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The annual Amarnath Yatra began on Thursday as a batch of about 2,750 pilgrims left the base camp here for the cave shrine housing the naturally formed ice-lingam in the south Kashmir Himalayas.The pilgrimage was flagged off by Deputy Commissioner Piyush Singla at the Nunwan base camp in the Anantnag district’s Pahalgam. The journey — most of it on foot — takes about three days with night halts at Sheeshnag and Panchtarni along the route. All arrangements have been made to ensure smooth conduct of the 43-day pilgrimage, Singla said, adding, “The endeavour is to make sure that the pilgrims feel secure and visit the shrine peacefully.” Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday flagged off the first batch of 4,890 pilgrims from the Jammu base camp. Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) has also made a provision for online ‘darshan’ of the naturally formed ice lingam, officials said. They said this year, the pilgrimage is expected to see higher-than-usual attendance as i...

Covid-19 brought the tourism and travel sector globally to a grinding halt for almost two years. Countries and holiday spots with a huge dependence on travellers have borne the brunt of Covid the most. Many countries are cautiously reopening their doors to visitors. But it will be some time before airports, shopping arcades, hotels, restaurants and entertainment shows see business getting back to normal. International arrivals in 2021 were 72% below the pre-pandemic year of 2019, and the industry suffered a loss of almost $4.5 trn, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council, Economic Impact Report 2020. In many countries, domestic tourism is picking up momentum faster than international tourism due to the relative ease of processes related to testing and vaccination, eagerness of travellers to venture out and the opening up of the skies and rail systems. Amidst the churn that the sector has been experiencing are some interesting trends thrown up by the digital transition. The...

IndiGo on Wednesday said it will operate additional flights on Delhi-Leh, Delhi-Srinagar and Lucknow-Pantnagar routes from July 1 onwards due to increased demand. “We are pleased to strengthen our network by adding frequencies on Delhi-Leh, Delhi-Srinagar and Lucknow-Pantnagar routes, catering to increased demand for travel to Ladakh, Uttarakhand and Kashmir,” Sanjay Kumar, Chief Strategy and Revenue Officer, IndiGo, said in a statement. IndiGo has been witnessing high demand on Delhi-Leh route and with this new service, we will have three daily flights from Delhi to Leh, he noted. “We are getting a good response to our Lucknow- Pantnagar flight and with the increase in frequency, this flight would now operate five days a week,” he mentioned. from Travel News:Travel and Tourism,Latest Travel News,Tourism News Today,Latest Travel News Articles | The Financial Express https://ift.tt/PXFzGdB

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday flagged off the first batch of 4,890 pilgrims for the annual Amarnath yatra from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu city for their onward journey to the Pahalgam and Baltal base camps in Kashmir. The 43-day pilgrimage to the cave shrine will begin from twin base camps in Kashmir on Thursday and will conclude on August 11 on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan. The annual Amarnath Yatra is being organised after a gap of two years due to the Covid pandemic. Amid chants of ‘Bam Bam Bhole’ and ‘Jai Barfani Baba ki’, the pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here in a convoy of vehicles amid tight security. Flanked by political leaders and officials, including Jammu Mayor Chander Mohan Gupta, BJP leader Devender Rana and Chief Secretary Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, the Sinha flagged off the convoy of buses and other vehicles carrying pilgrims on their inward journey to the twin base camps in Kashmir. The first batch of pilgrims left for the cave shr...

Indians and Malaysians are leading a tourist rush to Thailand after it relaxed entry rules, with total arrivals topping 2 million since the start of the year and providing a fillip to the Southeast Asian nation’s sluggish economy. Foreign tourist arrivals totaled 2.03 million between Jan. 1 and June 26, deputy government spokeswoman Traisuree Taisaranakul said in a statement on Monday. Travelers from India, Malaysia, the UK, Singapore and the US topped the list, she said. Thailand’s tourism industry, which was nearly decimated during the pandemic, expects average monthly arrivals to surge to about 1.5 million with the country scrapping a pre-travel registration and mandatory medical insurance from July 1. Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy has rolled back most of the pandemic-era curbs on travel and businesses, and last week lifted a mask mandate while allowing pubs and bars to return to normal operating hours. The measures are part of efforts to shore up an economy which depen...

