Latest news with #Ramayana


Time of India
an hour ago
- General
- Time of India
Ramayana-inspired art expert visits Buxar museum
Buxar: Dr Lakshmi Graves, a noted researcher and lecturer at Cardiff University, UK, visited the Sitaram Upadhyay Museum in Buxar on Thursday to study rare terracotta figurines linked to the Ramkatha tradition. An expert in Ramayana-inspired art, Dr Graves has conducted extensive research on figurative representations associated with the epic. According to museum curator Shiv Kumar Mishra, the terracotta artefacts on display were unearthed during archaeological excavations at Chausa Garh and are considered rare due to their deep cultural and historical ties to the Ramayana. These ancient pieces continue to attract scholars from India and abroad. Dr Graves thoroughly examined the museum's collection and commended the institution for its careful preservation of these valuable antiquities. She described the collection as "extraordinary and unique", emphasizing the need for global recognition of its scholarly and cultural importance. The museum staff extended full support to the visiting researcher during her study.


India.com
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- India.com
This popular actress to feature in Ranbir Kapoor's Ramayana; The role is..., her name is,...
In the grand tapestry of Indian cinema, a new chapter is all set to unfold, weaving together tales of valor, devotion, and destiny. A monumental project based on our historical epic is set to bring to life an epic saga, enlisting talents from diverse backgrounds to portray characters etched in Bharat's rich history. Who is this actress? Here we are talking about the Assamese actress Surabhi Das, who is poised to make her Bollywood debut in Nitesh Tiwari's ambitious adaptation of Ramayana. Surabhi will portray the character of Nirmala, sister of Mata Sita and wife of Lord Lakshmana, which means that she'll be sharing screen space with Ravie Dubey. Expressing her excitement, she shared her admiration for co-stars Ranbir Kapoor and Sai Pallavi, highlighting their professionalism and warmth on set. In a recent conversation with Tellychakkar, Surabhi Das said that she is happy to work with Ranbir Kapoor and Sai Pallavi in the film 'Ramayana'. She said, 'Ranbir Kapoor is a very hardworking actor, a lot can be learned by watching his acting, I feel lucky to be a part of this grand project.' She further said, 'I talked to Ranbir Kapoor on the set. He respects everyone. We had a normal conversation even on the last day of shooting. However, compared to Ranbir, I got a chance to work with Sai Pallavi, she is very sweet and now I am just waiting for the film to release.' What other works have been done by Surabhi Das? Surabhi is an Assamese actress, who has also appeared in a Hindi TV serial 'Nima Denjongpa'. Apart from this, she has also done a Bengali film named 'Dada Tumi Dusto Bor' and also known for her social media presence on Instagram. To mark this grand achievement, Surabhi took to her Instagram account and shared the pictures from the sets of Ramayana along with Ranbir Kapoor. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Surabhi Das (@surabhi_das22) More about Ramayana Namit Malhotra's 'Ramayana' boasts a stellar cast, including Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, Sunny Deol as Hanuman, Ravie Dubey as Lakshman and Mohit Raina as almighty Lord Shiva. The film is envisioned as a two-part series, with the first installment slated for release in Diwali 2026. With a staggering budget of Rs 4,000 crore, the project aims to deliver a cinematic spectacle, blending traditional storytelling with cutting-edge visual effects.


India.com
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- India.com
This 37-year-old comedy show will leave you in splits, became popular due to…, has 7.6 IMDb rating, serial is..., lead actor was...
