli, Unnao, Sitapur and Lakhimpur Kheri. With about a year and a half left for the next assembly elections in UP, the CM is carrying out a review assessment of major projects across divisions, directing officials to complete important development works at the earliest. Sources indicate that the development of the state, in addition to industrial growth, will be its major achievements which the govt will take to the people. To this end, the CM is also stressing the need to maintain contact with public representatives, assuring them that their inputs will be addressed on priority. During Wednesday's meeting, the CM highlighted the unique historical, cultural and social aspects of each district in the division, saying that any development work should focus on the preservation and promotion of these aspects. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Your New Zealand escape starts with Singapore Airlines Fly with Singapore Airlines Book Now Undo He described Lucknow as a hub of modernity and the cultural capital of Awadh, which remains a vibrant symbol of art, literature and tradition. "Like Kashi, Lucknow's soul is eternal and its spirit universally resonant," he said, touching upon "Hardoi's deep-rooted legacy of truth and penance, and Raebareli's rich contributions to literature, the freedom movement and folk art. " Mentioning Unnao district as the karmabhoomi of Chandrashekhar Azad and other stalwarts of the freedom struggle, he added that development projects in the district should be envisioned in an integrated manner, drawing inspiration from this historical consciousness. The CM described Sitapur as a city having unparalleled religious and spiritual stature, with Naimisharanya as its spiritual heart, where sages once transmitted the Vedic wisdom to the world. He further emphasised Lakhimpur Kheri's prominence on the global wildlife map due to Dudhwa National Park, praising its biodiversity, the agricultural richness of the Terai region, and the vibrant Tharu culture. While assessing projects, he directed the PWD to prepare a plan of action based on inputs by public representatives and implement proposals on roads, bridges, ROBs/RUBs and flyovers. He emphasised the need to complete all road projects within set timelines. Special priority, he said, should be given to constructing roads in villages associated with public representatives and martyrs. He also reviewed progress under the CM Tourism Promotion Scheme, through which more than 1,000 religious sites across the state have been beautified and equipped with tourist facilities. He instructed the tourism department to identify at least one tourist site in every assembly constituency and prepare a development plan for them. The CM directed the department of urban development to consult public representatives before finalising any project proposal and to take timely, transparent and coordinated action on all points raised by public representatives. "Bhoomi pujan and foundation stone ceremonies for new schemes should be organised after Sept 15, with public representatives leading the ceremonies and their names inscribed on the plaques. There should be no unnecessary delays or laxity in project execution," he said.