During the month of Shravana, millions of Kanwariyas wear saffron-colored clothes while performing their pilgrimage to offer water to Lord Shiva. In Sanatan tradition, saffron represents sacrifice, penance, service, and devotion. It signifies the devotee's temporary detachment from worldly desires and complete surrender to God. Wearing this color is believed to enhance self-confidence and spiritual consciousness while fostering a sense of unity and discipline among the pilgrims. Devotees also follow strict rules like abstaining from alcohol, non-vegetarian food, and maintaining celibacy to make their journey successful and spiritually fruitful. https://argusnews.in/national/why-kanwariyas-wear-saffron-significance-in-sanatan-dharma

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah led a protest in Delhi demanding the restoration of full statehood for J&K. After being stopped by the police on their way to Jantar Mantar, Omar Abdullah traveled in an auto-rickshaw with his sons to continue the protest. The National Conference (NC) party has been demanding statehood since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, which turned the state into two Union Territories. Omar emphasized that this protest is just the beginning of their fight for constitutional rights. https://sambad.in/india-and-beyond/demand-for-statehood-for-jammu-and-kashmir-12182400

The 9th annual Rath Yatra was celebrated with grand fervor in Rhode Island, USA, at the Shri Siddhi Vinayak Temple in Warwick. Hundreds of devotees from states like Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Massachusetts gathered to participate. The rituals began with Mangala Arati and special prayers led by the chief priest. Following the traditional Chhera Pahanra by temple chairman Nagesh Kamsani, the deities were carried in a Pahandi procession to the decorated chariot. The Ratha was pulled for about one kilometer through the streets of Warwick. Cultural programs featuring Odissi and Kathak dances were organized, and Mahaprasad was distributed to the devotees in the style of Puri's Ananda Bazar. https://sambad.in/rathajatra/americas-rhodes-island-hosts-rath-yatra-12181259

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has leveled serious allegations against the Delhi Police following a scuffle during a Parliament march. CJP claims that the police attacked a truck carrying party founder Abhijit Dipke, actor Prakash Raj, and Shabana Azmi. They alleged that protesters were beaten and police used excessive force. Conversely, the Delhi Police has dismissed these allegations as baseless and urged the public not to believe in social media rumors, maintaining that no such violence occurred. https://www.dharitri.com/cjp-accuses-delhi-police-of-assault-after-parliament-march-as-police-deny-violence-claims/

A protest march by the CJP (Cockroach Janata Party) towards the Parliament in New Delhi turned violent on Monday. Clashes erupted as protesters tried to break security barricades, leading police to use tear gas, lathi charge, and deploy riot control vehicles. Several people were injured, and security was tightened at Jantar Mantar and Rail Bhavan. As a precaution, five metro stations were temporarily closed, and the South Entrance of the Parliament was shut for vehicles. Protesters also alleged mobile and internet services were jammed during the protest. https://www.samayalive.in/india-abroad/tear-gas--lathicharge--scuffles--chaos-as-cjp-protesters-march-on-parliament/article-37635

The Shiv Sena (UBT) has moved the Supreme Court challenging Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla's decision to approve the merger of six of its MPs into the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction. Senior advocate Devadatt Kamat, representing the UBT faction, mentioned the matter before a bench led by Justice Surya Kant, seeking an urgent hearing. The petition argues against the trend of elected representatives switching parties after winning elections. The Supreme Court has stated it will consider the matter. https://www.samayalive.in/india-abroad/sena-ubt-moves-sc-over-merger-of-6-mps-with-shinde-sena/article-37667

A massive protest was held by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) at Delhi's Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of the Union Education Minister. Led by Abhijit Dipke following environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk's hospitalization, protesters marched towards Parliament. Police used lathi charge and tear gas to control the crowd, leading to injuries. A viral video shows a young woman crying and pleading with female police officers, stating that violence is not a solution. Security has been tightened in the area. https://www.dharitri.com/cjp-jantar-mantar-protest-march-to-parliament-abhijeet-dipke-girl-emotional-video-viral/

Protests were held in Puri, Odisha, demanding the resignations of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and State Education Minister Nityanand Gond. The protestors, including members from CITU, Congress, and CPI, demanded the abolition of NTA, cancellation of NEP 2020, and expressed outrage over the arrest of Sonam Wangchuk. They also highlighted issues like NEET paper leaks and errors in state textbooks containing unscientific and unhistorical information. A massive rally was conducted from PKDA Square to the District Collector's office. https://odishatazanews.com/?p=208091

Three BDA parks in Ward No. 15 of Bhubaneswar are facing severe maintenance issues. Parks in VIP Colony, Rental Colony, and Akshay Mohanty Park lack basic amenities like children's play equipment and yoga platforms. Residents complain about piled-up garbage, rusted gym equipment, and lack of drinking water. The BDA engineer stated that tenders have been called for improvements and sanitation work will be conducted soon. https://sambad.in/metro/bda-park-in-trouble-12182905

A new 160.18 km coastal highway connecting Rameshwar to Paradip is set to be constructed in Odisha at a cost of ₹8,300.79 crore. Spanning across Khordha, Puri, Kendrapara, and Jagatsinghpur districts, the project includes a 4-lane access-controlled section from Rameshwar to Konark and a 2-lane section from Konark to Paradip. Designed for speeds up to 100 km/h, it aims to reduce travel time by 2.5 hours, boosting spiritual tourism to Jagannath and Konark temples, while promoting local economy and logistics through the PM Gati Shakti initiative. https://sambad.in/state/odisha-rameswaram-paradip-coastal-highway-rs-8300-crore-project-12182649