Haridwar (Uttarakhand), Nov 20(ANI): Security has been beefed up at Har Ki Pauri, a sacred ghat on the banks of river Ganges, ahead of the Maha Kumbh Mela.

Ladakh, Nov 20 (ANI): Buddhists in Ladakh recently celebrated the two-day Chemday monastery festival.

Lucknow, Nov 20 (IANS) Gearing up for the Kumbh Mela, one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, beginning January in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh will set up makeshift rest-halts along road routes in several districts for the convenience of the pilgrims, officials said Friday.

Patna, Nov 20 (IANS) Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama plans to visit Bodh Gaya in Bihar where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment.

Bhubaneswar, Nov 19 (IANS) An Australian and a Singaporean were detained Thursday while trying to enter Orissa's famous Jagannath Temple, where foreign nationals are strictly prohibited on religious grounds, police said.

Haridwar (Uttarakhand), Nov 18 (ANI): The 'Maha Kumbh Mela' or the Great pitcher festival, celebrated once in every 12 years, here is expected to attract 10 million people.

Imphal, Nov 17(ANI): In order to promote the products of the hill regions of Manipur, the State recently held its first State level Mega Tribal Fair, 2009.

Chandel (Manipur), Nov.17 (ANI): The vibrant tribal culture came alive recently in Chandel district of Manipur, as the Chavan Kumhrin, a post harvest festival of the Anal Naga tribe, was celebrated here.

Abohar (Punjab), Nov 16(ANI): Dayanand Anglo-Vedic (DAV) College in Punjab's Abohar city recently organized a youth festival that showcased country's diverse and vibrant culture, which included folk dances and music.

Ludhiana, Nov 16(ANI): A unique nation-wide initiative is underway to motivate the youth towards 'Sikhi', a way of life, which is based on the spiritual wisdom of Guru Granth Sahib.

Allahabad, Nov 16 (ANI): Converging on the banks of the river Ganga in Allahabad on Monday, hundreds of devotees took a holy dip on the occasion of Somavati Amavasya in the belief that it will give them peace and prosperity.

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 14 (IANS) Dhanalakshmi Bank, the principal banker to the Travancore Devasom Board that runs the famed Sabarimala temple in Kerala, has said it is all prepared for the Sabarimala pilgrim season that begins Monday.

Shillong, Nov 14 (ANI): Enthusiasts turned up in large numbers to get a taste of exclusive varieties of homemade wines during the two-day long sixth wine festival held here.

Kolkata, Nov 13 (IANS) For the first time, a cathedral in West Bengal has been co-named after Nobel laureate Mother Teresa, a nun who made Kolkata her home and workplace for 68 years caring for the poor and the infirm, and Mother Mary.

Amritsar, Nov 13(ANI): Reaching out to serve and uplift humanity as an expression or devotion to the creator, the Sri Harmandir Sahib or the Golden Temple in Amritsar is a living example of communal harmony in the country.

Amritsar, Nov 12(ANI): In an initiative to bring the world closer by breaking the barriers of language, a music festival was organized here to bridge the gap between the people of India and Pakistan.

Meghalaya, Nov 13 (ANI): Locals of Smit in Meghalaya perform various folk dances wearing colourful traditional attire on the occasion of their annual dance festival prior to the sowing season.

Amritsar, Nov 12 (IANS) The Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) Thursday decided to set up a 10-member committee to resolve the controversy over the Sikh religion's 'Nanakshahi' calendar.

Kendrapada (Orissa), Nov. 10 (ANI): A fresh water turtle is being worshipped in Orissa's Kendrapada district, as it reportedly has features resembling to Lord Jagannath.

Mumbai, Nov 9 (IANS) Thousands of people thronged a south Mumbai church Monday to see water oozing out a cross and to collect what they believed was holy water, though church officials shied away from giving the occurrence any name.