Ayodhya

PM Modi Hoists Saffron Flag at Ram Temple as Ayodhya Tourism Surges | Vantage With Palki Sharma

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisted the saffron Dharma Dhwaj atop the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, marking the completion of the temple’s construction. The ceremony comes as Ayodhya records an unprecedented rise in pilgrims, with more than 160 million visitors in 2024 and over 230 million in the first half of 2025. The city now earns between 900 million and 1.4 billion dollars annually from tourism, projected to reach 18,000 crore rupees or about two billion dollars by 2028. Other major pilgrimage centres, including Varanasi, Vaishno Devi, Amritsar, Tirupati and Guruvayur, are also seeing sustained growth. India’s temple economy is valued at about 34 billion dollars.<br> Firstpost | World News | News Live | Vantage | Palki Sharma | News #firstpost #vantageonfirstpost #palkisharma #worldnews Vantage is a ground-breaking news, opinions, and current affairs show from Firstpost. Catering to a global audience, Vantage covers the biggest news stories from a 360-degree perspective, giving viewers a chance to assess the impact of world events through a uniquely Indian lens. The show is anchored by Palki Sharma, Managing Editor, Firstpost. By breaking stereotypes, Vantage aims to challenge conventional wisdom and present an alternative view on global affairs, defying the norm and opening the door to new perspectives. The show goes beyond the headlines to uncover the hidden stories – making Vantage a destination for thought-provoking ideas. Vantage airs Monday to Friday at 9 PM IST on Firstpost across all leading platforms. Subscribe to Firstpost channel and press the bell icon to get notified when we go live. https://www.youtube.com/@Firstpost Follow Firstpost on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/firstpost/ Follow Firstpost on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/firstpostin/ Follow Firstpost on Twitter: https://twitter.com/firstpost Follow Firstpost on WhatsApp: https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va6zOIrEQIamseyg762V

FirstUp: PM in Ayodhya for Ram temple flag-hoisting event and other news today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in Ayodhya to attend the grand flag-hoisting ceremony atop the Ram Temple today. Paul Doyle, who is accused of driving a car into the crowds at Liverpool's victory parade earlier this year, will go on trial at Liverpool Crown Court

‘Ramayan country’: Why Trinidad and Tobago wants to build a large Ram temple

Trinidad and Tobago, which has more than two lakh Hindus, is planning to build a grand Ram Temple in its capital, Port of Spain. The project has the support of the government of the twin-island nation led by PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who has ancestral links to India. With this, the country is trying to emerge as a cultural and spiritual centre for Hinduism in the Caribbean

Ayodhya sets new record as 2.6 million oil lamps illuminate on Diwali| Vantage with Palki Sharma

Indian city Ayodhya breaks its own record by setting a Guinness World Record by lighting up 2.6 million diyas on the eve of Diwali. Volunteers took part to celebrate the massive light festival celebrating the return of Lord Ram to his birthplace after killing Ravana. The feat surpassed last year’s record of 2.51 million lamps, turning Ayodhya into a glowing symbol of faith and festivity. Also on Vantage Shots: PM Modi Celebrates Diwali Aboard INS Vikrant with Indian Navy Personnel Nepal Police Pay Tribute to Their Canine Squad During Tihar Festival On this day in 1994, the U.S. and North Korea signed a landmark deal called the Agreed Framework. North Korea agreed to freeze its nuclear program in exchange for U.S. energy assistance and a promise to normalise relations. The deal initially raised hopes for peace, but it collapsed in 2002 when Washington accused Pyongyang of secretly continuing its nuclear activities. Firstpost | World News | News Live | Vantage | Palki Sharma | News #firstpost #vantageonfirstpost #palkisharma #worldnews Vantage is a ground-breaking news, opinions, and current affairs show from Firstpost. Catering to a global audience, Vantage covers the biggest news stories from a 360-degree perspective, giving viewers a chance to assess the impact of world events through a uniquely Indian lens. The show is anchored by Palki Sharma, Managing Editor, Firstpost. By breaking stereotypes, Vantage aims to challenge conventional wisdom and present an alternative view on global affairs, defying the norm and opening the door to new perspectives. The show goes beyond the headlines to uncover the hidden stories – making Vantage a destination for thought-provoking ideas. Vantage airs Monday to Friday at 9 PM IST on Firstpost across all leading platforms. Subscribe to Firstpost channel and press the bell icon to get notified when we go live. https://www.youtube.com/@Firstpost Follow Firstpost on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/firstpost/ Follow Firstpost on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/firstpostin/ Follow Firstpost on Twitter: https://twitter.com/firstpost Follow Firstpost on WhatsApp: https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va6zOIrEQIamseyg762V

Here are 2.6 million reasons why Ayodhya's Diwali was a record-shattering spectacle

The temple town of Ayodhya resembled a sky full of stars and created history on Sunday. The holy city in Uttar Pradesh created two new Guinness World Records: 26.17 lakh diyas lit at one place and 2,128 people performed ‘aarti’ together

World's first Ramayan wax museum to open in Ayodhya. Here’s all you need to know

The premises of the Ram temple in Ayodhya will be home to a Ramayana-themed grand wax museum that will be inaugurated during Deepotsav 2025 by UP CM Yogi Adityanath. The museum, built at a cost of nearly Rs 7.5 crore, will feature 50 lifelike statues of key Ramayana characters, including Ram, Sita, Lakshman, Hanuman and Ravana

US students share ‘Incredible India’ experiences at Montana State Capitol

A ten-member student delegation from Montana shared their ‘Incredible India’ experiences at a welcome reception held at the State Capitol in Helena

FirstUp: Germany’s Merz to meet Trump, Japan’s ispace to attempt Moon landing… Headlines today

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will hold his first face-to-face meeting with US President Donald Trump today, with the war in Ukraine and trade tensions likely to dominate the agenda. Meanwhile, Tokyo-based company ispace is attempting to make history in space exploration. Its second private lunar mission, the Resilience lander, is expected to attempt a landing in the Moon’s northern region today

FirstUp: Trump's tariffs on steel, aluminium imports to come into effect, Hajj begins

Donald Trump's 50 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminium imports in the United States will come into effect today. Meanwhile, the Hajj pilgrimage will begin in Saudi Arabia. In India, PM Modi is set to chair a meeting of the Union Council of Ministers, while Elon Musk's father, Errol Musk, is scheduled to visit the revered Ram Mandir in Ayodhya during his five-day visit to the country

Milkipur Bypoll Election Result 2025: Why is this fight a battle of prestige for BJP, SP?

Away from the battle in Delhi, the BJP is eyeing another win. However, this contest is a matter of prestige for the party, which lost Faizabad (Ayodhya) in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Milkipur is an Assembly segment within the Faizabad constituency. As per the latest update, BJP’s Chandrabhan Paswan is leading against his Samajwadi Party rival, Ajit Prasad