How Doors To Ayodhya Ram Temple Go Via Hyderabad

The doors to Ram temple in Ayodhya --- that will be consecrated in January -- open via Hyderabad. A city-based firm is crafting the door to the sanctum sanctorum as well as 17 doors in the main temple and those in structures around.

The inauguration of the temple will take place on January 22 and most of the construction on the first floor of the temple is done. The work has now progressed to the level of decorations, which will take up the rest of the remaining period.

Sarath Babu, director Of Anuradha Timbers International, told NDTV in an exclusive interview that the door to the sanctum sanctorum --- which will house the idol of 5-year-old Lord Ram -- will be a formidable one. The 8-feet tall doors will be 12-feet wide and six inches thick.

"So far 18 doors of the main temple are competed and 100 frames around the temple. Until yesterday, we completed 118 doors," he said, predicting that the number is likely to go up.

The doors -- being built by craftsmen from Tamil Nadu -- will be designed in Nagara style, displaying traditional Indian motifs of lotus, peacocks and other birds.

Nagara is the north Indian style of temple architecture that is said to have started in the Gupta period in the Third Century CE and continued till the advent of Muslims.

The wood used for the doors is Balarshah teak from Maharashtra, which will be covered with gold leaf.

Asked about the selection process, Mr Babu said the temple committee had "invited" the biggest names in the business. They were asked to build a model of the temple, after which his firm was called in and given the job of doing the doors.

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"Permanent Husband": Case Against RSS Leader For Triple Talaq Remarks

A case has been filed against an RSS leader in Karnataka for his alleged remark that while Muslim men are unhappy with the BJP government at the Centre for passing a bill declaring triple talaq illegal, Muslim women are happy because they now have a "permanent husband". 

In a speech during an event in Karnataka's Srirangapatna on Sunday, RSS Leader Prabhakar Bhat Kalladka had said, "Until recently, the practice of divorce through triple talaq was legal, but it has been done away with since the Modi government came to power. Muslim men must be very unhappy about this."

"But the Muslim women must be very happy with this move as they used to have a new husband every day because they used to say talaq, talaq, talaq and leave. They couldn't say they have a life-long husband. It's the Modi government that has given you a permanent husband," Mr Kalladka said.

The event, called the Sankeerna Yatra, was organised by a right-wing outfit, the Hindu Jagrana Vedike.

After the statement went viral on social media, a social worker, Nazia Nazeer, filed a complaint at the Srirangapatna police station. A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against Mr Kalladka under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including those pertaining to promoting enmity between groups, outraging religious feelings and insulting the modesty of a woman.

The practice of divorce through triple talaq had been deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 2017 and the Parliament passed a law declaring it illegal in 2019. 

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6-Year-Old Boy Who Was Travelling Alone Put On Wrong Spirit Airlines Flight

An unaccompanied 6-year-old boy flying for the first time to see his grandmother in Florida was put on the wrong Spirit Airlines flight, the New York Post reported. The child was supposed to fly from Philadelphia International Airport to Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers on Thursday. However, the boy was ''incorrectly boarded'' on a flight to Orlando, four hours away from his intended destination.

In an emailed statement to CNN, Spirit Airlines apologised to the family. "The child was always under the care and supervision of a Spirit Team Member, and as soon as we discovered the error, we took immediate steps to communicate with the family and reconnect them," the airline said in a statement to CNN.

The statement did not address how the error came to take place, but a spokesperson said an internal investigation was underway.

The child's grandmother, Maria Ramos, shared her ordeal with Wink News and said that she started panicking when her grandson didn't get off the plane in Fort Myers.

''They told me, No, he's not on this flight. He missed his flight.' I said, 'No, he could not miss his flight because I have the check-in tag. I ran inside the plane to the flight attendant and I asked her, 'Where's my grandson? He was handed over to you at Philadelphia?' She said, 'No, I had no kids with me,'' Mrs Ramos said. 

Later, the boy called her to report that he had landed safely. His baggage also successfully arrived in Fort Myers as planned. Mrs Ramos then went on a four-hour drive to pick up the six-year-old, sharing that the mishap was one of the most terrifying experiences of her life. Spirit Airlines offered to reimburse Mrs Ramos for the drive but she wants to know the reason behind the lapse.

"I want them to call me. Let me know how my grandson ended up in Orlando. How did that happen? Did they get him off the plane? After mom handed him the paperwork, the flight attendant wondered if she let him go by himself and he jumped in the wrong plane by himself?" Mrs Ramos said.

The airline said that the boy had been supervised the whole time. 

