Latest news with #Draupadi
India.com
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
This actress is ruling cinema for around 40 years now, one role made her a star, the role was of..., her name is...
Interesting stories related to the celebrities of the film industry always remain a topic of discussion. Many film actors turn their backs on the world of acting over time. But there are some celebs among them who play a long innings in the field of acting. On this basis, today we are going to tell you about a famous actress who played many popular characters on the small screen, including Draupadi of the Mahabharata and Meerabai. The actress has been active in the film industry for 38 years and still rules the hearts of fans with her amazing acting. Let's know who that actress is. Who is the actress in the photo? The little girl seen in the cover photo is considered a big name in the world of acting. Not only in TV serials but she has also left her mark with her brilliant acting in Bollywood. Giving you a hint, let us tell you that at one time she was the most popular actress in the TV world and became everyone's favourite with the serial Sonpari (Sonpari TV Show). Now you must have understood that here we are talking about veteran actress Mrinal Kulkarni. Yes, Mrinal is the actress who has been active in Bollywood and the TV industry for almost 4 decades. During this time, she has worked in many famous shows and films. Let us tell you that apart from Hindi films, Mrinal has also contributed as an actress in Marathi cinema. What does Mrinal do now? It is known that Mrinal is still active in the entertainment world, and apart from films, she is making a name in the world of web series. In 1990, she married Ruchir Kulkarni and they also have a son named Vrijas Kulkarni. 53-year-old Mrinal was last seen in the web series Paithani in 2024.
The Citizen
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
PICTURES: Durban takes part in Hindu firewalking festival
Hindu devotees last week took part in the 'Thimithi' festival, celebrating Draupadi, considered as the incarnation of Hindu Goddess Mariamman. A Hindu devotee pinned with lime, fruit and leaves in a state of trance takes part in the Firewalking or 'Thimithi' festival, celebrating Draupadi. Picture: Rajesh Jantilal Thimithi is a practice where devotees walk barefoot over a 15 metre bed of hot coals or embers as a form of religious devotion or ritual. It's often performed as a test of faith, a rite of passage, or a way to seek blessings from the deity. Photographer Rajesh Jantilal covered the festival. Hundreds of Hindu devotees gather to take part in the Firewalking or 'Thimithi' festival. Picture: Rajesh Jantilal A South African Hindu devotee pierced with hooks on which flowers and fruits are hung, takes part in the festival. Picture: Rajesh Jantilal Picture: Rajesh Jantilal Picture: Rajesh Jantilal A Hindu devotee takes part in the firewalking. Picture: Rajesh Jantilal Picture: Rajesh Jantilal Picture: Rajesh Jantilal A Hindu devotee lays a piece of wood to the fire being lit for people to walk on during the firewalking festival. Picture: Rajesh Jantilal A Hindu devotee places a garland on Hindu deity Mother Draupadi. Picture: Rajesh Jantilal PICTURES: Religious worship at the Braamfontein Spruit
Indian Express
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Opinion On caste census, the BJP was rattled into action by Congress's demand
The BJP-led Narendra Modi government has relented grudgingly, and that's good news. It has announced that the Census will enumerate caste. There is little doubt that for the past few years, the government was rattled by Congress's constant demand for such a Census — a demand which was accompanied by the charge that the current regime is a votary of status-quo norms. Congress's objectives were always clear — resources must be apportioned according to the needs of communities, and for that, the magnitude of historical deprivation must be out in the open. The government resisted — till it couldn't. The BJP 's response to Congress's demand had been either evasive or diversionary. In late 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi went on to say that only four castes exist in India — the poor, the youth, women and farmers — ironically appropriating the classic Marxist dogma of social divisions. The class-based repudiation of caste, though a trite, even well-meaning rhetorical device, had a different intent for the PM. First, it was meant to weaken the voices calling for a caste census by initiating so-called welfare schemes for targeted classes. These schemes were essentially compensation for the government's economic blunders. But the government appeared to see them as magical potions of sorts that would suddenly turn caste into class. Second, there was already a slow project to expunge references to caste discrimination in textbooks and university curricula. For instance, Delhi University removed celebrated writer Mahashweta Devi's short story 'Draupadi' — about an eponymous tribal girl who wages a gritty battle against patriarchy — from its BA English course. Another text chronicling