Travel Blog

New Delhi: The sacred Amarnath Yatra, the annual pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine of Baba Barfani, will begin on July 3, 2025, and conclude on August 9, 2025, coinciding with the festival of Raksha Bandhan . This year, the pilgrimage will last for 38 days, two days shorter than the 40-day duration of the previous Yatra, a decision made during a key meeting held at Raj Bhawan today. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha chaired the 48th Board meeting of the Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board (SASB) at Raj Bhawan, where the official announcement was made. The Lieutenant Governor confirmed that the Yatra would commence simultaneously from both the Pahalgam track in Anantnag district and the Baltal route in Ganderbal district. “This year, Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra will commence on 3rd July and...

Spiritual tourism in India has been witnessing steady growth over the years. Places like Varanasi, Ayodhya, Rishikesh, Prayagraj, and others contribute to this growth, bringing a huge number of domestic and foreign travelers. In recent times, the growth has been propelled by big religious events like Maha Kumbh which is drawing tourists from across the world, significantly impacting India’s spiritual tourism. Held once every 144 years, Maha Kumbh highlights India’s profound spiritual heritage and strengthens India’s spiritual tourism industry. According to Atlys, a visa platform, there has been a 21.4% rise in inbound travel for spiritual purposes in India. As per the date, nearly 48% of all spiritual travel visa applicants are linked to Maha Kumbh. The event has becom...

Varanasi: The Holi festival in the spiritual capital of India is unique for its world-famous grandeur, ancient traditions, and mystical features. It’s believed that during Rangbhari Ekadashi, Lord Shiva plays Holi with devotees, followed by celebrations in the cremation grounds with ghosts and eunuchs. This religious camaraderie is popularly known as Masan Holi. This year Masan Holi will be celebrated on March 11 and bring more diversity as it will include Naga sadhus celebrating the Bhasm Utsav (festival of ashes) with their idol. The Naga monks will also take out a procession after the sacred Amrit Snan at the Maha Kumbh Mela. Unique and Ancient Tradition Varanasi—the world’s oldest living city—presents an unparalleled devotion to Lord Shiva, and during H...

JAMMU: A group of community kitchen operators on Sunday demanded speedy verification and improved mobile connectivity for their smooth functioning during the annual pilgrimage to the cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir, officials said. The demand was raised by a delegation of Shri Amarnathji Yatra Bhandara Organisation (SAYBO) when they called on Lt Governor Manoj Sinha at the Raj Bhavan here, the officials said. They said the delegation, led by SAYBO President Rajan Kapoor, apprised the Lt Governor on various important matters pertaining to expediting the verification process for members of langar (community kitchen) organisations, improving mobile connectivity and other issues related to smooth operations of 'bhandaras' during the Yatra which usually takes place in Jul...

Ujjain: A huge crowd of devotees thronged Mahakaleshwar temple located in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain district to offer prayers on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya on Wednesday and a special Bhasma Aarti and dhoop-deep Aarti was performed on the occasion. 'Bhasma aarti' (offering with ashes) is a famous ritual here. It is performed during the 'Brahma Muhurta' between around 3:30 and 5:30 in the morning. According to religious beliefs, the wishes of the devotee who participates in the Bhasma aarti are fulfilled. Priest of the temple, Yash Sharma told ANI, "According to the tradition, the doors of Baba Mahakal were opened in the Brahma Muhurta and after that, a holy bath of Lord Mahakal was performed with Panchamrit, which includes milk, curd, ghee, sugar and honey. ...

New Delhi: A total of 942 police, fire, home guard and civil defence personnel were awarded medals this Republic Day, including gallantry medals for former inspector general (IG) Vijay Kumar and former senior superintendent of police Rakesh Balwal of Jammu and Kashmir police for eliminating a Pakistani terrorist and his Kashmiri associate in Srinagar’s Bemina areas in June 2022 before they could attack the Amarnath Yatra. Vijay Kumar is currently posted in Delhi police while Rakesh Balwal, who had also investigated the 2019 Pulwama attack during his stint in the National Investigation Agency (NIA), is now deployed in Manipur. Overall, 95 gallantry medals have been awarded this year, with most bagged by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) (19 medals) and the Jammu and Kashmi...

Atlys, a visa processing platform, reports a 21.4% rise in inbound travel to India for spiritual experiences, fueled by the Mahakumbh and other prominent festivals. Over the last ten years, global curiosity about spiritual tourism has steadily grown, establishing India as a leading destination thanks to its profound spiritual legacy and vibrant cultural diversity. The Mahakumbh, renowned as one of the largest religious gatherings globally, is currently taking place. This once-in-144-years event is drawing an estimated 42 million pilgrims, including a significant number of international visitors. Data from Atlys indicates that nearly 48% of spiritual travel visa requests are tied to major events and pilgrimages such as the Mahakumbh. The increase in visa applications highlights strong...

Ganderbal, Jan 21: District Development Commissioner (DDC) Ganderbal, Shyambir, today chaired a high-level meeting in the Conference Hall of the Mini Secretariat to discuss the comprehensive work plan for the upcoming Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra (SANJY)-2025. The meeting commenced with a review of the action plan from the previous year's Yatra, with a strong emphasis on enhancing the quality of services and infrastructure. Discussions revolved around key focus areas, including improvements in health services, sanitation, flood protection measures, solar lighting, parking facilities, mobile connectivity, transport services, contingency plans, and other vital infrastructure to ensure a seamless Yatra experience for pilgrims.

Mark Twain, a famous American writer, humorist, and essayist, once said "Benaras is older than history, older than tradition. Older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together." For those who don’t know, Varanasi or Kashi is one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world. The spiritual and religious hub of India, Varanasi holds immense significance in Hindu mythology and culture. There are myriad mysteries around the birth of Kashi. Today we are going to explore one of the lesser-known interpretations around the establishment of Kashi which is its association with Lord Shiva’s trishul (trident). Let’s find out more about this: Kashi’s connection with Shiva's trident In Kashi, it is believed that "Kashi is the e...

To improve the experience for visitors and ensure a smooth flow of devotees, the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri is preparing to implement a new dhadi (queue) darshan system. Originally planned for January 20, the launch has been delayed to February 1 due to the need to relocate the temple's 'hundi' inside the Natya Mandap. The process requires several government permissions, which are currently being secured. Preparations Underway for a Better Devotee Experience The Law Minister, Prithiviraj Harichandan, shared updates, saying, "There are two to three permissions required for shifting of the hundi, and the government is working on it." While the exact new location of the 'hundi' is yet to be decided, other preparations for the queue system are moving for...