MUMBAI: India’s spiritual tourism boom is drawing travellers of all ages, but one trend stands out this year’s Amarnath Yatra. A growing number of women are choosing to undertake the Amarnath Yatra solo, a pilgrimage long associated with organised groups and family travel. Solo women made up 17.64% of Amarnath bookings this year, which was nearly four times the share of solo men at 4.43%, with Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru emerging as the top source cities, according to data shared by an online travel company.The share of solo women travellers has risen from 15.13% in 2025 to 17.64% this year. Bookings by women travelling alone also grew 20% year-on-year, compared with a 6.4% increase among solo male travellers, indicating a faster rise in women undertaking the pilgrimage independently, said Cleartrip.The Amarnath Yatra also drove strong growth across other travel segments. Hotel bookings for the pilgrimage increased 22% from a year earlier, while bus bookings more than doubled, rising 104%, reflecting strong demand for onward travel to the shrine, it said. he Amarnath Yatra is one of Hinduism’s most demanding annual pilgrimages, undertaken to the Amarnath cave shrine in Jammu and Kashmir, which houses a naturally formed ice stalagmite revered as a Shivling. Held each year during the Hindu month of Shravan, typically from late June or early July to August. Pilgrims reach the cave via the traditional 48-km Pahalgam route or the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route, both of which involve trekking at altitudes of up to about 3,900 metres. But participation is regulated through mandatory advance registration, with devotees required to obtain a compulsory health certificate from authorised medical institutions because of the high altitude and physically strenuous terrain. Daily pilgrim numbers on each route are capped by the shrine board for safety, crowd management and environmental reasons, while security arrangements are extensive given the region’s terrain and history of militant attacks. Helicopter services are available up to designated points on the route, but the final stretch to the cave must be covered on foot or by pony, palanquin or palki. The trend of solo women travelling to Amaranth in increasing numbers comes amid robust growth in religious tourism across the country, with pilgrimage destinations recording some of the strongest booking gains this year.The Char Dham Yatra circuit was another major driver. Haridwar, one of its main gateway cities, recorded a 161% jump in hotel bookings and a 203% rise in bus bookings, while bus bookings to Rishikesh increased 113%. Train bookings on Char Dham routes also rose sharply, with travellers originating largely from Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Delhi, Pune, Kolkata, Chennai and Ahmedabad. Festival-driven travel also boosted demand across several destinations. Puri, which hosts the annual Jagannath Rath Yatra and Bahuda Yatra, recorded more than 200% growth in hotel bookings. Mathura saw hotel bookings rise 196%, while Varanasi recorded 161% growth during the holy month of Sawan and the Kanwar Yatra.Destinations with year-round religious significance also witnessed sustained demand. Prayagraj, Ayodhya, Haridwar, Udupi, Thanjavur, Thrissur, Gokarna and Tirupati all posted triple-digit growth in hotel and bus bookings. Budget accommodation remained the preferred choice among pilgrims, with bookings for budget hotels rising 386% year-on-year, followed by mid-range hotels, which grew 164%, according to Cleartrip.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray strongly condemned the labelling and heavy-handed targeting of young student protesters

