'Had a good darshan': Farooq Abdullah visits Maa Vaishno Devi shrine; calls Vande Bharat train 'biggest gift' to J&K
Farooq Abdullah after visiting the Maa Vaishno Devi shrine
NEW DELHI: A day after travelling on the newly launched Vande Bharat train from Srinagar to Katra, Jammu and Kashmir National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah visited the
Vaishno Devi shrine
and offered prayers on Wednesday.
"I had a good darshan and I hope that we will get what I prayed for. We want prosperity, unity, brotherhood. We all want India to grow so that we can be part of that," the former
Jammu and Kashmir
chief minister said.
Farooq Abdullah also praised the Vande Bharat train service, calling it the "biggest gift" for the people of Jammu and Kashmir as it connects the territory with the entire country.
"This is the biggest gift to connect Jammu and Kashmir with the entire country...
I had tears in my eyes when I crossed the Chenab Bridge. Finally, the day has come when we can travel to the country from Kashmir by train. I want to congratulate all the workers and engineers who built this bridge..." he said.
Abdullah reached Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra railway station on Tuesday after boarding the Vande Bharat train from Nowgam (Srinagar) Railway Station. Speaking to reporters, the NC chief said that his eyes became "teary" after the train crossed the Chenab Bridge. Notably, the Chenab Bridge, the highest railway arch bridge in the world, stands as a milestone project for
Indian Railways
, completed after years of overcoming challenges in the difficult Himalayan terrain.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Gelsenkirchen: Gutes Hören sucht 700 Testhörer für Hörgeräte ohne Zuzahlung
Gutes Hören
Undo
T
he two Vande Bharat Express trains from Katra Railway Station, flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 6, directly connect the Jammu division with Kashmir. The new service significantly cuts down the travel time between Katra and Srinagar to about three hours, saving two to three hours compared to existing options. The trains are specially designed to operate in the cold climate of the Kashmir Valley.
The route also includes passage through the Anji Khad Bridge, India's first cable-stayed railway bridge, and the Chenab Bridge, the world's highest railway arch bridge, standing 359 metres above the river. The 1,315-metre-long steel structure has been engineered to withstand seismic activity and strong winds.
The Vande Bharat train service is part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, a 272-kilometre-long corridor constructed at a cost of around Rs 43,780 crore. The project features 36 tunnels spanning 119 kilometres and 943 bridges, enabling all-weather, seamless rail connectivity between the Kashmir Valley and the rest of India. It is expected to revolutionize regional mobility and contribute significantly to socio-economic integration.
Expressing his happiness over the train service, Abdullah told news agency ANI, "I am very happy with the train service that has begun. More people will come to receive the darshan of Maa Vaishno Devi, and it will help the tourism as well."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
21 minutes ago
- Time of India
NFO Alert: Mirae Asset Mutual Fund launches funds focused on dynamic allocation and financial sector fixed income strategy
Mirae Asset Mutual Fund has announced the launch of new fund offers (NFOs) for two distinct funds, catering to evolving investor preferences in a dynamic rate and liquidity environment. The two new funds offer differentiated approaches— a dynamic strategy blending arbitrage and debt allocations and a passively managed constant maturity strategy focused on the AAA-rated financial services segment. The new funds are Mirae Asset Income Plus Arbitrage Active FOF and Mirae Asset CRISIL IBX Financial Services 9-12 Months Debt Index Fund. Mirae Asset Income Plus Arbitrage Active FOF is an open-ended fund of funds scheme investing in units of actively managed debt oriented and arbitrage mutual fund schemes, and Mirae Asset CRISIL IBX Financial Services 9-12 Months Debt Index Fund is an open-ended index fund tracking CRISIL-IBX Financial Services 9-12 Months Debt Index. Best MF to invest Looking for the best mutual funds to invest? Here are our recommendations. View Details » Also Read | Mutual funds reduces overall cash allocation by Rs 6,200 crore to Rs 2.17 lakh crore in May The new fund offer or NFO for Mirae Asset Income Plus Arbitrage Active FOF will open for subscription on June 16 and will close on June 30. The new fund offer for Mirae Asset CRISIL IBX Financial Services 9-12 Months Debt Index Fund will open on June 17 and will close on June 23. Mirae Asset Income Plus Arbitrage Active FOF will re-open on July 7 while Mirae Asset CRISIL IBX Financial Services 9-12 Months Debt Index Fund Scheme re-open on June 26. Live Events 'We are optimistic about the potential of the Mirae Asset Income plus Arbitrage Active FOF to adapt to diverse market environments. While on one hand, active allocation across debt fund categories will help deal with a volatile fixed income space, ability to opt for Arbitrage funds when it offers a better opportunity will be an additional feature' said Mahendra Kumar Jajoo, CIO – Fixed Income, Mirae Asset Investment Managers (India). 