Author: Neel Achary

CM Vijay Pays Homage to Police Martyrs, Praises Force’s Unwavering Commitment to Public Safety

Chennai, Oct 21: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay on Wednesday paid tribute to police personnel who laid down their lives in the line of duty, acknowledging their courage, sacrifice and unwavering commitment to protecting citizens and maintaining law and order.

In a message marking Police Commemoration Day, the Chief Minister described the police force as a vital pillar of public safety and national security. He lauded personnel for their tireless service, often under difficult and unpredictable circumstances, and called for greater recognition of their contributions to society.

Recalling the sacrifice of 10 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel who lost their lives while defending the country along the Ladakh border in 1959, Vijay said their courage remains an enduring symbol of duty and devotion to the nation.

Paying homage to police martyrs across the country, he honoured those who died while performing their responsibilities to preserve peace, protect lives and uphold the rule of law.

The Chief Minister also highlighted the demanding nature of police service, noting that personnel are frequently called upon to respond to emergencies, natural disasters, road accidents, criminal incidents and other threats to public safety. Their responsibilities often extend beyond regular working hours, requiring constant vigilance and an unwavering readiness to act whenever circumstances demand.

Vijay praised the dedication of officers and personnel who continue to discharge their duties despite long hours, limited rest and challenging working conditions. He noted that their commitment plays a crucial role in protecting communities, preventing crime and ensuring public order.

Emphasising the importance of remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice, the Chief Minister urged people to honour fallen personnel and acknowledge the efforts of those continuing to serve on the front lines of public safety.

He called for collective appreciation of the police force’s exemplary service, describing its members as a protective shield for society.

The message served as both a solemn remembrance of police personnel who lost their lives in service and a tribute to the thousands who continue to safeguard citizens amid everyday risks and extraordinary emergencies.

Police Commemoration Day is observed annually on October 21 in memory of the 10 CRPF personnel killed in an ambush by Chinese forces at Hot Springs in Ladakh in 1959. The occasion honours police personnel across the country who have died in the line of duty and recognises the sacrifices made in the service of the nation.

Dussehra 2026: Vehicle Puja Draws Devotees To Durga Puja Pandals Across Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar, Oct 21: Vehicle puja emerged as a major attraction across Bhubaneswar on Wednesday as devotees marked Dussehra with special prayers and traditional rituals at Durga Puja pandals across the city.

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From two-wheelers and private cars to auto-rickshaws and buses, vehicles of different types lined up outside temples and puja pandals from the early morning hours. Owners performed special pujas, seeking the blessings of Maa Durga for safety, prosperity and success in their daily lives.

The ritual saw devotees washing their vehicles, decorating them with flowers and garlands, and offering prayers before the Goddess. Many also applied vermilion and other auspicious materials as part of the traditional observances.

Vehicle Puja Marks An Auspicious Dussehra Tradition

Vehicle puja is an important tradition associated with Dussehra in several parts of India. Devotees believe that worshipping their vehicles on this auspicious day brings good fortune and protects them from accidents and other mishaps.

For many, vehicles are essential to their livelihoods and everyday activities. Commercial drivers, transport operators and private vehicle owners participate in the ritual to express gratitude and seek divine blessings for safe journeys throughout the year.

In Bhubaneswar, the practice brought together people from different walks of life, with many choosing to visit nearby puja pandals and temples with their vehicles before beginning their day’s work.

Festive Spirit Grips The Capital

The vehicle puja rituals added another dimension to the Vijayadashami celebrations in the Odisha capital, where devotees have been gathering at decorated pandals to offer prayers to Maa Durga.

The occasion marks the victory of good over evil and the culmination of Durga Puja festivities. Alongside traditional worship, the day is observed through a range of customs that reflect faith, gratitude and hopes for a prosperous future.

With devotees turning up in large numbers for the morning rituals, vehicle puja remained a prominent feature of this year’s Dussehra celebrations across Bhubaneswar, highlighting the enduring connection between religious traditions and everyday life.

BJP Yuva Morcha Announces Major National Reshuffle; Leaders From 20 States Get Key Posts

New Delhi, Oct 21: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has carried out a major organisational reshuffle in its youth wing, the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), appointing new national office-bearers across key organisational, administrative, research and media positions.

