Latest news with #PuranBhagat
Time of India
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Sikh preacher prays for peace as tensions threaten religious sites on both sides of Indo-Pak international border
Amritsar: Fearing that an armed conflict between India and Pakistan could threaten religious sites, particularly the gurdwaras, which are abundant across the Pakistani border, a Sikh preacher in the neighbouring country held special prayers at Gurdwara Babe Di Ber, beseeching divine intervention for a peaceful resolution and prevention of Singh Sidhu, granthi, Gurdwara Babe Di Ber, on Tuesday said several historic gurdwaras located in cities and towns near Pakistan's border with India could be at risk of becoming targets in the event of are also several Hindu temples, including three historic temples in Sialkot alone, which are at risk of being destroyed in the event of conflict. Same is the condition on the Indian side of the border, he religious sites can potentially be struck by forces from either side, and such outcomes will be deeply distressing for the faithful, said Sidhu. "Every effort must be made to prevent war and allow peace to prevail in the region," he Tuesday, Jaskaran said he offered prayers at the gurdwara, seeking the Guru's intervention to help ease the heightened tensions between the two nations. "More prayers will be held coming Sunday during the congregation," Sidhu emphasised that any potential war would have a particularly severe impact on both the Punjabs and their religious sites. "There are three historical Hindu temples – Shiva Teja Singh, Puran Bhagat Ka Temple, and Jagannath Temple – in Sialkot alone," said the concerns are quietly growing over the future of the day-long pilgrimage to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur Sahib, Pakistan, via the nearly 4.5-km-long Kartarpur Corridor beginning from the Integrated Check Post at Dera Baba Nanak in the Gurdaspur district of Punjab, should the tensions between the two countries continue to April 23 and May 5, a total of 3,042 pilgrims travelled from Dera Baba Nanak to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur Sahib, in Pakistan via the Kartarpur Corridor. The daily numbers were as follows: 408 pilgrims on April 23, 333 on April 24, 308 on April 25, 208 on April 26, 239 on April 27, 133 on April 28, 223 on April 29, 152 on April 30, 192 on May 1, 246 on May 2, 217 on May 3, 167 on May 4, and 236 on May 5. The figures reflect a noticeable fluctuation in daily pilgrim turnout, with a gradual decline in numbers following April 23. However, around 450 pilgrims have registered for the pilgrimage 120933198 413 |
Hindustan Times
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Bollywood's first superstar dwarfed Shah Rukh, Amitabh Bachchan's feats; but ruined his career with alcohol, died at 42
The term superstar may have arrived late in the Bollywood lexicon, but superstars had existed right from the early years of the industry. Even in the days when Bombay was not the filmmaking capital of India, big stars were ruling the roost. The first of them captivated the audience like nobody has since and set the template for what superstardom is. And yet, his journey has been briefer than anyone's since. Kundan Lal Saigal gained fame as KL Saigal in the 30s and 40s. Saigal was an extraordinary singer and a hugely popular actor, the original Hindi cinema superstar. Born in Jammu to the tehsildar at the court of the Maharaja of J&K, Saigal learnt singing from his mother, who used to take him to bhajans and kirtans as a kid. He began as a singer in Calcutta in the early 30s, and eventually made his acting debut with Mohabbat Ke Ansu in 1932. He used the stage name Saigal Kashmiri for his first few films, but they all flopped. His breakthrough came with the 1933 film Puran Bhagat, where his bhajans became chartbusters. Films like Chandidas and Yahudi Ki Ladki followed. In 1935, he played the character that defined him - Devdas. PC Barua's adaptation was a golden jubilee hit, making Saigal a superstar. In the late 30s, Saigal continued to churn out hits like President, Dharti Mata, Street Singer, and Dushman. He even appeared in a few Bengali films during this period. In 1941, Saigal moved to Bombay and appeared in more hits like Tansen and My Sister. But by now, alcohol had taken hold of him. Contemporary reports state that the star was unable to come to the sets unless drunk, and his dependence on alcohol was starting to affect his work. Despite this, he delivered hits like Shahjehan and Omar Khaiyyam in 1946 and Parwana in 1947. Parwana was to be his final film and was released after his death. Saigal went to his ancestral city of Jalandhar in early 1947, where he eventually died of liver failure. He was 42. Easily the biggest star of the time, his death created a vacuum in Indian cinema filled only by youngsters like Dilip Kumar a few years later. Saigal acted in 26 films in his career, of which 28 were in Hindi. Over half of them were successful at the box office, a record no superstar has been able to achieve, not even Amitabh Bachchan or Shah Rukh Khan. But not just actors, even singers idolised Saigal. Legends like Kishore Kumar, Mohammad Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar, and Mukesh have spoken of Saigal as their musical guru.