The yesteryears of the Indian Television industry have witnessed several superhit serials. Whether it is mythological serials including Ramayana, Mahabharata, or thrillers like Byomkesh Bakshi, the authenticity TV serials had back then has left a lasting mark in the audience's hearts till now. However, do you know that there was a TV series which was aired in 1989 not just on one channel but on two? The show fell in the category of comedy and till date when people remember it, they burst into laughter. Father of All Comedy Shows Was Released in 1989 Today, we enjoy stand-up comedy or even comedy shows like The Kapil Sharma Show or The Great Indian Laughter Challenge, but there was a time when a daily soap opera was loved like anything. The show which we have been talking about is none other than Mr. Yogi. The show was produced and directed by Ketan Mehta. The main character was played by Mohan Gokhale. How Mr. Yogi Show Has a Special Connection with Late Actor Om Puri You will be amazed to know that the show Mr. Yogi has a special connection with late actor Om Puri. The show was narrated by the veteran actor, and he wooed the audience. Mr. Yogi Plot Yogesh Ishwarlal Patel, an MBA student from America — popularly known as Y. I. Patel or Mr. Yogi — returns to India to meet 12 prospective brides in search of his perfect match. Narrated by Om Puri, the story follows Yogi's quirky and eventful journey to find his ideal life partner. Mr. Yogi and Its Impressive IMDb Rating Will you believe it if we say that the show holds a 7.6 IMDb rating? Yes, you read that right! The serial is still loved by the audience. The serial Mr. Yogi aired 37 years ago, from 1988 to 1989, and had a total of 13 episodes. This show became very popular in the 80s, and you can watch it on YouTube.


The Print
6 hours ago
- Politics
- The Print
Born out of Operation Sindoor, how Uttarakhand's Operation Kalanemi is weeding out impostor sadhus
Wearing a saffron scarf around his neck, the baba was offering 'solutions' to a steady stream of people waiting to seek help with their problems. A tent pitched by the roadside near the Uttarakhand assembly had a long queue outside it. Inside, was a religious 'baba', sitting surrounded by rice grains, rudraksha beads, vermillion powder for tilaks and other ritual paraphernalia. New Delhi: On a warm July afternoon, a senior police officer spotted an unusual sight on his way to work in Dehradun. When the police officer stopped to speak to him, the baba even offered him a 'remedy' that would enable him to live for at least 100 years. 'He made an audacious attempt to sell all his offerings to me even though I was a police officer. He then insisted on selling his offerings, such as a tilak or a ring and said if I wanted to become a successful politician or live for a lifespan of 100 years. After I refused all this and rather started questioning him about his background, he gave in,' said the officer. This 'baba' was one of hundreds such individuals the Uttarakhand Police identified as part of 'Operation Kalanemi'—a statewide crackdown launched on 11 July against fake sadhus and saints cheating people in the guise of offering them solutions to their problems. In the Ramayana, Kalanemi is a demon sent by Ravana disguised as a sadhu to delay Hanuman from procuring the sanjeevani booti to save Lakshman. Planning for the operation began following intelligence reports about the use of false identities and disguises near religious sites during Operation Sindoor—a military operation launched by the Indian armed forces to target the terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan, weeks after 26 people were killed by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam. 'In light of this (Operation Sindoor), a strategy of intensive document verification and intelligence surveillance was adopted across the state during sensitive religious events such as Kanwar Yatra and the Char Dham Yatra,' said a government official explaining the rationale behind the campaign. Operation Kalanemi, launched on the instructions of Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, has so far led to the identification of more than 500 impostors after verifying 2,448 suspected sadhus roaming across the hilly state, officials told ThePrint. So far, the state police have arrested 144 such suspects, while 337 have been let off after a declaration before an executive magistrate pledging not to repeat the acts. 'Just as the demon Kalanemi tried to mislead people by disguising himself as a saint, similarly, there are many 'Kalanemi' active in society today who are committing crimes in religious garb,' Dhami said on 10 July. 