Varanasi

As monsoon rains sweep northern India, Delhi braces for light showers while other cities battle severe flooding, traffic disruptions, and power outages

The water level of the Ganga river crossed the danger mark here on Monday morning, submerging ghats and forcing the authorities to shift cremation and other religious rituals to rooftops and raised platforms, officials said. According to the Central Water Commission, the Ganga was flowing at 72.1 metres by Monday morning, above the danger level of 71.262 metres. Shivam Agrahari of Ganga Seva Nidhi said all ghats have been submerged, cutting off access. The famed Ganga 'aarti' at the Dashashwamedh ghat is now being conducted on rooftops, while cremations at Manikarnika and Harishchandra ghats are being performed on elevated platforms. District authorities have imposed a ban on boat movement in the river as a precautionary measure. Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are patrolling the flood-affected areas and rescuing stranded individuals to safer locations, the officials said. On Sunday, District Magistrate Satyendra Kumar visited the flood-affected areas and reli

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday visited his parliamentary constituency, Varanasi, where he inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for 52 development projects worth approximately Rs 2,183.45 crore. In a major move to support farmers, the Prime Minister also released the 20th instalment of the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi, transferring Rs 20,500 crore to the bank accounts of over 9.70 crore eligible farmers across the country. Additionally, he distributed assistive devices such as wheelchairs, tricycles, and visual aids to people with disabilities and senior citizens during a special programme held at Banauli village in the Sevapuri block. "Hum Kaashi ke har parivar-jan ke pranaam karat hai (I extend my respectful greetings to every family of Varanasi)", said the prime minister in the local dialect, drawing massive cheers from the crowd as he opened his address. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, both his deputiesKeshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathakalong with sever

Uttar Pradesh alone will see more than 23 mn farmers receive ₹4,600 crore, including Rs 48 crore to 221,000 farmers in Varanasi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch multiple development projects worth around Rs 2,200 crore for Varanasi, his parliamentary constituency, on Saturday. A statement said the projects cater to several sectors, including infrastructure, education, healthcare, tourism, urban development and cultural heritage, and are aimed at achieving holistic urban transformation, cultural rejuvenation, improved connectivity and an enhanced quality of life in Varanasi. Modi will inaugurate projects to widen and strengthen the Varanasi-Bhadohi and Chhitauni-Shool Tankeshwar roads, and construct a rail overbridge at Hardattpur to ease congestion on the Mohan Sarai-Adalpura Road. He will lay the foundation stone for comprehensive road widening and strengthening across multiple rural and urban corridors, including Dalmandi, Lahartara-Kotwa, Gangapur, Babatpur, and rail overbridges at level crossing 22C and Khalispur Yard, the statement said. Strengthening the power infrastructure in the region, the

Nearly 2000 police personnel, 6 companies of CRPF, 10 companies of PAC, one flood relief company, and 1 team of ATS have been deployed

A district court here has dismissed a plea seeking the transfer of the original 1991 Gyanvapi suit from the court of the civil judge to another court. Advocate Vijay Shankar Rastogi, who is a party to the case, said District Judge Jay Prakash Tiwari rejected the transfer application on Monday, stating that the petitioners were not parties to the original suit and hence had no legal standing to seek such a transfer. The plea was filed by Manikuntala Tiwari, Neelima Mishra and Renu Pandey. They are the daughters of late Harihar Pandey, one of the litigants who filed the original suit. According to Rastogi, the plea submitted that they were not being given adequate time to present their side before the civil judge (senior division) fast track where the original suit is pending since 1991 and sought the case to be transferred to another court. Rastogi argued that the three sisters were not listed as parties in the 1991 suit and therefore did not have the locus standi to file a transfer

In West UP, Moradabad & Kasganj likely to receive rainfall of 15 cm; Aligarh 12cm, Sambhal 9cm; Kasba Tanda, Rath, and Sikandra Rao likely to receive 8 cm, and Khurja to receive 7 cm of rainfall

AppsForBharat secures ₹175 crore in Series C funding to deepen digital temple services, expand into 20 towns, and enhance AI-driven devotional experiences

An Air India flight from Bali to Delhi was diverted to Varanasi's Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport due to bad weather in the national capital, an official said on Wednesday. The flight later departed for Delhi the same night after the stop at Varanasi on Tuesday. Puneet Gupta, Director of Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, Varanasi, said the Air India flight AI 2146 had to be diverted as poor weather conditions over Delhi severely reduced visibility, making it unsafe for the aircraft to land. "The flight, carrying 187 passengers, safely landed at Varanasi airport," Gupta said, adding that "all necessary passenger amenities were ensured during the delay. The plane was cleared for take-off and flown back to Delhi later in the night. A separate Delhi-Bali flight was diverted back to the national capital on Wednesday due to a volcanic eruption near Bali airport. The flight safely landed back in Delhi and all passengers have disembarked, Air India said in a statement.