Vietnamese airline Vietjet on Monday said it will connect its coastal city Da Nang with five cities as it looks to boost its presence in the largest country of the subcontinent. The airline will connect New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Bengaluru with Vietnamese coastal city Da Nang. The new services will start within the third quarter of 2022 with four to seven return flights per week, the airline said in a statement. Vietjet currently operates four services between Vietnam and India, including New Delhi/Mumbai – Hanoi and New Delhi/Mumbai – Ho Chi Minh City. It has already announced its plans to launch two more routes, connecting New Delhi and Mumbai with the island city of Phu Quoc in September 2022. The announcement to commence five new routes was recently made at the Da Nang Investment Forum 2022, Vietjet said. The event also marks Vietjet’s announcement to incorporate Da Nang’s tourism symbol on its fleet to promote the city globally. “Vietjet believes that the ...

They have no manuals, architectural drawings or modern machines, but a group of craftsmen make gigantic and identical chariots for Lord Jagannath and his two siblings in Puri every year, using only traditional knowledge. During the annual Rath Yatra festival in the pilgrim town, three chariots famed for their majestic structure and brilliant craftsmanship start from the 12th century Jagannath Temple and reach the Gundicha Temple. “The chariots are constructed afresh every year. There is no deviation in their heights, widths and other key parameters for centuries. However, new features are added to the chariots to make them more colourful and attractive,” Asit Mohanty, a researcher in the Jagannath culture, told PTI.The carpenters engaged in chariot construction do not have any formal training. They only have knowledge and techniques that have been trickled down from their forefathers, Mohanty pointed out. The chariots are constructed from over 4,000 pieces of wood by a few families w...

After the end of the four-day Ambubachi festival, the doors of the Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati were finally opened for the devotees on Sunday. It is believed that the deity at the temple undergoes her annual menstrual cycle during these four days. Kamakhya Temple is considered as one of the 52 Shakti peethas. With the end of the festival, the four-day mela also came to a close. Notably, devotees were allowed to participate in the mela after almost two years. Among the first devotees who visited the temple on Sunday include Governor Jagdish Mukhi and his wife. “I along with the First Lady offered our prayers & obeisance to Maa #Kamakhya at the culmination of pious #AmbubachiMela. We prayed for the contentment & welfare of people of the State. May the divine blessings of Maa bring peace, prosperity & happiness in everyone’s life,” the governor tweeted. According to beliefs, the nurturing and feminine energies of the goddess are transmitted to the devotees in these four day...

The Catholic community in the state of Goa celebrates Sao Jao, the feast of St. John the Baptist every monsoon, and this year it started on Friday, June 24. The festivities feature a variety of food from local cuisine and serving feni. The main draw is the various water bodies that are used for the event, such as ponds, fountains, and wells where the revelers plunge in called “leap of joy”. Besides these, the festival also includes a boat festival and the playing of the gumott, a type of percussion instrument. Catholics in Goa celebrate various religious festivals at the Roman Catholic Church. One of these is the feast of St. John the Baptist, which is celebrated on June 24. John the Bapist baptised Jesus Christ on the river Jordan). Usually, the festivities are held in the villages of Cortalim, Harmal, Baga, Terekhol, and Siolim in North and South Goa, respectively. However, over the years, various private pool parties that are a complete package of merriment is being held in the st...

Travel and hospitality technology platform, OYO on Friday announced up to 60 per cent reduction in charges for a limited period for small businesses on their stay in its member hotels. The scheme, available for small and medium scale businesses, is being offered on the occasion of World MSME Day, the company said in a statement. Business travellers belonging to the segment will be eligible to avail up to 60 per cent discount on their stay in OYO hotels from June 27 to July 3, 2022, it added. “They will have the opportunity to choose from more than 10,000 rooms available in approximately 2,000 OYO properties across the country offering this discount,” OYO said. “A lot of our customers are employees or owners of small and medium businesses… The special pricing for such businesses on the occasion of World MSME day is our way of encouraging and respecting these businesses, which are powering India’s progress and growth and benefiting communities around them in the process,” OYO Senior Vi...