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The appointments, made under the direction of BJP National President Nitin Nabin, include seven national vice-presidents, three national general secretaries and seven national secretaries, along with office-bearers for several other departments. The new appointments will take effect immediately.

The reshuffle brings together leaders from different states, reflecting the party’s efforts to strengthen its youth organisation and expand its organisational presence across the country.

Seven National Vice-Presidents Appointed

According to the list released by the party, seven leaders have been appointed national vice-presidents of the Yuva Morcha. They are Shagun Parihar, MLA, from Jammu and Kashmir; Nikhil Mani Tiwari from Uttar Pradesh; Arvind Damani from Nagaland; Maloth Komali Naik from Telangana; Raj Rajendra Singh from Bihar; Soumen Karfa, MLA, from West Bengal; and Bhupendra Nag from Chhattisgarh.

For the post of national general secretary, the party has appointed Arpita Aparajita Badjena from Odisha, Harsh Vardhan Singh from Uttar Pradesh and Mitta Vamshi Krishna from Andhra Pradesh.

The appointment of Arpita Aparajita Badjena from Odisha is among the key developments in the organisational changes, giving the state representation in the Yuva Morcha’s national leadership.

Seven Leaders Named National Secretaries

The party has also appointed seven national secretaries to strengthen its organisational framework. The newly appointed secretaries are Biswajit Khound from Assam, Ashish Jhala from Madhya Pradesh, Sayali Raghunath Kulkarni from Maharashtra, Himanshu Sharma from Rajasthan, Sardar Armaanjot Brar from Punjab, Aman Yadav from Jharkhand and Rahul Jha from Bihar.

In the finance-related appointments, Vineet Vats Tyagi from Uttar Pradesh has been named national treasurer, while Devvrat Singh Rajawat from Rajasthan will serve as national joint treasurer.

For administrative coordination, Dhruv Pandit from Gujarat has been appointed central office in-charge, with Mohit Soni from Delhi named central office co-in-charge.

Policy, Research And Media Teams Get New Leadership

The organisational overhaul also covers the Yuva Morcha’s policy and research wing. Akhila Bandam from Telangana has been appointed in-charge of the Policy and Research Department. Rangam Trivedi from Gujarat, Kamal Madishetty from Telangana and Dr Rama Balhara from Haryana have been named co-in-charges.

In the media department, Himanshu Yadav from Bihar has been appointed media in-charge. Shivani Singh from Delhi, Atul Thakur from Himachal Pradesh and Vishu Basoya from Delhi will serve as media co-in-charges.

The party has also announced appointments to its social media team, naming Apurva Singh from Delhi as social media in-charge and Manvendra Chauhan from Bihar as social media co-in-charge.

Focus On Strengthening Youth Organisation

The latest appointments mark a significant restructuring of the BJP’s youth wing, with leadership positions distributed among representatives from multiple states and responsibilities spread across organisational, policy, financial and communications departments.

The new team is expected to take charge of its respective responsibilities immediately, as the party continues to focus on strengthening its youth leadership and organisational network at the national level.

With appointments spanning a wide range of functions, the reshuffle establishes a new leadership structure for the BJYM, placing emphasis on organisational coordination, policy engagement and communication.

IIT Madras’ First-Ever Durga Puja Draws Over 2,500 People, Celebrates Bengal’s Cultural Heritage

Chennai, Oct 21: The maiden Durga Puja celebration at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has emerged as a major success, bringing together more than 2,500 people over four days and creating a vibrant platform for cultural exchange, religious devotion and community bonding.

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Organised by the IIT Madras Bengali community in association with Diganto, an independent student body and cultural club under the institute’s cultural umbrella, Sangam, the five-day celebration introduced the traditions and festive spirit of Bengal to the campus.

The festivities, which began on Sasthi evening and culminated on Vijaya Dashami, featured traditional rituals, Vedic chanting, homam and arati. IIT Madras Director V. Kamakoti also participated in the religious proceedings and chanted chapters from the Durga Saptashati, adding to the spiritual significance of the occasion.

Campus Turns Into A Cultural Confluence

Held at the institute’s community hall, the celebration was open not only to students, faculty members and staff but also to campus families and residents of neighbouring areas. Visitors from across Chennai joined the festivities, making the event a meeting point for people from diverse cultural and regional backgrounds.

