New Delhi (IANS) India has sought an increase of 10,000 in this year’s Haj quota. The request was made by Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed to Saudi Haj Minister Bandar Najar, when the two met in Jeddah. “We requested the minister to accommodate an additional 10,000 people this [...]

Manali: With enough snow, various winter sports activities have been taking place at gentle Solang Nallah Ski Slopes these days , 13  Kms from here . Presently, there is   1 to 2 feet snow at picturesque Solang Slopes. The existing snow is sufficient to organize different courses in skiing  at [...]

Srinagar (IANS) The prevailing law and order situation has dealt a serious blow to tourism in Kashmir as hoteliers, travel agents and houseboat owners say “a flood of cancellations of bookings” has struck them. Talking to IANS here Friday, Rouf Tramboo, president of Travel Agents’ Association of Kashmir (TAAK) said: “Since [...]

Shimla: To be executed by National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) the four lane Parwanoo – Shimla project would take 3 years to complete with work on the project likely to start in February, 2014, chief minister Virbhadra Singh stated in the Vidhan Sabha today. Responding to a question by [...]

Dehra Dun : The Kedarnath shrine located in the Garhwal Himalayas of Uttarakhand will reopen for ‘darshan’ on May 14, after having been closed for about seven months for the winters. Considered to be one of the holiest Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Shivait is located near the Mandakin river [...]

Shimla: Not having stumbled upon any serious irregularity in the setting up of Hotel Pavillion, a star property of HP Cricket Association (HPCA) at Dharamshala, the government is looking for a way out to save face. With not enough grounds to cancel the land lease for The Pavilion, chief minister [...]

Gangtok/Namchi: On the table, the old and the new vie for attention in the small but fast-changing border state of Sikkim. Tranformation is the slogan on the culinary billboard, as youngsters here open their arms to influences from the rest of the country. In a nook off the M.G. Marg, [...]

Shimla: Stalled Jakhu ropeway was given the cabinet nod on Saturday as it approved the years excise policy and granted approval to Rs 870.16 Cr for supplementary demands for the 2012-13 budget. Presided over by chief minister Virbhadra Singh, the cabinet approved providing free transport in Himachal roadways buses for [...]

Thiruvananthapuram: Women cutting across social strata celebrated the famed Attukal Pongala festival with devotion and fervour here Tuesday. The women lined up on either side of the roads in the capital city to cook their offering (“pongala”) on makeshift stoves of bricks and firewood at the famed Attukal Bhagawathi temple. [...]

Shimla: Heavy snowfall on the high reaches and thundershowers in the down streamed lashed many part of Himachal Pradesh disrupting road and vehicular traffic as cold wave unabated life in the state. Owing to low pressure developed over Rajasthan, entire Northwest India is under the inclement weather conditions. The Met office said that heavy snowfall [...]