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Online travel firm MakeMyTrip on Thursday said it plans to increase its all-women team of ‘holiday experts’ boosted by consistent growth delivered and highest-ever packages sold by them last fiscal. In FY22, the team of women freelancers, serving as holiday experts, helped curate packages for nearly two lakh travellers – closing the year with highest-ever packages sold by these experts in over 10 years, MakeMyTrip said in a statement. “Spurred by the consistent growth, in the coming months, MakeMyTrip is now aiming to expand the franchise network and increase its pool of holiday experts across the country,” it added. The company, however, did not elaborate by how much the number of its all-women team of holiday experts would be increased. Currently, MakeMyTrip said it has over 850 women holiday experts with 43 per cent of them being mothers and caregivers working from metros such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Indore, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh and Lucknow. MakeMyTrip sa...

EaseMyTrip is celebrating its 14th anniversary with a mega sale on various travel-related products and services. The sale started on June 22nd and will continue till June 25th. The sale spanning four days will feature ideals across various verticals. This is the first time that the company is conducting a sale on such a large scale post-pandemic. The travel tech platform also expects a significant increase in traffic during the sale. Besides international and domestic flights, the company will also offer various other services and products such as bus bookings and hotel reservations. The sale features various partners and airlines and deals from banks that are partnered with the company available on select credit card bookings. During the sale, customers can get 10% discount on international flights upto Rs 10, 000 with a minimum ticket price of Rs 7500 and a 14% discount on domestic flight bookings up to INR 2,022 for domestic flight bookings with a minimum value of Rs 5000. They ca...

Char Minar, Ramoji Film City, Golconda Fort, Shri Jagannath Temple, Birla Mandir, Hussain Sagar Lake, Qutub Shahi Tombs, Birla Science Museum, Snow World, Paigah Tombs, and many more. Hyderabad is a great blend of regal history and bold modernity and a delightful place to visit after a slump of a couple of years, tourism in the city is back to normal. The rush of people visiting Tank Bund Road, NTR Marg, and PVNR Marg leading the city’s iconic Hussainsagar lake in Hyderabad on a Sunday is similar to the pre-Covid times. The hustle and bustle at Lumbini Park, NTR Gardens, NTR memorial, and other nearby business establishments and the presence of a large number of vendors and hawkers in the adjoining area is also a sign of the return of normalcy in the city of the Nizams. According to Abdul, a street vendor near Imax circle people has overcome the fear and the virus. He said that life will continue as usual. The Telangana Tourism Development Corporation also believes that the situation...

Ambubachi Mela, the biggest congregation of devotees in the northeast, kicked off on Wednesday after a two-year gap due to Covid-19. The Kamrup (Metro) District Administration expects around 10 lakh devotees to throng the mela at Guwahati’s famous Kamakhya Temple. The district administration has set up three camps for the devotees. Around 5,000 devotees have already gathered at Kamakhya station and the old jail complex. The police have also restricted vehicular traffic from the Kamakhya gate to the temple. The district administration, however, will provide 25 vehicles to transport officials and VIPs from the foothills to the temple. At least 800 CCTV cameras — 300 by the temple authority and 500 by the police — have been installed for surveillance. To ensure safety, adequate number of police officers will be positioned at the temple and on the road leading from the foothills. Nine medical camps, including one with five beds, have been set up at various locations around the hills. Ap...

Domestic air passenger traffic saw a strong recovery in demand as Indian carriers flew 1.20 crore passengers on the local routes in May, logging nearly five-fold year-on-year volume growth, DGCA data showed on Wednesday. Domestic air passenger traffic in May 2021 stood at a meager 21-lakh, as per the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) data. Of the total 1.20 crore passengers flown by the domestic carriers in May 2022, market leader IndiGo transported around 70 lakh with 57.9 per cent market share, followed by Mumbai-based carrier Go First with 12.76 lakh passengers, accounting for 10.8 per cent of the total domestic traffic. The two full-service carriers — Air India and Vistara, which are part of the Tata Group along with no-frills AirAsia India — carried 8.23 lakh and 9.83 lakh passengers, respectively, in the previous month. AirAsia India flew 6.86 lakh passengers across the domestic routes in May 2022, the DGCA said. During the reporting month, budget carrier SpiceJet...