According to the institute, the initiative reflected its commitment to fostering an inclusive campus environment where traditions from different parts of the country could be shared and appreciated.

Organisers paid close attention to the rituals and customs associated with Durga Puja. For attendees experiencing the festival for the first time, the proceedings offered an opportunity to understand the significance of individual ceremonies, their religious context and their place in Bengali cultural life.

A professor associated with the celebrations described the event as a cultural melting pot, noting that the enthusiastic participation of local residents and people from different regions contributed significantly to its success.

Beyond Religion, A Celebration Of Cultural Exchange

The programme went beyond religious observances to introduce participants to the broader cultural meaning of Durga Puja. Visitors learned about traditional offerings to the Goddess, including bhog, as well as the significance of Sandhi Puja, an important ritual performed at the transition between Ashtami and Navami.

The celebrations also highlighted the distinctive Bengali tradition of regarding Goddess Durga as a daughter returning to her parental home with her children before departing for her husband Lord Shiva’s abode at Mount Kailash.

The emotional significance of this tradition becomes particularly evident on Vijaya Dashami, when devotees bid farewell to the Goddess and look forward to welcoming her again the following year.

For Bengali students and families living on campus, the festivities provided a sense of familiarity and belonging, bringing a cherished home tradition into their academic surroundings. At the same time, participants from other backgrounds gained an opportunity to experience a festival deeply rooted in the cultural identity of eastern India.

Bringing Bengal’s Festive Traditions To Chennai

Durga Puja is celebrated on a grand scale across West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand and northeastern states such as Assam and Tripura, with regional variations enriching the festival’s traditions.

Chennai, too, hosts several prominent Durga Puja celebrations organised by the Bengali community, attracting devotees and visitors from across Tamil Nadu.

Against this backdrop, IIT Madras’ first campus-wide celebration marked a significant addition to the city’s festive calendar. By bringing religious rituals, cultural learning and community participation together, the initiative demonstrated how festivals can bridge regional differences and strengthen social connections.

The successful inaugural celebration has set a positive precedent for cultural engagement on campus, underlining that the essence of Durga Puja extends beyond worship to embrace shared traditions, inclusivity and a spirit of togetherness.

Puri Srimandir To Witness Grand ‘Raja Besha’ Of Lord Jagannath And Siblings On Vijayadashami

Puri, Oct 21: The sacred town of Puri is witnessing a surge of devotion as Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra are set to be adorned in the magnificent ‘Raja Besha’ at the revered Srimandir on the auspicious occasion of Vijayadashami on Wednesday.

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The special ritual, one of the significant ceremonial adornments of the Holy Trinity, is expected to draw thousands of devotees to the 12th-century shrine, with pilgrims gathering in the temple town to seek the blessings of the deities on the occasion of Dussehra.

Preparations for the elaborate adornment will commence after the completion of the ‘Abakasa’ rituals. As part of the arrangements, servitors belonging to the Bhandara Mekapa category will bring sandalwood paste in three silver bowls, along with gold ornaments required for the ceremonial dressing.

During the ‘Raja Besha’, the three deities will be dressed in new garments and adorned with sandalwood paste and 32 varieties of gold ornaments. Sacred ‘Pata Bastra’ and ‘Panchakhanda’ flower garlands will further enhance the grandeur of the divine attire.

The ceremonial adornment will also feature traditional weapons associated with the deities, including ‘Hala Musala’, ‘Subarna Tadaki’ and ‘Sankha-Chakra’, adding to the spiritual and traditional significance of the occasion.

Vijayadashami, which marks the triumph of good over evil, holds immense religious importance across the country. At Puri Srimandir, the occasion is observed through distinctive rituals and traditions that reflect the rich cultural and spiritual heritage of Odisha.

The ‘Raja Besha’ remains a special occasion in the annual ritual calendar of the temple, offering devotees an opportunity to witness the Holy Trinity in regal splendour. The ceremony also highlights the centuries-old traditions meticulously preserved by the temple servitors.

With devotees arriving from different parts of Odisha and beyond, the occasion has once again placed Puri at the centre of religious fervour, as pilgrims look forward to witnessing the divine splendour of Lord Jagannath and His siblings on the auspicious day of Vijayadashami.