'The Mirae Asset CRISIL IBX Financial Services 9-12 Months Debt Index Fund offers a low duration, low credit risk strategy through a passively managed index approach. It tracks a basket of AAA-rated financial sector issuers including banks, NBFCs, and HFCs with 9–12-month maturities. With a roll down strategy and attractive term spreads in the sector, it offers a good option for accrual strategy orientation with a bit of capital gains possibility' said Amit Modani, Dealer -Fixed Income & Fund Manager, Mirae Asset Investment Managers (India). For both schemes, the minimum initial investment during the new fund offer will be Rs 5,000 with subsequent investments in multiples of Re 1 thereafter. SIP will be available starting from Rs 99. Mirae Asset Income Plus Arbitrage Active FOF The scheme seeks to deliver stable and tax-efficient returns through a dynamic allocation between arbitrage and debt mutual fund schemes based on macroeconomic outlooks. The allocation can range between 35% to 65% each in actively managed arbitrage and debt mutual fund schemes, based on a disciplined 3-step process analyzing interest rate trends, arbitrage spreads, and debt market signals. The portfolio will be assessed monthly, especially around futures expiry, to ensure optimal allocation based on prevailing market conditions The scheme aims to act as an all-seasons vehicle for investors seeking stability, moderate risk, liquidity, and tax efficiency. Also Read | JioBlackRock Mutual Fund files draft documents with Sebi to launch its first 2 debt schemes Mirae Asset CRISIL IBX Financial Services 9-12 Months Debt Index Fund The fund is designed to track the CRISIL-IBX Financial Services 9-12 Months Debt Index, offering investors exposure to high-quality Commercial Papers (CPs), Certificates of Deposits (CDs), and bonds issued by AAA-rated financial services companies such as Public Sector Banks (PSU) and private banks, Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs), and Housing Finance Companies (HFCs). The index follows a constant maturity roll-down strategy, maintaining instruments with 9-12 months maturity, and benefits from the term premium and declining yields as securities approach maturity. The portfolio is diversified across issuers with no single issuer exceeding 15% and rebalanced semiannually. With a Modified Duration of 0.65 years and Yield to Maturity (YTM) of 6.44% (as of June 10, 2025), the fund offers a compelling low-risk investment for investors seeking income with low interest rate sensitivity.
India.com
22 minutes ago
- India.com
World's most expensive project is worth Rs...., it is not Dubai's Burj Khalifa, the project is...
World's most expensive project is worth Rs...., it is not Dubai's Burj Khalifa, the project is... From connecting biggest rivers to constructing modern Silk Route to setting up international space station – there are projects whose estimated cost take breath away from you. With an aim to connect some of the biggest rivers of the country and to curtail floods and droughts., Prime Minister Narendra Modi had begun ambitious plan to connect some of the biggest rivers of the country. The cost was pegged at $87 billion or Rs 8,700 crores. Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) aka One Belt One Road (OBOR) in China is estimated to be $900 billion or Rs 77,19,300 crores. It is Chinese President Xi Jinping's grand dream of a modern Silk Route. The plan, announced in 2013, aims to link several Asian countries and even parts of Europe with roads, railway and waterways. The idea is to facilitate free trade so that all countries benefit. International Space Station is being planned to be built at a cost of $150 billion or Rs 12,86,550 crores. It basically making a home for the scientists in the space. Scientists live there for months conducting research, experiments and increasingly, enjoying mundane earthly joys such as watching World Cup football. Bathroom facilities are still not great, though. When Peggy Whitson, who returned to earth recently after a record-breaking 665 days (not consecutive), said the two things she most missed were pizza and flush toilets. The project was launched in 1998. London Crossrail Project aka Elizabeth Line in United Kingdom at a cost of $23 billion. London is expanding its underground t rain system. New tunnels and tracks, which together are 73 miles long, have been built to connect 40 stations. The work started in 2012 and is proceeding smoothly, for the most part. The project was named after Queen Elizabeth in 2016. The California High-speed Rail is a train network in California, which will link San Francisco to the Los Angeles basin. The 560 km trip — which takes close to six hours by road — will be done in a less than three hours on the proposed high-speed train. The cost is pegged at $70 billion and is expected to end by 2029.
Deccan Herald
23 minutes ago
- Deccan Herald
Honeymoon murder: Meghalaya govt felicitates tourist guide, 35 others for assisting police in probe
State minister Paul Lyngdoh distributed cash rewards of Rs 5.4 lakh to travel guide Albert Pde and 35 others, including several mountaineers, and tour facilitators.