Severe manpower shortage at European airports, coupled with a post-pandemic vacation boom, has disrupted travel — leading to flights being cancelled, long queues causing passengers to miss flights, and delayed baggage. London’s Heathrow, one of the worst-hit airports, asked airlines operating at two of its terminals to cancel 10% of their flights, according to a recent  Bloomberg  report. THE PROBLEM AT EUROPEAN AIRPORTS The emergence of Covid-19 two years ago hit the aviation industry severely — airlines and airports let workers go to reduce costs as flights were grounded for a prolonged period. Now, with the pandemic slowly receding, people have resumed travelling and airlines have started increasing flights. But the airports failed to hire staff members in line with the growing traffic. This, coupled with several airport and security worker unions in Europe going on a strike for better pay, has led to a severe shortage of labour and disruptions operations. THE AIRPORTS A...

An earthquake of 3.1 magnitude was recorded near Gujarat’s Kevadia village, the home to the world famous Statue of Unity. However, latest reports say that there was no loss of life or property in the area.  The 182-meter tall Statue of Unity is situated close to the Kevadia town.  The Earthquake tremors were reported on Monday Night. There is no harm to the Statue of Unity, which is built in such a way that it can not be damaged by powerful earthquakes and cyclones, the PRO Rahul Patel said. The focal point of the quake was 12 km east-southeast of Kevadia, the Gandhinagar-based Institute of Seismological Research (ISR) said in a statement. “A 3.1 extent quake was recorded at 10.07 pm on Monday with its focal point 12 km east-southeast (ESE) of Kevadia in south Gujarat. It was recorded at a depth of 12.7 km,” the Gandhinagar-based Earthquake Research Institute (ISR) said. from Travel News:Travel and Tourism,Latest Travel News,Tourism News Today,Latest Travel News Articles...

There were two major bird strike incidents on June 19th with two different flights. While one involved the Patna-Delhi SpiceJet, the other was an IndiGo plane from Guwahati to Delhi. Both flights had to return to their original airports for maintenance. DGCA on Sunday said that the bird strike resulted in the failure of engine 1 of the SpiceJet aircraft, which had to return to Patna airport. Similarly, flight 6E 6394 to Delhi was forced to return to Guwahati after a bird hit the plane soon after the take-off. While DGCA has decided to probe both incidents, we decided to break down for you, what exactly bird strikes are. What are bird strikes? Whenever a bird or a bat hits an airplane/flight, it is considered a bird strike. Notably, bird hits are considered one of the common threats to the safety of flights. These kinds of incidents mostly occur at the time of take-off or during the landing of flights. The most dangerous form of bird strike is considered when a bird is ingested into t...

Saudi Arabia on Monday lifted coronavirus-related travel restrictions on its citizens travelling to India and three other countries. The move is based on the follow-up to the epidemiological situation of the coronavirus pandemic, and what has been submitted by health authorities on the global epidemiological situation, the Saudi Press Agency reported quoting an official source at the Ministry of Interior. Besides India, the other countries are Ethiopia, Turkey and Vietnam, the report said. Last week, Saudi Arabia announced the lifting of measures taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including the requirement to wear face masks in closed places. The oil-rich kingdom has already started receiving pilgrims for the annual Hajj season that gets underway in a few weeks. from Travel News:Travel and Tourism,Latest Travel News,Tourism News Today,Latest Travel News Articles | The Financial Express https://ift.tt/uncRBFt

With weather expected to change in the next four days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted rain in several parts of Uttarakand including the Char Dham route. Due to this, the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board has asked pilgrims to plan their trips only after getting full information regarding routes and weather through the toll-free number run by the state government. The department has also urged pilgrims to carry an umbrella, woolen clothes, raincoat, waterproof walking stick, trekking shoes,cap, and gloves during their journey. The met department predicted heavy showers and heavy showers in some places across the state. It also predicted the possibility of light to moderate rains in several areas of Kumaon division and Garhwal division. It has also issued warnings of light landslides, road closures, rock falls,and water rising in rivers and streams in the districts that are prone to heavy rains. It is because of this reason that tourists have been advised to...

