Latest news with #KumbhMela
Time of India
7 hours ago
- General
- Time of India
Nashik civic body to install sirens at 12 locations in city ahed of Simhastha Kumbh Mela
Nashik: The civic body has decided to install sirens at 12 locations across Nashik city as part of its preparations for emergencies and the upcoming Simhastha Kumbh Mela. Last month, the state home department sent a letter to the district collector regarding the installation of sirens to manage emergencies. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Subsequently, district collector Jalaj Sharma instructed the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) to implement siren installations in the city. During a recent meeting, NMC commissioner Manisha Khatri told officials of various departments, including public works, electricity, education, and disaster management, to coordinate the installation of sirens at the locations identified by civic officials. The sirens, which can be heard up to 3.5km, will provide alerts to devotees attending the Simhastha Kumbh Mela in the event of disasters or emergencies. The twelve identified locations for siren installation include the NMC headquarters, Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan, municipal corporation school 89 (Pathardi Phata), municipal corporation school 43 (Kathe Galli), municipal corporation school 20 (Shivajinagar), municipal corporation school 24 (Vishwasnagar), municipal corporation school 64 (Vihitgaon), Ambad fire station, Nashik Road divisional office, Satpur divisional office, and NMC's fire station at Amrutdham in Panchavati. Nashik is one of four cities where the Kumbh Mela is held every 12 years. The last Simhastha Kumbh Mela took place in 2015, with the forthcoming event expected between 2026 and 2028. Approximately 2.5 crore devotees attended the 2015 Kumbh Mela, and more than five crore are anticipated during the upcoming edition. The upcoming Kumbh Mela is scheduled to take place from 2026 to 2028. The flag hoisting ceremony will take place in Oct 2026, followed by the first three Amrit Snans (holy baths) during Aug and Sept 2027. Sadhus will take a holy dip at Ramkund in the Godavari river on these Amrit Snan days.
Time of India
7 hours ago
- General
- Time of India
Environmentalists demand demolition of illegal changing room near Godavari in Nashik
Nashik: Environmentalists on Tuesday asked municipal commissioner Manisha Khatri to ensure the demolition of the vastrantar gruha, a structure used as a changing room by devotees on the banks of the Godavari river near Ramkund. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The demand arose during a meeting of the Nashik Municipal Corporation's committee on Godavari pollution. Environmentalists said the building is illegal as it is constructed within the blue line of the river. They emphasised the need to remove the structure, considering the upcoming Kumbh Mela, as lakhs of sadhus and devotees take a holy dip in Ramkund during the religious conglomerate. Rajesh Pandit, the petitioner of the PIL on Godavari river pollution in the Bombay high court, said that the vastrantar gruha building is illegal as it was built by the NMC in the blue line of the river. In fact, no construction is allowed within the blue line of the river. Nishikant Pagare, another petitioner of the PIL on Godavari pollution, also reiterated the same, demanding the demolition of the vastrantar gruha building. During the meeting, NMC commissioner Manisha Khatri assured them that she would look into the issue. When contacted, Khatri told TOI that the issue about the demolition of the vastrantar gruha was raised by the environmentalists during the meeting on Godavari river pollution, but no decision has been taken yet. The vastrantar gruha building was constructed during the Kumbh Mela in 1991-92. Earlier, the issue of vastrantar gruha demolition came up during the Kumbh Mela held in 2015. It comes in the way of sadhus going for the royal bath to Ramkund during the mela. But the structure was not demolished at that time following the protest by Nashik Purohit Sangh, an association of priests performing rituals, and women from various parts of the country. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Later, in 2022, the proposal for the demolition of the structure was tabled at the board meeting of the Nashik Municipal Smart City Development Corporation Ltd (NMSCDCL). The board had set up a three-member committee, comprising the NMC commissioner, district collector, and the smart city CEO, to decide on the issue. But no decision was taken as both the then NMC commissioner and the district collector were transferred thereafter. Meanwhile, during the meeting on Godavari river pollution, NMC commissioner Khatri also instructed officials to issue notices to all govt offices in the city to ensure they have installed rainwater harvesting systems at their office buildings.
