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Chhattisgarh Waqf Board has decided to reschedule Namaz in mosques across the state this year, as Holi celebrations coincide with Friday prayers. An official directive has been issued to all mosques regarding this change. As per the directive, the Friday prayers, which are usually held between 12:30 PM and 1:00 PM, will now take place between 2:00 PM and 3:00 PM on March 14. Speaking on the decision, Chhattisgarh Waqf Board Chairman Dr. Salim Raj said, «The Chhattisgarh State Waqf Board has decided that, considering the festival of Holi, Friday prayers will be held between 2:00 PM and 3:00 PM in all mosques. Previously, the prayers were conducted at 12:30 PM or 1:00 PM, but now they will be held later in all mosques across the state. Chhattisgarh has become the first state in the country to implement such a change in mosque prayer timings.» Meanwhile, on Tuesday, according to authorities, Friday Namaaz prayers in mosques in the cities of Haridwar in Uttarakhand and Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh have been postponed to the afternoon to avoid overlapping with Holika Dahan timings on March 14, the day of the Holi festival. Haridwar Superintendent of Police Pankaj Gairola confirmed that a meeting with community representatives resulted in the decision to hold Friday prayers after 2:30 pm.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Aprajita Toor's take on Mary Janes: Umrao Janes' in Dusk Bloom where traditional Indian motifs get a modern twist.

Birthdays are generally one of the most awaited times of the year, as one celebrates another year around the sun. After all, it marks that you are growing up, in terms of ageing. However, a self-made man of Rs 5,000 crore, Dr A Velumani, founder of Thyrocare, wants us to wonder, if we are just ageing or if we are also growing as a person? On X, he shared an insightful tweet about how when a birthday comes, about 90% of people just age another year without making real progress, while just 10% actually grow in terms of personal development. He further believes that out of 100 who have not progressed, only 10% realise this and out of 100 who have realised it, only 10% feel bad about the lack of growth. He encourages focusing, learning, growing and enjoying life rather than growing without any meaningful progress. His tweet read, “When a birthday comes. 10% only have made a progress. 90% have just become one year old. In 100 who have made no progress only 10 aware of it. In 100 who are aware of it, only 10 feel bad about it. Punch: To grow big a lot of efforts needed. To grow old, zero efforts needed. Focus. Learn. Grow and Enjoy. please do not change the order.

West Bengal government has imposed a ban on Holi celebrations at Sonajhuri Haat in Santiniketan’s Birbhum district. Officials have cited concerns over potential damage to the lush green cover of the area. The marketplace, a major draw for tourists, is located near Visva Bharati University, which holds UNESCO World Heritage status.

Also read: Bank holidays in March 2025: Check state-wise list of bank holidays in March The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issues a list of public and regional holidays for banks under the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881. As Holika Dahan is a significant festival in North and Central India, many banks in these regions will remain closed.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Want to celebrate Holi in Varanasi or spend Eid unwinding in the Maldives? Be ready to pay up. With Holi falling on 14 March (Friday) and Eid expected on 31 March (Monday), travellers are seizing the back-to-back long weekends, sending hotel rates soaring.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Blackstone Group Inc of the US will build out its credit and infrastructure verticals in India to complement its private equity (PE) and real estate businesses, senior executives at the firm said, adding that the firm is expecting to double its India assets under management (AUM) over the next three years. “We have a global (credit) business of over $450 billion in assets that we hope to bring into India," Blackstone’s chairman, chief execuitve officer and co-founder Stephen Schwarzman said in a media interaction in Mumbai.

DGGI) has summoned celebrity and former partner of Pasco Motors Shalini Passi, citing short payment of tax by the firm. Passi, who starred in 'Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives' on Netflix recently, has been asked to record a statement and produce documents before goods and services tax authorities in Meerut on March 13. The summons, dated March 11, stated that the inquiry is deemed to be a judicial proceeding and that its non-compliance is a punishable offence.

A flagship event for the investment industry for three decades, the Investment Week Fund Manager of the Year Awards honour fund managers who have demonstrated consistently strong performance for investors.  We will announce the winners at a special 30th Anniversary celebration of the awards on 19 June at the Marriott Grosvenor House Hotel in London.  Our fund awards shortlists are constructed using data provided by our partner, Morningstar (see methodology below). These categories are not open for entry and qualifying funds will be contacted by our team to fill out a supporting questi...

West Bengal government has banned Holi celebrations at the popular Sonajhuri Haat in Birbhum district's Santiniketan this year, citing possible damage to the greeneries in the forest belt, an official said on Wednesday. The Sonajhuri Haat is located near Visva Bharati's Santiniketan campus, a UNESCO heritage site. Bolpur Divisional Forest Officer Rahul Kumar said several banners have been put up in the area, requesting people — a large number of whom could be foreigners and domestic tourists — neither to park vehicles nor celebrate the festival of colours there. Visitors were also requested not to videograph Holi festivities, he said. «The department will seek support of police and administration to enforce the ban but will also leave it to people for the better sense to prevail,» Kumar told PTI. A spokesperson of Visva Bharati, a central university, said the varsity authorities cannot open the campus area for lakhs of people on Holi, keeping in mind the UNESCO heritage status.