In a major development, Antara Luxury River Cruises has decided to go on the longest journey across the globe in December 2022. The 51-day journey aboard the company’s Antara Ganga Vilas ship will cover 51 days and will pass through Ganges and the Brahmaputra. The world’s longest river journey,the ship will start from Uttar Pradesh’s Kashi, while its last destination is Dibrugarh in Assam. According to the company, the ship will sail through 27 smaller rivers, 5 states and 2 countries.The voyage also provides a fantastic opportunity for tourists to explore South Asian culture. It will also give the opportunity for travellers a perfect time to spend some leisure time. It also gives great opportunities for history buffs, cultural enthusiasts, and nature lovers. It also offers hop-on and hop-off options for people who wish to travel only in particular segments. Speaking about the itinerary, Raj Singh, chairman of the company said, “Each experience has been personally vetted and designed ...

United Airlines is scheduled to begin daily flights from here to San Francisco in the last quarter of 2022, according to Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru. Australian national carrier Qantas will begin four weekly flights to Sydney from September 14, the airport said in a statement on Monday while giving an update on the international flight operations. Two weekly flights to Tel Aviv (Air India) and daily flights to Seattle (American Airlines) are also planned in the near future, it said. Additionally, new routes launched a few months before the outbreak of the pandemic have already been re-connected. Addis Ababa, (connected by Ethiopian Airlines), Amsterdam (by KLM), and Tokyo Narita (by Japan Airlines) have been reinstated from Bengaluru, it said. Japan Airlines will increase frequency to Tokyo Narita to thrice a week, effective August this year, and KLM plans to further increase frequency on the Bengaluru-Amsterdam route from the current three weekly frequencies to fo...

An emergency landing of an aircraft was made on Sunday evening. The latest case is of Guwahati Airport. A suspicious bird hit the aircraft after taking off from an indigo flight from Guwahati to Delhi. Afterwhich, the aircraft landed back at Guwahati airport. Officials associated with IndiGo said that all the passengers aboard Flight 6E 6394 have been moved to one more flight headed for Delhi. Simultaneously, the aircraft is being inspected. This was the third emergency landing incident that happened in a day. Earlier in the day, a major accident was avoided at Patna airport in Bihar.  A sudden fire broke out in the Delhi-bound aircraft of SpiceJet airlines after taking off from the Patna Airport and made an emergency landing minutes later. At that time 185 passengers were on board. As per the Directorate General of Civil Aviation statement, the plane was involved in air turnback as the cabin crew informed PIC  about sparks coming out of the engine. During the rot...

The Finance Ministry has asked government employees to opt for ‘cheapest fare available’ on their entitled travel class and book air tickets at least three weeks prior to their date of travel for tours and LTC, as it looks to cut down on unnecessary expenditure. The Ministry further said that employees should book only one ticket for each leg of intended travel, make bookings even if approval of the tour programme is under process and also avoid “unnecessary cancellations”. Government employees are currently required to purchase air tickets only from three authorised travel agents — Balmer Lawrie & Co, Ashok Travel & Tours and IRCTC. Any booking made within less than 72 hours of intended travel on tour or any cancellation made less than 24 hours before intended travel will require the submission of self-declared justification by the employee, as per the modified instructions regarding booking of air tickets on the government account. “Employees are to choose flights having ...

Call it a fallout of social distancing or too much time spent with family, but when it comes to travel, solo trips are suddenly gaining popularity. Solo travel is typically associated with flexibility, and group tours are seen as rigid. That’s why many prefer travelling solo as it helps them meet new people and open their minds to unique experiences that inspire and enrich them. Says Daniel D’Souza, president & country head, holidays, SOTC Travel,  “With the pandemic putting a hard stop on travel, people utilised this time to build their bucket lists that mainly comprised unusual destinations away from crowds and mainstream tourist destinations. Rugged holidays like bike trips over extended weekend holidays and in-depth exploration of domestic locales have made solo travel a segment that comprises explorers and adventure enthusiasts, making them a niche but important set of customers for us. This segment prefers unusual and non-standard itineraries that give them the thrill an...

I like visiting cities that begin with the letter ‘M’ because they then alliterate so beautifully with ‘musings’. That said, even if Melbourne were spelt with a silent ‘X’ in front, I am sure I’d find some way to make it sound poetically enchanting. I love how Europe has great food and I always wish there was a way to match it with Asian hospitality. Add to that some North American sense of ease of living and you have quite the ideal place and people. To me, Australia has just that right mix. As the pandemic somewhat lifts, I got a chance to travel and recently visited Victoria (no, that alliteration was completely unintended) and I had an absolute whale of a time. I took cars, trains, and ferries and yet, at any point, was no further than a few hours from Melbourne. The state of Victoria is relatively cool, so the wines yield us some really crisp sparkling and white wines and fruit-forward reds. I have visited Yarra and Heathcote earlier and this time around, I visited St Hubert, a ...