caste-gender relations by Bama, a Dalit Christian writer from Tamil Nadu, suffered a similar fate. And NCERT's policing has created an impression that social divisions were absent in the past. Meanwhile, Congress, along with other opposition parties, kept up the pressure on the government. In the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi emphasised nyay or justice. Throughout the journey, tough and disturbing questions on India's asymmetrical social order were repeatedly asked. Who wields real power and who follows orders? Who owns and who serves? How representative are our executive, bureaucracy, judiciary, and newsrooms? How equitable are our everyday encounters? The yatra was a springboard of uncomfortable truths, belying those who had suggested that the politics of caste census would not be able to sustain itself. Congress had a history to protect. Social justice was a challenge but the party had ensured notable victories. Reservation, as an empowering tool, was added to the Constitution in 1951 by the First Amendment. This was followed by the abolition of untouchability and the institution of quotas in promotions in government service. The latter was significant because discrimination, as yet, has no expiry date — access to power does not ensure that people from historically marginalised sections continue to wield it. That is the reason hierarchies of bureaucratic authority mimic traditional caste stratification, with privileged groups cloistered at the top. The Rajiv Gandhi government enacted the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, while the 73rd and 74th Amendments enacted by the Narasimha Rao government mandated women's reservation in panchayats. The Manmohan Singh -led UPA-I implemented OBC reservation in higher education institutions, while UPA-II initiated the Socio-Economic and Caste Census — the first time since 1931 that such a Census was conducted. The government's term came to an end before the report could be made public. The UPA was working to include reservation in the private sector, emphasising the responsibility of all stakeholders to be agents of social justice. If the caste enumeration is undertaken, then the almost primitive debates over reservation and its perceived antithesis, merit, will no doubt rage again. Along with the caste census, there has been a demand for removing the 50 per cent cap on caste-based quotas. In 2015, the RSS chief called for a review of the reservation policy, mouthing a widely held right-wing belief. It's surprising that many who call themselves liberals publicly agreed with him. The peddlers of meritocracy must be exposed, since in India, it is a direct function of the entitlements and opportunities accorded by caste. That is why the economic argument for reservation does not hold — wealth and poverty are dynamic categories while caste attributes are inherited. To a great extent, caste-based reservation can mitigate these age-old polarities, which is why it must be given full play. The bogey of merit needs to be debunked. There is now consensus that Congress's clarion call for a caste census, and the BJP's own low tolerance for social justice, led to a big fall in the ruling party's seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. It has been forced to apply correctives, albeit only in nominal terms. With the BJP government, there is, of course, no guarantee that the Census will run its course. But the question of injustice needs to be settled. It remains among the incomplete tasks in the process of nation-building. For many of us, caste discrimination is a shameful scourge. For some others, it appears that such discrimination never existed. With the Census, it will be apparent that it did.
Indian Express
30-04-2025
- General
- Indian Express
This Word Means: Akshay Tritiya
April 30 is being celebrated as Akshay Tritiya in many parts of the country, with people purchasing gold and silver. Buying jewellery on this day is considered auspicious. Jewellers' body GJC projected gold sales to jump 35 per cent in value terms over the last year, according to PTI. Gold prices are trading between Rs 99,500 and Rs 99,900 per 10 grams across different parts of the country, 37.6 per cent higher than Rs 72,300 on Akshaya Tritiya in 2024. What is Akshay Tritiya? Akshay Tritiya falls on the third day of the shukla paksha (waxing phase of the moon) of the Hindu month of Vaishakh. Tritiya means third and 'akshay' means that which can't be harmed or reduced (that which can't be brought to kshay). It is believed that any positive thing acquired on Akshay Tritiya — be it spiritual credit through prayers or a material asset — never lessens in value. This is why people buy gold or real estate on Akshay Tritiya. Also, it is believed that the whole day is auspicious, and there is no need to look for the right muhurat when doing something on Akshay Tritiya. Akshay Tritiya in Puranas, Mahabharata There are other reasons that make this day important. 