Later, while interacting with reporters, she said, «My plea was that the time of 'jumma namaaz' cannot be deferred. So, let there be a two-hour break, from noon to 2 pm, during which Hindus shall avoid places in the vicinity of mosques.» «This would enable people from both faiths to carry out their respective practices without any hassles. We understand that Holi comes only once in a year. But we also need to keep in mind that for Muslims, it is the holy month of Ramzan,» the mayor added. Her remarks drew an angry response from Hari Bhushan Thakur Bachaul, a BJP MLA from the adjoining district of Madhubani, who was recently in news for asking Muslims to «stay indoors» if they had a problem with Holi. Talking to reporters on the state assembly premises, he said, «Where are the self-proclaimed secularists who were attacking me? The mayor of Darbhanga has virtually called for 'Ghazwa-e-Hind', to convert India into an Islamic caliphate.»

Holi bank holidays: March 13 & 14, 2025

Celebrations involve people applying colored powder (gulaal) to each other, accompanied by music, dance, and traditional foods like gujiya, chakri, malpua, and thandai.

Indian stock market will remain closed on Friday, March 14, 2025, in observance of Holi, the Hindu festival of colours. Trading will resume on Monday, March 17, following the extended weekend break, as per the holiday calendar issued by the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the BSE. The closure will impact trading across all major segments, including equity, equity derivatives, securities lending and borrowing (SLB), electronic gold receipts (EGR), and currency derivatives.

Malayalam cinema takes the spotlight with Oru Jaathi Jathakam, a romantic comedy starring Vineeth Sreenivasan, and Rekhachithram, a gripping mystery thriller led by Asif Ali. Telugu audiences can dive into Ramam Raghavam, an intense drama exploring family conflicts. Meanwhile, Ponman offers a dark comedy twist on financial struggles. For food lovers, Chef Mantra Season 2 returns with celebrity culinary battles, adding a flavorful touch to the week’s entertainment lineup.

Kajol Devgan has purchased commercial retail space spread over 4,365 sq ft on the ground floor of a residential tower in Mumbai’s western suburb of Goregaon for over Rs 28.78 crore. The deal registered on March 6 values the commercial space at Rs 65,940 per sq ft. The purchase reflects a trend among high-net-worth individuals and celebrities investing in commercial real estate for stable rental yields and long-term capital appreciation. The transaction also includes stamp duty charges of approximately Rs 1.72 crore, and the agreement grants Kajol Devgan exclusive access to four designated car parking spaces, showed the documents accessed through IndexTap.com.

150th anniversary Test between Australia and England will be held under lights at the Melbourne Cricket Ground from March 11-15, 2027. Cricket Australia announced Tuesday that the historic match will be the first day-night men's test at the MCG. The famous stadium on the edge of downtown Melbourne hosted the first cricket test in 1877 and the centenary test between Australia and England in 1977. Australia won by a 45-run margin in both of those matches. «The 150th anniversary test at the MCG will be one of the great cricket events, and playing under lights will be a fantastic way to celebrate both our game's rich heritage and test cricket's modern evolution,» Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg said. «It will also help ensure more people are able to attend and watch what will be a fantastic occasion. »The Centenary Test created many iconic performances, including David Hookes' five consecutive boundaries off Tony Greig, Rick McCosker batting with a broken jaw and Derek Randall's defiant century, and I'm sure the 150th test will create its own lifelong memories." Australia is hosting the 2025-26 Ashes series against England starting in November.

Pi Network, once celebrated as a revolutionary cryptocurrency project, is now facing intense criticism from its own community. Pioneers—the network’s early adopters—are voicing concerns over the difficult process of transferring their mined Pi Coins (PI) to the Mainnet before the looming March 14 deadline. The network has set 8:00 AM UTC as the final cutoff for Know Your Customer (KYC) verification and migration. Users who fail to meet this deadline risk losing the majority of their Pi holdings, except for those mined in the last six months. While the team introduced a Grace Period to ease the transition, many are still battling technical issues that prevent them from migrating their balances. “I have completed KYC and followed the Mainnet checklist, yet my balance remains unverified,” one user complained on social media. Another stated, “I’ve filed a support ticket weeks ago, but no response from the Pi Network team.” Crypto analysts have also weighed in, with many calling for an extension of the deadline until all technical glitches are resolved. Others have gone further, accusing the Pi Network team of being unresponsive and raising doubts about the project’s long-term viability.

Michelle Obama and Barack Obama have lately made headlines for their divorce rumors. Apparently, Michelle Obama is embarking on a new venture now as she collaborates with her brother Craig Robinson on a podcast. Meanwhile, as the former first lady embraces this new opportunity, speculation about her marriage to Barack Obama persists. Michelle Obama said on Monday that she and her brother would be doing a video podcast as their next professional endeavor. The project, known as IMO, promises engaging conversations with celebrity guests, as per a report by the Daily Mail.

Krispy Kreme shops with a new assortment of limited-edition doughnuts. Krispy Kreme will introduce the special treats to all participating locations across the country starting on Monday, March 10. An annual dole out of complimentary doughnuts for numerous lucky customers has also been announced. The brand aims to capitalise on the occasion of St. Patrick's Day, set to be celebrated on March 17 this year. Read on to know about which of the special treats you can get this week.