I like visiting cities that begin with the letter ‘M’ because they then alliterate so beautifully with ‘musings’. That said, even if Melbourne were spelt with a silent ‘X’ in front, I am sure I’d find some way to make it sound poetically enchanting. I love how Europe has great food and I always wish there was a way to match it with Asian hospitality. Add to that some North American sense of ease of living and you have quite the ideal place and people. To me, Australia has just that right mix. As the pandemic somewhat lifts, I got a chance to travel and recently visited Victoria (no, that alliteration was completely unintended) and I had an absolute whale of a time. I took cars, trains, and ferries and yet, at any point, was no further than a few hours from Melbourne. The state of Victoria is relatively cool, so the wines yield us some really crisp sparkling and white wines and fruit-forward reds. I have visited Yarra and Heathcote earlier and this time around, I visited St Hubert, a ...

Mumbai and Tel Aviv: A tale of twin cities from India Today | Leisure https://ift.tt/DrZUN4y

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Artists must be simple: Bangladesh artist Rokeya Sultana from India Today | Leisure https://ift.tt/F3E64jb

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) Ministry is developing 45 Ro-Ro (Roll-on, Roll-off) ferry and waterway transportation projects at an estimated cost of Rs. 1900 Crore in order to reduce travel time logistics costs and pollution, the ministry said in an official statement. Through the initiative of Sagarmala, the Ministry established Ro-Pax Ferry services between Ghogha – Hazira in Gujarat and Mumbai – Mandwa in Maharashtra to provide for convenient and clean commutation. These services have catered to over 7 lakh passengers and 1.5 lakh vehicles. Additional projects are planned at Ghodbunder, Veldur, Vasai, Kashid, Rewas, Manori, Pipavav and Muldwarka, JN Port in Maharashtra and Pipavav and Muldwarka in Gujarat. In addition to these, the Ministry is also financing projects in various other states. These include 4 projects in Andhra Pradesh, 2 in Odisha, and 1 each in Tamil Nadu and Goa. The Ministry has prepared a draft guideline for the operation of the Ro-Pax ...

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Aghan carrier Kam Air on Wednesday operated a special flight on Kabul-Delhi route with few passengers on board, sources said. The last scheduled passenger flight between India and Afghanistan took place on August 15, 2021, when the Afghanistan airspace was shut down for commercial flights as Kabul fell to Taliban forces. Kam Air has not operated any scheduled passenger flight to India since August 15. On Wednesday, Kam Air operated a special flight from Kabul to Delhi with few passengers on board, sources noted. The flight landed at the Delhi airport at 11.30 AM on Wednesday, they added. The return flight to Kabul also had few passengers on board and it departed from the Delhi airport at 2.16 PM, they mentioned. from Travel News:Travel and Tourism,Latest Travel News,Tourism News Today,Latest Travel News Articles | The Financial Express https://ift.tt/QLIAiaH

The sharp increase in aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices and the depreciation of the rupee have left the domestic airlines with no choice but to immediately raise airfares, said Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, SpiceJet, on Thursday. A minimum 10-15 per cent increase in air fares is required to ensure that cost of operations are better sustained, Singh said in a statement. “ATF prices have increased by more than 120 per cent since June 2021. This massive increase is not sustainable and governments, central and state, need to take urgent action to reduce taxes on ATF that are amongst the highest in the world,” he said. SpiceJet has in the last few months tried to absorb as much burden of this fuel price rise, which constitutes more than 50 per cent of our operational cost, as we could, he said. “The weakening of the Indian rupee against the US dollar further significantly impacts airlines as our substantial cost is either dollar denominated or pegged to the dollar.” from...

The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation plans to install rock sculptures of prominent Indian historical figures in mountain ranges across the state. The plan is inspired by Mount Rushmore in the United States, where massive rock sculptures of four presidents — George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln — adorn a South Dakota mountain range. The site also includes a museum with interactive exhibits. The corporation wants to replicate the project in Maharashtra and has already floated a tender for a consultant to conduct a feasibility study and prepare a detailed master plan. The consultant will also identify locations for the proposed sculptures to come up. The project, corporation officials told  The Indian Express , aspired to develop a memorial for leaders and warriors of Indian history, with a special emphasis on heroes from Maharashtra. The consultant will also evolve an optimal structure for the final projects and assess the fin...

