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Nov 2004
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SC gives nod for Taj night viewing

      New Delhi: The Supreme Court today gave a go-ahead to night viewing of the Taj Mahal. The Uttar Pradesh government had, earlier, declared that it would throw open the Taj for night viewing to mark its 350th anniversary year-long celebrations from September 27, but tourists were denied the rare opportunity as it did not obtain the approval of the Apex Court. The SC allowed night viewing in batches after ensuring safeguards regarding security from terrorist attacks and upkeep from Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Only seven groups would be allowed, in intervals. "Regarding the viewing of Taj Mahal at night, the Supreme Court has permitted it. Hence with the passing of the order, people can now view the monument on five days, - Two days before the Full Moon Day and two days after. A batch consisting of 50 persons each will be allowed to see the Taj Mahal from 8 pm to midnight. But the court has also set some conditions. One cannot see it on Fridays, on Urs days and (in) the holy month of Ramadan," said Ajay Agarwal, a lawyer. The Apex Court has passed strictures on the accessibility to the 17th century white-marble monument, and passed landmark rulings to stop pollution and preserve one of the seven wonders of the world. Taj Mahal was opened at night only to close again in 2000. This was ratified by the Supreme Court in a judgement on a public interest litigation filed by well known environmentalist and lawyer M.C. Mehta. The SC had earlier turned down a plea of the government to allow night viewing.
- Nov 25, 2004

Samjhauta Express on Mondays and Thursdays (Go to Top)

      Lahore: The Samjhauta Express would run at 8:00 am every Monday and Thursday from November 25. Quoting Pakistan Railway sources, the Daily Times said that the train would travel from Lahore to Attari and vice-versa at 2 p m on these two days.
- Nov 24, 2004

Ganga Mahotsav begins in Varanasi (Go to Top)

      Varanasi: "Ganga Mahotsav", an annual feature held in October-November, began in Varanasi today. A large number of foreign tourists and Hindu devotees thronged the city to participate in the ongoing cultural festival on the banks of the river Ganges. The four-day festival is organised in the honour of river Ganges, and a large number of people from across the world enjoy the event, which is a blend of music and dance. It presents a slice of the city's art and culture and highlights music and dance programmes. Biku Vinayak Ramji, a Ghatam player, said he anxiously waits for the festival every year. "After a long time, I have come here and I am very proud to perform in this event as it is a big event. I am playing a musical instrument called Ghatam this time," said Ramji. "A large number of foreign tourists participate in this festival with as much vigour as the locals or domestic tourists and celebrate it like Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights," said Baba Khadaknath, a local priest. "I am very excited to see this programme because there are so many interesting instruments here that I have not seen before. Specially Tabla, because my son is learning the instrument and it is is interesting to see professionals performing on it," said Shishi,a tourist from the UK.
- Nov 24, 2004

Aziz visits Nizamuddin Dargah (Go to Top)

     New Delhi: Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Wednesday offered special prayers at the mausoloeum of Khwaja Nizamuddin, revered by millions from across the world. Aziz offered prayers at one of the most sacred Sufi shrines in the country. "Shaukat Aziz read the Fateha. He is the grandson of Nawab Mustafa Khan who was a friend of Ghalib and played a major role in bringing Ghalib before people. His family was very close to Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru. This family is very famous and is very politically influential"said Khwaja Hassan, the head of the Nizamuddin Dargah. -Nov 24, 2004

Fog engulfs Indian capital (Go to Top)

     New Delhi: Residents of New Delhi woke up to a day of dense fog on Wednesday, making both life and mobility difficult. Life came to a virtual standstill with traffic on the main roads moving at a snail's pace due to poor visibility. The vehicles moved slowly with their tail lights and fog lights switched on to avoid accidents. The dense fog also disrupted train schedules and forced closure of the runway at the capital's airport. Delhi witnesses early morning fog every winter. Flights too often get delayed due to the fog. The recent installation of advanced anti-fog equipment at the Delhi airport has improved its functioning but it needs at least 15 metres height visibility and a visual range of 200 meters for flights to take off. While the mercury levels are mild by some standards, they can prove deadly in India where thousands are homeless or live in shacks without heat. Lack of good food worsens the cold's impact, lowering body heat and leading to hypothermia. Nov 24, 2004

Fears of leopard spill over in Uttaranchal (Go to Top)

     Patrampur (Uttaranchal): Forest officers in Uttaranchal have found a dead leopard, probably killed during a mating duel, on the outskirts of the Jim Corbett National Reserve. Officials are on the alert fearing a spill over of the wild cats to villages due to the fierce fights amongst males triggered by the mating rush. Forest officers say poachers could have field time during the season as the animals, in their least cautious state, were easily spotted and susceptible to traps and attacks. "We found a dead leopard. There are no signs of any injury or any other attack marks. It seems that as the mating season is going on, it may have got killed fighting with another cat," BD Upadhyaya, sub-divisional officer of the Patrampur forest department, said. Incidents of poaching, particularly in Uttaranchal, have been on the rise in recent times and surveys indicate that with tigers becoming rarer, poachers are targeting leopards. Conservationists warn that with an estimated 1000 poaching deaths every year, leopards are amongst the highest risk group and could disappear from India by the end of the decade. Trade in wildlife products is banned in the country, but skins and bones of animals, which are believed to have medicinal values, are in great demand in the international market, particularly China and Thailand.
-Nov 23, 2004

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