'According to the Bhavishya Purana, the treta yug began on Akshay Tritiya. Also, the Mahabharata war ended on Akshay Tritiya. Along with these, it is believed that the warrior-sage Parshuram, the sixth avatar of Lord Vishnu, was born on Akshay Tritiya in the pradosh kaal (roughly 45-minute period around sunset). This year, his birth anniversary was celebrated on April 29 because the Triitiya tithi and the sunset period came together on that day. In the Mahabharata, Lord Krishna gave the akshay patra (literally, the everlasting vessel) to Draupadi on Akshay Tritiya,' Dr Ramesh Kumar Upadhyay, president of the Bhartiya Jyotish Aadhyatm parishad in Jamshedpur, said. The Draupadi story goes thus: once, a group of sages visited the Pandavas when they were living in exile in the forest. A distressed Draupadi realised she had nothing to feed the group, which included the sage Durvasa, quick to fly into rage. She began to pray, and Lord Krishna appeared and ate the few grains of rice Draupadi had in a vessel. This assuaged the hunger of all the sages. Krishna gave Draupadi a boon that this vessel would never be empty of sustenance. The episode of sages visiting the Pandavas in exile is mentioned in many stories in different forms, as it highlights interesting questions of duty and devotion while facing adversities. Akshay Tritiya in the Jain tradition In Jainism, it is believed that the first Tirthankar Rishabhanatha broke his fast after one year on Akshay Tritiya, when King Shreya served him sugarcane juice in accordance with the customs with which Jain monks can eat. Mythology expert Devdutt Pattanaik has written that the word Akshay is possibly derived from Ikshu, or sugarcane. Ikshu Tritiya may have become Akshaya Tritiya over time, he writes.
Hindustan Times
30-04-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Astrology says, Akshaya Tritiya is the most auspicious day of the year. How will it impact these 5 zodiac signs?
Akshaya Tritiya 2025 tithi starts on April 29, 2025, at 05:31 PM and ends on April 30, 2025, at 02:12 PM, according to Drik Panchang. According to daily predictions and planetary alignments, this day will likely bring fortune, growth, and prosperity to five of the 12 zodiac signs. Our experts, Manisha Kaushik and Dr J. N Pandey, say these signs are guided by wealth and financial tips for prosperity today. Also Read Weekly Panchang from April 25 – May 01, 2025: Akshaya Tritiya, Darsha Amavasya, Auspicious Muhuratas Going back to the Dvapara Yuga, when the Pandavas were in exile, Lord Krishna unexpectedly visited Draupadi. Draupadi had no food to offer him and felt helpless. Seeing her love and worry, Krishna blessed them with the Akshaya Patra—a magical bowl that never ran out of food. Since then, Akshaya has meant something that never ends—blessings, happiness, and hope. A post shared by Kumar_Binit♉️ (@i_m_vinitkumar) Mythologically, this is believed to be the same day Ved Vyas and Lord Ganesha started scripting the Mahabharata, marking the day in history with one of the largest books in world literature. Astrologically, this is the time when planets and stars are in favourable alignment for zodiac signs. This rare alignment is considered highly powerful for making important decisions, especially regarding wealth and growth. On this auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya, opportunities for prosperity are abundant, but wise decision-making is key, especially with high-risk investments. Property transactions, whether buying or selling, will likely yield fruitful results. For those engaged in trade involving fashion accessories, textiles, utensils, electronics, or food items, the latter half of the day promises significant gains and growth. Secure and well-planned financial transactions offer peace and stability in money matters on the day of Akshaya Tritiya. Property investments may progress slowly, so patience is essential. Avoid making impulsive decisions with your wealth—seek guidance from a financial expert to help grow your assets wisely. Entrepreneurs may find promising opportunities abroad and are likely to succeed in attracting funding through promoters. A promising financial opportunity may open doors to fruitful gains. When exploring property matters, it's important to evaluate all aspects with care. You may feel inclined toward long-term investments such as stocks, the share market, or speculative ventures. New avenues will emerge in business, offering the potential for rewarding profits and sustained prosperity today. On this blessed Akshaya Tritiya, wise financial choices will help ensure smooth and successful transactions. First-time property buyers are advised to reflect on their decisions and avoid making hasty decisions. Some women will find joy in resolving money matters with friends, while elders may play a key role in supporting a family celebration like a wedding. Traders and businesspeople may receive financial support from multiple sources. Today, financial opportunities may bring you attractive commissions. Thoughtful evaluation is key to property decisions aimed at long-term stability. Avoid splurging today, as there will be rainy days in the coming days. Still, this is a favourable time to invest in electronic appliances and home essentials that add lasting value. Choose sun sign to read horoscope