''The child was always under the care and supervision of a Spirit Team Member, and as soon as we discovered the error, we took immediate steps to communicate with the family and reconnect them," Spirit said.

''We take the safety and responsibility of transporting all of our Guests seriously and are conducting an international investigation. We apologize to the family for this experience,'' the statement added. 

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"Completely Worthless": Iran Rejects US Claim On Drone Attack On Tanker

Iran's foreign ministry rejected Monday as "worthless" Washington's claims that a drone attack targeting a tanker off the coast of India was "fired from Iran".

Saturday's targeting of a Japanese-owned chemical tanker came amid a flurry of drone and missile attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels in the Red Sea in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel is battling Hamas militants.

The Pentagon later openly accused Tehran of the attack.

"We declare these claims as completely rejected and worthless," said foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani when asked about the US accusations.

"Such claims are aimed at projecting, distracting public attention, and covering up for the full support of the American government for the crimes of the Zionist regime (Israel) in Gaza," he added.

The Gaza Strip has endured over 11 weeks of Israeli air and ground attacks that have killed more than 20,400 people, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run coastal territory.

Israel has vowed to crush Hamas after the Palestinian militant group carried out a cross-border attack on October 7 that killed around 1,140 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.

Palestinian militants also abducted about 250 people, 129 of whom Israel says remain in Gaza.

Kanani also slammed as "repetitive" and "threadbare" recent remarks by UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron who branded Iran a "malign influence in the region and the world" and urged a "set of deterrent measures against" it.

The Islamic Republic, which supports Hamas financially and militarily, has hailed the October 7 attacks as a "success" but denied any direct involvement.

Yemeni rebels' recent attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea have prompted major firms to reroute their cargo vessels around the southern tip of Africa, a much longer voyage with higher fuel costs.

Iran has repeatedly dismissed US and Israeli accusations that Tehran was involved in attacks by the Huthis, saying the group was acting on its own.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Iran Says Israeli Strike Kills Senior General In Syria

A senior general with Iran's Revolutionary Guards was killed Monday by an Israeli strike in Syria, the military force said, with Tehran vowing to make Israel "pay for this crime".

Iranian state media also reported the death of Razi Moussavi, describing him as "one of the most experienced advisors" of Quds Force, the foreign arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

There was no immediate comment from Israel, which has repeatedly said it will not allow arch-enemy Iran to expand its presence in Syria.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi expressed condolences for Moussavi's death, saying Israel "will certainly pay for this crime".

The general "was killed during an attack by the Zionist regime a few hours ago in Zeinabiyah district in the suburbs of Damascus," official news agency IRNA reported, using a different name for Sayyida Zeinab south of the Syrian capital.

Moussavi was "active in the field of providing logistical support to the axis of resistance in Syria," IRNA said, referring to groups backed by Tehran and arrayed against Israel.

The IRGC in a statement said Moussavi was killed in a "missile attack" and also vowed to avenge his death.

The statement noted that Moussavi was a companion of General Qassem Soleimani, Iran's revered Quds commander who was killed in Baghdad in a US drone strike in 2020.

Next week Iran will mark the fourth anniversary of Soleimani's assassination, and Moussavi was the most senior Quds Force general killed since.

'Three missiles' 

Iran's state TV said Moussavi was targeted by "three missiles" and aired footage showing smoke rising from the area of the strike.

A Britain-based monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, reported Israeli strikes on positions used by Iranian groups and by Lebanon's powerful Tehran-aligned Hezbollah in the Sayyida Zeinab area.

Residents reported hearing loud explosions and seeing columns of smoke rising from farms in the area.

Since Syria's civil war began in 2011, Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes on its northern neighbour, primarily targeting Iran-backed forces and Hezbollah fighters as well as Syrian army positions.

On December 2, the IRGC accused Israel of killing two of its members in Syria, where the force said they had been on an advisory mission, without providing further details.

Israel, which rarely comments on reported strikes in Syria, has intensified attacks there particularly against Hezbollah since the start of its war against Hamas -- also backed by Iran -- triggered by the Palestinian group's October 7 attacks.

The Islamic republic, which supports Hamas financially and militarily, has hailed the deadly attacks on southern Israel as a "success" but denied any direct involvement.

Iran does not recognise Israel and has made support for the Palestinian cause a centrepiece of its foreign policy since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Watch: Sound On! Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma In Nets Is A Sight To behold

India's veteran batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli sweated it out in companionable silence in the nets during team's practice session on Sunday. India will be aiming for their maiden Test series win in South Africa when they take on the Proteas in a two-match series, starting December 26. There's a 31-year jinx in Indian cricket having missed out on a Test series win in the 'Rainbow Nation' and in the twilight zone of their careers, both Rohit and Kohli would want to achieve which no other Indian teams could.