'Our government is fully committed to protecting public sentiments, the dignity of Sanatan culture and maintaining social harmony. Those who spread hypocrisy in the name of faith will not be spared under any circumstances.' The operation coincides with the huge influx of Kanwariyas and devotees from outside the state who undertake pilgrimages during this season. Many of them head to the holy towns of Haridwar, Rishikesh and Kedarnath, which draw lakhs of pilgrims at this time. Also Read: UP's Chhangur Baba: How 'healer' with 6 toes became conversion syndicate 'kingpin' with Rs 60 cr in banks From Operation Sindoor to Operation Kalanemi According to sources in the state government, police have in the past too identified such impersonators who use religious events and gatherings to dupe people. But this time, the crackdown was conducted in a more systematic manner. Officials said that the previous operations were more routine and localised in nature, where district police used to deal with offences on a case-by-case basis. In contrast, Operation Kalanemi is a more detailed drive launched by the police after top police officials at the police headquarters, led by the Director General of Police (DGP) Deepam Seth, formulated plans at Dhami's instructions, added the source. Differentiating between Operation Kalanemi and past cases of routine policing, a senior police officer said that Local Intelligence Unit (LIU) teams in each district have now been empowered to identify such suspects and file a complaint at the local police station. Usually, their role is to collect intelligence on suspects and pass it on to the officers. Based on intelligence reports of religious impostors near religious sites during Operation Sindoor, the Uttarakhand government devised a strategy to identify and act against such fake sadhus. DGP Seth explained the objectives and protocols of the operation to all 13 police districts in the state during a video conference immediately after the CM announced the campaign. In the first 10 days of the campaign, the Haridwar district police verified the majority of 2,448 suspected sadhus, identifying 63 of them as suspicious and taking action against them. Dehradun identified 122 suspects through the verification of 398 people, followed by Tehri district police, which identified 87 suspects through the verification of 94 people. The Nainital district Police identified 44 suspects out of 252 people verified by police personnel in the district. In Udham Singh Nagar, known for housing a population from other states, 17 were let off after a declaration, while 16 were arrested after verification of around 155 suspects. A senior police officer attributed the higher numbers in Dehradun and Haridwar to intensive measures to identify suspects in these districts. 'The main reason for the higher number of cases emerging in Haridwar and Dehradun is twofold. Due to major religious events like the Kanwar Yatra, surveillance in these areas was extremely intense,' the senior police officer told ThePrint. 'And second, there were specific prior inputs regarding these districts, due to which a broad and strategic verification campaign was first launched here,' the officer added. Bangladeshi 'baba', family reunite As police patrolled Dehradun's rural areas, an LIU unit spotted a 25-year-old semi-nude man on the side of a road dressed like a sadhu with rings and lockets with pictures of Lord Shiva, Mahakal and Parshuram. 'When the said person was asked for his name/address, he could not tell us anything about himself. Passersby suspected him to be mentally ill, as he did not speak to anyone and was earning a living by begging,' an Uttarakhand Police officer noted in the complaint that formed the basis of an FIR. However, what made the LIU cops more suspicious was his inability to speak even a word of Hindi while he could utter a few words in Bengali. Suspecting that he might be a Bangladeshi or from the Rohingya community, police contacted a few local residents from West Bengal to help. In conversation with them, the accused identified himself as Rukan Raqab, also known as Shah Alam, from Bangladesh's Tangail District. In his alleged confession, Alam revealed that he left his home in anger about a year ago and inadvertently crossed the border into West Bengal. After some time begging near a bus stop in Kolkata, he travelled to Dehradun by train and pretended to be mute to evade detection by police. 'He was living here in hiding and disguised as a baba,' the LIU officer noted in the complaint. According to the complaint, on searching Rukan Rakab, police found 17 old wrist watches of different brands on both arms, 42 old rings/rings typically sold in fairs and 13 old metal chains. They also found a big round locket tied around his waist with the name and image of Shri Parashuram Ji on one side and Maa Renuka Ji's picture on the other side. He also had a small locket in his hand with a picture of Shiva on one side and Mahakaal written on the other. Since he entered India without any passport or valid visa, the Uttarakhand Police booked him under the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920 and the Foreigners Act, 1946, and arrested him. 'He is in judicial custody now, and work for his deportation is currently ongoing,' Dehradun SSP Ajay Singh told ThePrint. Additionally, he said that out of 122 people identified as suspects in his police district, 80 belonged to other states and did not have any accommodation in Uttarakhand. 'During Operation Kaalnemi, in the Sahaspur police station area of the district, a Bangladeshi citizen was arrested who had changed his name, adopted a Hindu name, and was promoting himself as 'Siddh Baba',' Uttarakhand DGP Deepam Seth told ThePrint. 