MUMBAI: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday condemned the branding of young student protesters as “cockroaches”, saying history has repeatedly shown how those in power sought to belittle dissent.Drawing a parallel with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, he recalled that the Maratha king was once referred to as a “rat” by the Mughals, and questioned the targeting of teenage protesters.Addressing the book launch event of Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Harshal Pradhan, Thackeray said the protesters being labelled “cockroaches” were only 16-17 years old.“Yuva Shakti has shown that democracy has lost. Today, if a stone is lifted for the right of justice, the person is called a terrorist. Those referred to as cockroaches were aged 16-17 years. Even Shivaji Maharaj was called Chuha (rat) by the Mughals. You call today’s youth cockroaches! The young girl who stopped the police car is being trolled by the fanatics.”Commenting on the proposed Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, Thackeray said the government’s priority should be creating jobs for young people instead of expanding Parliament.“Instead of increasing the number of MPs, it would be better to provide more employment opportunities for these young people. If employment opportunities are increased, you won’t even need to limit MPs; people would happily carry these very same youths on their heads,” he said.The Shiv Sena (UBT) chief also said that if his father, Balasaheb Thackeray, were alive today, the present dispensation would have branded him “anti-Hindu”.“It takes courage to publish a book on the Thackeray family. If Balasaheb Thackeray were there today, he too would have been called anti-Hindu. Religion does not make a man. I can show the words of Balasaheb Thackeray in many speeches that ‘humanity is religion’.”Questioning those who invoke religion for political purposes, Thackeray said:The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader further questioned the moral authority of those who weaponise religion for political dominance, “Don’t you feel ashamed to loot the temple of that very Rama in whose name you gained power?”(With ANI inputs)

Some, like the Parsi Dairy Farm in Marine Lines, reopened only on Tuesday after another round of inspection was carried out by the area’s food safety team.

MUMBAI: Following back-to-back inspection of food establishments by the FDA, which has been on a licence suspension spree across the city’s restaurant landscape, eateries are finding themselves racing to fix violations and file appeals within 15 days in order to reopen.Many of their workers have been sent back to their villages as business remains shut.There are about 82 appeal applications across the state so far, with half of them originating in the city.Assistant commissioner (food) Santosh Kamble said that after paperwork is submitted, an FDA team conducts a physical verification.“If the compliance is not as required, we ask them to rectify the remaining issues and then allot them a revised date,” he said.Some, like the Parsi Dairy Farm in Marine Lines, reopened only on Tuesday after another round of inspection was carried out by the area’s food safety team.The outlet had faced issues like fungal growth on walls, the storage of raw materials directly on the floor, and pest and rodent infestations. A representative said compliance reports have been submitted regarding all violations and that fixes have been made.Bristol Bakery in Mahim, a sister outlet of Jimmy Boy, reopened on Wednesday after days of renovation work. A person closely associated with the outlet said they have addressed structural issues such as broken tiles, and pest control has been conducted again.The person said that at the time of the inspection, issues such as flour on the floor were pointed out without considering that it is bound to happen around machinery.“All of the inspections are a positive move on the part of the FDA. We only wish they had held talks with us first, because this is very sudden. Most of us conduct monthly repairs and checks, with major repairs done annually.For years, there was very limited interaction, and now suddenly they are in full force,” the person said.FDA commissioner Tukaram Mundhe said that in the early days after he took over, meetings were held with the Indian Hotel & Restaurant Association and similar organisations.“We provided them with all the instructions. They are well aware that certain standards need to be implemented, which have been in force since 2011,” he said.Bhendi Bazaar’s Shalimar restaurant still remains shut a week after its suspension, undergoing extensive renovation work.Its neighbour, Noor Mohammadi, remains closed, but one of its representatives said the kitchen is getting a complete makeover.“We wish they had given us a notice. We have already filed an appeal and have told them we will take some time,” he said.

Students can be seen enjoying vada pav after school. (AI-generated image used for representational purpose)