While Kohli, who came back from London after a short break with family, joined the training after half an hour, Rohit did look a bit more relaxed after shutting himself off for three weeks.

The two batted in different nets and centre practice strip, and also faced throwdowns for more than an hour.

There was hardly any conversation between them even when they took short breaks in between. Unlike the World Cup nets when there was a mix of both focus and laughter, the only sound that made you sit up and take notice was that of the red leather colliding with the willow.

Watch it here:

Virat Kohli in the practice session.

- The King is gearing up for the 26th.pic.twitter.com/WS19Vm0KU7

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) December 24, 2023

Dekho vo aa gaya #ViratKohli #primiily pic.twitter.com/WHhai0SAlX

— Ajay (@coruptajxy) December 24, 2023

Virat Kohli And Prasidh during the Practice Session at South Africa!!#viratkohli #Prasidh #Rohit #ViratKohli #virat #kohil #Test #INDvAUS #INDvsSA #Rcb #INDvSA pic.twitter.com/UiX9Ojr0Na

— Mollah Shamim (@MollahShamim165) December 24, 2023

The batters could be in for some challenging times with the Supersport Park track expected to aid the fast bowlers as rain threat looms large over the opening Test between India and South Africa, curator Brain Bloy said on Saturday.

The Centurion curator said that there is little possibility of play on opening day and better part of second day and due to heavy rain, there will be drop in temperature and spinners are unlikely to get much help.

"Temperature will be super low, like 20 degrees. The temperature is now 34 and it will drop to 20. I don't know what conditions will be like, whether we will get play on Day 1," Bloy told PTI after his regular inspection of work.

"Hopefully we will get some play and it will be cool on Day 3 and I don't know how much turn will be available." 

Bloy said that if track remains under cover, batting first will be a tough ask.

(With PTI Inputs)

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Harsh Goenka Shares Intriguing Video On How Phones Impact Relationships

Industrialist Harsh Goenka often shares motivational and interesting posts to keep his social media fans entertained. On Friday, the tech-savvy businessman shared a thought-provoking video about an issue that is significantly relevant to our lives. The video talks about smartphone addiction and how it impacts our relationships. While phones keep us connected and help maintain relationships, in some ways, they drive a wedge between us, too. 

Mr Goenka shared the video of inspirational speaker Simon Sinek wherein he explains how even holding a phone in our hands while talking to someone else gives them the impression that they are not the top priority. ''Imagine I'm here talking to you, holding my phone. It's not buzzing, not beeping, and no one's calling me, I'm just holding it. Do you feel as if you're the most important thing to me right now? No, you don't. That's the association'' Mr Sinek said in the video. 

''Step away from the screen, embrace the world, and rediscover the joy of living in the moment…..'' the caption of the video shared by Mr Goenka read.

Watch the video here:

Step away from the screen, embrace the world, and rediscover the joy of living in the moment….. pic.twitter.com/Rqqt8gQVmp

— Harsh Goenka (@hvgoenka) December 22, 2023

In the video, Mr. Sinek advised against placing the phone on the table during meetings or family dinners and instead putting it in airplane mode to remove the temptation of incoming notifications. 

''And this is how we should be interacting with people, giving them our full attention. Because the idea is not that we hear the words they say, but that they feel heard. If you wake up in the morning and check your phone before you say good morning to the person sitting next to you, you probably have a problem. If you have to take your room to room, no matter where you go, you have a problem. And just like any recreational drug, the more you practice leaving it away.''

He also recommended leaving unnecessary phones at home while going out for a family dinner or client meeting, or keeping them away out of sight, in the car, or in a bag. He concluded the video by saying, ''Like any addiction, it just takes a little work.''

Several internet users appreciated the crucial reminder, while others talked about the difficulty of following the advice in an era where everything is dependent on phones. 

One user wrote, ''Living in the moment is a great art.'' Another commented, ''Some calls may be an emergency call, so it can't be possible as a thumb rule. Based on the Situation this can be implemented. Better put it on vibration/silent mode, you can accept/reject that call.''

A third said, ''Nowadays it is very difficult to go out without a phone as we are so much addicted to UPI payments.'' A fourth added, ''Phone addiction is not just another drug, it's worse because of the fact that the power of numbers is behind phone addiction.''

Yet another said, ''The saddest part is we are all seeing this on our phones.''

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