News18
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Cleaning The Ganga Or Just Stealing A Coconut? Woman's Action Divides The Internet
Last Updated: A viral moment from the Kumbh Mela shows a woman swiftly grabbing a coconut offered in the Ganga, sparking funny reactions and debates online about faith and jugaad Bathing in the Ganges is a sacred ritual for many Hindus, and this year's Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh drew record-breaking crowds. As crores of devotees gathered for a holy dip, the city witnessed one of the longest traffic jams in the country's history. Amid the rush and religious fervour, a video from the event has gone viral, showing a woman snatching a coconut mid-ritual, leaving social media users both amused and surprised. In the viral video, a young woman is seen carrying a coconut and a piece of cloth as she steps into the Ganga to perform a religious offering. As she wades through the water at a crowded ghat, a woman ahead of her, dragging a large white sack, catches everyone's attention. Just as the girl folds her hands and drops the coconut into the river, the woman with the sack quickly swoops in and grabs the coconut before it even gets a chance to float away. The girl, visibly stunned, looks around in confusion, perhaps not quite sure how to react to what just happened. The woman with the sack disappears just as swiftly as she appeared, leaving viewers amused and the girl bewildered. One user joked, 'The wish was fulfilled in the blink of an eye." Another wrote, 'Emotions changed in one minute." A third quipped, 'How fast she picked it up!" Some viewers took a more philosophical or environmental angle. 'We must see the positive side. If it weren't for people like her, the ghats would be littered with coconuts and clothes. Cleaning would've been so difficult," one user remarked. Another added, 'Don't be angry. Mata Rani has accepted your prasad. Let's also thank her for keeping the Ganga clean." Someone else joked, 'We'll end up buying the same coconut again. That's jugaad, brother!" One dramatic user even chimed in with, 'If I were in that girl's place, I would've given aunty a piece of my mind!" The video has sparked laughs across platforms, while also offering a light-hearted look at the quirky, crowded realities of sacred rituals on Indian riverbanks. As netizens continue to share it, one thing is clear — the woman's reflexes and timing have become the stuff of viral legend. view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Nashik airport records 56% rise in passenger traffic in April-June period in 2025-26 financial year
Nashik: The Nashik airport, managed by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), recorded a 56% rise in air passenger traffic in the April-June period of the 2025-26 financial year. The airport saw 1.06 lakh flyers in this period, compared to 67,694 passengers during the same period of 2024-25 financial year, revealeds the data provided by the airport authority. This is the first time that passenger traffic at the Nashik airport crossed the 1lakh mark in the first quarter of any financial year. The rise in passenger traffic is due to improved air connectivity with more cities. Passenger footfall at the airport has increased steadily over the past year due to positive responses from air passengers. At present, a private airline operates flights from the Nashik airport to six destinations: Delhi, Goa, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Indore. The airline is also planning to start flights from Nashik to Kolkata in the coming months. Due to higher occupancy, the airline started 232-seater Airbus A321 flights on the Nashik-Delhi and Nashik-Bengaluru routes from March 30. Previously, the airline operated 180-seater Airbus A320 flights on these routes. Deploying larger Airbus aircraft on the Nashik to Delhi and Bengaluru routes also led to a rise in passenger traffic in the April-June period of the current financial year, said sources. In the 2024-25 financial year, the Nashik airport recorded a footfall of 3.4 lakh passengers, compared to 2.4 lakh passengers during the previous financial year (2023-24). Total passenger footfall at the airport in 2022-23 was recorded at 1.07 lakh passengers. Ashish Nahar, the president of the Nashik Industries and Manufacturers' Association (Nima), said the airport has huge potential for air service because of the various industrial, business, and tourism potentials of Nashik. The defence PSU HAL, various central govt projects, and major multinational companies have their bases in Nashik. Apart from the major religious places, Nashik is also known as the wine capital of the country as it houses the maximum number of wineries. Moreover, Nashik is one of the four places in the country where the Kumbh Mela is held every 12 years. Hence, the airport has huge potential, said Ashish Nahar. "Moreover, the upcoming Simhastha Kumbh Mela is also being held between 2026 and 2028 in Nashik, and passenger traffic will increase significantly at the Nashik airport during the mega religious event. We are also pursuing the state govt for the expansion of the Nashik airport," added Nahar. Manish Rawal, the chairman of Nima's aviation committee, said the occupancy in all the flights from Nashik is around 90% on average. Most of the time, the occupancy in 232-seater Airbus A321 flights on the Nashik-Delhi and Nashik-Bengaluru routes is 100%. "There is a need for a second daily Nashik-Delhi flight considering the footfall of passengers," added Rawal, who is also a vice-president of Nima.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Menace of illegal roadside parking rises in Nashik with limited police action
Nashik: The menace of haphazard roadside parking continues to grow in Nashik, with limited enforcement by the city traffic police. Unauthorised parking not only causes congestion but also contributes to accidents. Until the end of June this year, the city traffic branch registered 6,178 cases of illegal parking. However, many motorists feel this number is far too low considering the scale of the problem. Illegal roadside parking has become a common sight across the city. The lack of designated parking lots and the negligence of some motorists, who leave their vehicles in a manner that obstructs traffic flow, have only worsened the situation. Mahesh Suryawanshi, a resident of Nashik Road, said he travels daily between Nashik Road and Panchavati and regularly sees vehicles parked along the roadside. "Travelling by scooter is the best option for me. If I take out my car, it takes close to an hour to reach Raviwar Karanja. The entire road between Dwarka and Nashik Road has illegal parking. The same is true from Mumbai Naka to Ashok Stambh. The traffic moves at a snail's pace only because of illegal parking on the roadside," said Suryawanshi. He added that he had taken a city bus twice from Nashik Road to Dwarka, and both times it took the driver 35 to 40 minutes to cover just seven to eight kilometres. Senior police officers, speaking on condition of anonymity, admitted that the city's roads are unable to cope with the growing number of vehicles. However, they said, action is taken when violations are spotted. "If an illegally parked vehicle is seen, we issue a challan immediately," said one officer. Officials also noted that with the Kumbh Mela scheduled in the city next year, the issue of illegal parking would be addressed more aggressively in the months to come.