Varanasi railway station sees rampant overcharging at parking stands; official probe ordered after report suggests ₹2,400 being demanded for 24-hour bike parking

Panic broke out at Varanasi airport after a foreign national aboard a Bengaluru-bound IndiGo flight claimed he was carrying a bomb, police said on Sunday. The incident took place on Saturday night, police said, adding that the passenger, a Canadian, has been detained. Security sleuths are questioning the man, officials said. Following the bomb scare, the aircraft was moved to the isolation bay for a thorough inspection, but no explosive material was found, said Puneet Gupta, Director of the airport. Gupta said the IndiGo crew promptly informed the Air Traffic Control (ATC) about the threat after the passenger's claim. The flight was grounded and inspected as per standard security protocols. After receiving clearance from security agencies, the aircraft departed for Bengaluru on Sunday morning, officials said. A detailed probe is on in the matter.

He further noted that the Ayushman Bharat scheme has saved crores of rupees for lakhs of families in Uttar Pradesh

He spoke about the numerous initiatives launched for the betterment of farmers, handicraftsmen, and the poor

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Varanasi, his parliamentary constituency, on Friday, where he will address a public gathering and inaugurate and lay the foundation stones of 44 projects worth Rs 3,880 crore According to Varanasi Divisional Commissioner Kaushal Raj Sharma, among the projects to be inaugurated are schemes focused on rural development, including 130 drinking water projects, 100 new Anganwadi centres, 356 libraries, a polytechnic college in Pindra, and a government degree college. The prime minister will also inaugurate a transit hostel at the Police Lines and police barracks in Ramnagar and four rural roads, he said. Focusing on urban development, Modi will inaugurate projects at Shastri Ghat and Samne Ghat, along with various beautification projects carried out by the Railways and the Varanasi Development Authority (VDA). Among the projects for which foundation stones will be laid, 25 are worth Rs 2,250 crore, with a major focus on strengthening the city's ..

Prime Minister Modi will then visit Madhya Pradesh, perform darshan and pooja at Guru Ji Maharaj Temple in Isagarh around 3:15 pm, and attend a public programme at Anandpur Dham at about 4:15 pm

The Hindu groups claim that the Muslim invaders destroyed the Srikrishna Temple in Mathura and the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi and built mosques over them

Team India will lock horns with New Zealand in the final of the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium

Anticipating a heavy rush of devotees during Mahashivratri, authorities have decided to suspend the VIP 'darshan' facility at the Kashi Vishwanath temple here from February 25 to 27. Kashi Vishwanath Temple's Chief Executive Officer, Vishw Bhushan Mishra said on Monday that the number of visitors to the temple has significantly increased due to the return flow of devotees from the ongoing Maha Kumbh in nearby Prayagraj. With Mahashivratri falling on February 26 this year alongside the Kumbh Mela, pilgrims from across the country, along with saints from various akharas, including Naga sadhus, are expected to arrive in large numbers to offer prayers, he noted. "On this occasion, the Naga akharas will also take out a grand procession, which will temporarily block general access through gate number 4 of the temple. This is likely to increase the waiting time for regular devotees. Given the hot and humid weather conditions, prolonged waiting could pose health risks, especially for ...

Authorities have stopped the Ganga Aarti performed at the ghats of Varanasi for the general public till February 5, considering a surge in crowd. Police Commissioner Mohit Agarwal has appealed to the people of Kashi not to leave their house unnecessarily and to cooperate with the devotees. Ganga Seva Nidhi President Sushant Mishra on Friday said the Ganga Aarti performed at Dashashwamedh Ghat will remain closed for the general public till February 5. Similarly, the committees performing Ganga Aarti at Sheetla Ghat, Assi Ghat and other ghats have also appealed to the general public, visitors and devotees not to come for it till February 5. A large number of devotees returning from Prayagraj Maha Kumbh are still stranded at Varanasi Cantt and Banaras railway stations. Many devotees said that they could not catch their train due to the excessive crowd. In addition, hundreds have stranded at stations due to the cancellation of some of the trains. Bobby Maya Limbu from Assam's Sonicpu