MUMBAI: Vada pav, samosas, cold drinks, chocolates and ice creams will no longer be allowed to be sold, distributed or advertised inside schools or within a 50-metre radius of school premises in Maharashtra under a new statewide order issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).FDA commissioner Tukaram Munde said school authorities will be held accountable for implementing the ban and warned of action against principals and school managements that fail to comply.“I want to make it clear that excess fat, excess trans fat and excess sugar products, including deeply fried foods, excessive sugar drinks, vada pav, samosa, cold drinks, chocolates and ice cream, such junk foods are strictly not allowed inside schools to be sold, not be distributed freely, advertise and also not in the surrounding (50 metres range). Principal and school management should implement this strictly, and there should also be awareness about it among parents,” he said.The official said action will be taken against the principal and the school management who don’t comply and follow.“We will start inspections across the state soon. FDA along with school management will be happy to take a workshop at district level and taluka level to implement it smoothly,” Munde added.He also spoke about complaints related to the alleged MPSC paper leak.“We received an email from an individual on the 21st. We recorded the person’s statement on the 24th. MPSC is an independent body, and it conducts the Food and Drug Inspector examination. We have forwarded the statement and all the documents we received to the MPSC,” Tukaram Munde said.In a separate incident earlier this month, the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) suspended the food licences of three eateries in Mumbai after inspections allegedly found serious violations of hygiene and food safety norms.According to the FDA, six inspections were carried out, following which the licences of three food businesses in Bhendi Bazaar and Umarkhadi were suspended for failing to comply with food safety regulations.The FDA said one establishment’s food licence was suspended on July 14 after a re-inspection conducted on July 13 found that 25 major deficiencies identified earlier had not been rectified. The outlet had first been inspected on April 16, following which an improvement notice was issued on April 28.During the re-inspection, officials found wet and slippery kitchen floors, absence of records for raw material procurement, no testing records for drinking water quality, lack of documentation regarding the quality of cooking oil, failure to maintain proper segregation of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food, and open windows without insect-proof screens, allowing pest entry.(With inputs from ANI)

NGT’s Western Zone Bench recorded that the Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer, known as Tata Cancer Hospital, stated that blasting vibrations caused structural damage to campus buildings, and dust clouds frequently exceeded permissible limits and posed respiratory hazards, particularly to patients undergoing chemotherapy

Navi Mumbai: Taking note of concerns raised by the Kharghar-based Tata Cancer Hospital over quarry blasting and dust pollution affecting its buildings and patients, National Green Tribunal (NGT) has sought a response from the Raigad district collector.NGT’s western zone bench recorded that Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC), known as Tata Cancer Hospital, stated that blasting vibrations caused structural damage to campus buildings, and dust clouds frequently exceeded permissible limits and posed respiratory hazards, particularly to patients undergoing chemotherapy.The bench directed that ACTREC’s affidavit be served on the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) and other parties, giving them two weeks to file rejoinders, if any. The bench, comprising judicial member Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh and expert member Dr Sujit Kumar Bajpayee, heard an application filed by NatConnect Foundation director B N Kumar, along with a connected suo motu case based on a media report on the quarry menace.The NGT flagged a lack of clarity over quarrying after 2020-21. An MPCB affidavit, citing a Directorate of Geology and Mining report, said quarrying historically took place over an estimated 14 hectares of survey nos. 355 and 356 at Ove, and stone crusher units were also found operational. The affidavit said quarry permissions were granted up to 2020-21, but did not clarify what happened thereafter. The NGT asked the Raigad collector to file an affidavit on the issue.In the connected case, the collector had earlier stated that the quarries operated with valid approvals up to 2020-21, and no authorisation for further excavation was found on record thereafter. NatConnect counsel Ronita Bhattacharya Bector pointed out that sounds of blasting could be heard even now and said this remained a matter of concern. She also raised concerns over dust from the operational stone crushers and its possible impact on cancer patients.The NGT noted that the four-member joint committee’s report on the quarrying issue was yet to be filed. MPCB sought another two weeks, which the bench granted as a “last opportunity”. The committee, comprising representatives of MPCB, Raigad Collectorate, Directorate of Geology and Mining and the Union environment ministry, inspected the area to examine the quarrying and crushing operations and their environmental impact.The NGT granted NatConnect two weeks to file a combined rejoinder and posted the matter for further hearing on September 15.Meanwhile, Jyoti Nadkarni, director of Swarnishta Habitat Restoration Foundation, said she has been receiving complaints from residents about continuous blasts during the day and night. She urged district authorities to investigate and seal the quarries if they were operating without permission.