'Confidential information was collected about him, and it was found that he had earlier come from Bangladesh to Kolkata. When the police pursued him, he continued to hide by moving to various places and eventually came to Dehradun, where he changed his name and disguise and settled,' Seth added. In another case, the Haridwar district police said they identified 13 people accused of duping people by impersonating religious figures, including Mehboob, Mohammed Ahmed, Saleem Mohammed Hassan and Zaid—from neighbouring Uttar Pradesh. Two accused, Mohammed Jain and Sabir, belonged to Bihar, while one each belonged to West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh. The Udham Singh Nagar district police have also arrested seven people from neighbouring Uttar Pradesh's border district of Pilibhit—Chunnu Miyan, Nazim, Afzal, Parvez, Imtiyaz Ali, Tarikh Ahmed and Mohammed Asif—for allegedly impersonating religious figures to dupe people. Similarly, Dehradun district police arrested Mohammed Yaqub, Bhikhari Lal, Kuldeep Sharma and Hazari Lal from Uttar Pradesh, as well as Saryug Yadav from Bihar, Baldev from Jharkhand, and Babli and Varshram from the state's Haridwar and Rishikesh districts under this campaign. On the other hand, the Uttarakhand Police also stumbled upon a man named Jitendra from Uttar Pradesh's Moradabad district who had gone missing in 2005. His family had given up all hopes of his return. Haridwar district police facilitated a reunion with his family after he was first spotted disguised as a Kanwariya during a random check near a 13th-century dargah under Piran Kaliyar Sharif police station. He did not have any valid documents but could vaguely recall his father's name and the police station. A thorough follow-up by the police helped trace his family. Chief Minister Dhami said at the launch of the campaign that strict orders had been given to police to start Operation Kalanemi against impostors 'cheating people in the name of Sanatan Dharma and playing with their emotions'. 'Many such cases have come to light in the state where anti-social elements are duping people, especially women, by disguising themselves as sadhus and saints,' Dhami told reporters. 'This is not only hurting the religious sentiments of the people, but also harming the image of social harmony and the Sanatan tradition. In such a situation, if a person of any religion is found engaging in such acts, strict action will be taken against them,' he added. (Edited by Sugita Katyal) Also Read: Narendra Yadav or John Kem? Probe ordered into 'surgeries by man posing as British doctor' in Damoh


India.com
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- India.com
Who is Bharata in Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana? This National Award winner will play role of Ranbir Kapoor's younger brother, his name is...
The first part of Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana will release on Diwali 2026. In the teaser, Ranbir Kapoor appears as Shri Rama, Yash as 'Lanka Naresh' Ravana, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Ravie Dubey as Laxman. Now, another name has been revealed who will be essaying as Bharata. Who is this actor? Here we are talking about Adinath Kothare, a celebrated Marathi actor and National Award-winning filmmaker, who has been cast as Bharata, Lord Shri Rama's brother in Nitesh Tiwari's upcoming film, 'Ramayana'. Kothare expressed his gratitude for being part of what he describes as 'one of the most well-planned cinema on Indian soil,' highlighting the film's meticulous approach to storytelling and production. During a conversation with Bollywood Hungama, Kothare said, 'It's a blessing. It's the biggest film made on Indian soil. It's also one of the biggest films made globally today. To be a part of it, I am truly indebted to Mukesh Chhabra. He is the man who cast me and, of course, Nitesh sir for choosing me for the character of Bharat. And also Namit Malhotra sir, who believed in me and entrusted me with such a big responsibility of such an important character.' Bharat is one of the brothers of Lord Ram. 'It's one of the most well-planned cinemas' Addinath further said, 'It's one of the most well-planned cinemas on Indian soil, I think. We are fortunate enough to witness this from close quarters. And I am really fortunate to have got this opportunity in such a big film, not just as an actor, filmmaker, human being, but just to get to witness this humongous scale of film production. No film school can teach you this.' More about Adinath Kothare Adinath Kothare is a prominent figure in Marathi cinema and a filmmaker who has won a National Award. His notable films include 'Avatarachi Gosht', 'Paani', 'Neelkanth Master', and 'Chandramukhi'. He made his film debut as a child artist in 'Majha Chakula', which came out in 1994. For his work on the film Paani (2024), he was honored with the National Award for Best Film on Environmental Protection, receiving widespread acclaim both at the box office and from critics. He was last seen in Netflix's series 'The Royals' opposite actors Ishaan Khattar and Bhumi Pednekar.