Airlines are liable to pay compensation of up to Rs10,000 to a passenger who is denied boarding and the carrier is not able to arrange another flight within an hour. However, for any delay beyond 24 hours, a compensation of up to `20,000 has to be paid. These are liable only in cases where the traveller is holding a valid ticket and has presented it on time, according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The aviation regulator reiterated the existing rules, even as it fined Air India Rs 10 lakh for not adhering to the norm. “Our stipulations on the subject are in sync with the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and similar regulations are followed globally to accord appropriate respect to passenger rights. Recently, the DGCA had issued strict instructions to all domestic airlines to abide by the said regulation in letter and spirit,” the aviation regulator said in a press note. Last month, after several complaint...

A few weeks ahead of Rath Yatra, thousands of pilgrims from various parts of the country arrived at the religious town of Puri on Monday for the annual Snan Ustav. The pilgrims from various parts of the country had come to take part in the ceremonial bathe ritual of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Lord Subhadra. Several security officers are deployed in the area to ensure safety and security. The deities are taken to the altar of the temple complex, which is called the Snana Vedi. Before the ritual, priests bathe the Lord’s body using the water from the sacred well located inside the temple. A total of over a hundred pitchers of herbal and aromatic water were used during the bathing. The pilgrims carried out various religious activities during the event. They sang religious songs. A few people also participated in the dance. According to Iskcon, the Snan Utsav is performed on the occasion of Purnima of Jyestha month. It is a special ritual that is carried out to commemorate th...

Aviation regulator DGCA on Tuesday said it has imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh on Air India for denying boarding to passengers holding valid tickets and thereafter not providing mandatory compensation to them. “After that a series of checks were carried out by DGCA and during our surveillance at Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Delhi, there were specific instances, in the case of Air India – where the regulation (regarding compensation to passengers) is not being followed and therefore, a show cause notice was issued to the airline and also a personal hearing was afforded,” the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a statement. According to the regulator, Air India may not have a policy in this regard and does not pay compensation to the passengers. “To say the least, it is a matter of serious concern and unacceptable. In the specific cases detailed in the show cause notice, after going through AI submissions, as part of enforcement action, the competent authority has levied a pe...

On the occasion of Buddha Purnima, India has sent the Four Holy Relics of Lord Buddha to its spiritual neighbour ‘Mongolia’. It will be displayed for 11 days at the Batsagaan Temple within the premises of Gandan Monastery. It was flown with 23 members of the delegation, led by Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on 12 June. It was located at Delhi’s National Museum. These four relics come from among 22 Buddha relics. Holy Buddha Relics are known as the ‘Kapilvastu Relics’ since they are from a site in Bihar first discovered in 1898 which is believed to be the ancient city of Kapilvastu. While speaking to the media, Shri Kiren Rijiju said that it is another historic milestone in India-Mongolia relations and will further boost cultural and spiritual relations between the two countries. He also said that it will revive our relations with the countries with whom we have had cultural and spiritual ties since centuries ago. Union Minister also said that India belies in peace and harmony and ...

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Maharashtra on Tuesday, June 14 to inaugurate places of religious and historic importance. The PM will start his day tour in Dehu, Pune by inaugurating the temple of Shrisant Tukaram Maharaj. Later, he will head to Raj Bhawan in Mumbai to inaugurate the Jal Bhushan Building and Gallery of Revolutionaries. He will end the tour by participating at Dwishatabdi Mahotsav at the Bandra Kurla Complex. Who is Jagatguru Shrisant Tukaram Maharaj Jagatguru Shrisant Tukaram Maharaj was a Warkari saint and poet who was known for his devotional songs and Abhanga poetry. A Shila Mandir was built on the Shila, but it was not formally established as a temple. It features a stone structure with 36 peaks and an idol of Sant Tukaram. During his life, the Bhakti saint had been on the rock for 13 days, after he was asked about the authenticity of his Abhyangs. According to Sansthan president Nitin More, prior to this, the saint spent about 10 days in the Indrayan...