Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, who has so far not received an invitation for the Ayodhya Ram temple consecration ceremony on January 22, today said he and his party leaders will visit Kalaram temple in Nashik that day and perform a ‘maha aarti’ on the Godavari river bank.

Talking to reporters here after paying respects to his mother late Meena Thackeray on her birth anniversary, the former chief minister said he will visit Ayodhya whenever he feels like.

“The consecration of Ayodhya Ram temple is a matter of pride and self-respect. On that day (January 22), we will visit the Kalaram temple at 6.30 pm where Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and (social reformer) Sane Guruji had to stage protests. At 7.30 pm, we will hold a maha aarti on the banks of the Godavari river,” Mr Thackeray said.

The Kalaram temple, located in Panchavati area of Nashik, is dedicated to Lord Ram. The temple derives its name from the idol of Lord Ram carved out of black stone. It is believed that Lord Ram stayed in Panchavati with wife Sita and his brother Lakshman during their exile.

In 1930, Dr Ambedkar had led a protest at the Kalaram temple to seek entry of Dalits into the temple.

The consecration ceremony of Ram temple in Ayodhya will be held on January 22. Uddhav Thackeray has not received an invitation for the event.

Uddhav Thackeray also said that on January 23, the birth anniversary of his father and Shiv Sena founder late Bal Thackeray, the party will hold a rally in Nashik.

Last Saturday, Uddhav Thackeray had told reporters, “I have not received any invitation yet and I don’t need one to visit Ayodhya as Ram Lalla belongs to everyone. Whenever I feel like it, I will go. Shiv Sena had contributed a lot to the Ram temple movement.”
 

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

Christian Oliver, known for his performances in movies such as Speed Racer, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Valkyrie, passed away on Thursday along with his two young daughters after their plane crashed into the water off the coast of a Caribbean island, as reported by a leading news portal. Oliver was 51 years old. The plane’s owner and pilot, Robert Sachs, also died in the tragic accident.

Officials reported that the privately-owned plane went down while en route to St. Lucia from Bequia, a small island in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, after departing from J.F. Mitchell Airport on Thursday afternoon. Among those who tragically lost their lives were Oliver’s daughters, Madita, aged 12, and Annik, aged 10.

Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft encountered difficulties and nosedived into the ocean, according to a statement from the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force. Fishermen and divers from Paget Farm rushed to the scene in their boats to provide assistance.

All four bodies have been found, and an investigation into the cause of the crash is underway. Local reports indicate that the pilot informed the tower of difficulties shortly after takeoff and stated an intention to return. This was the plane’s final communication.

Oliver had recently completed shooting the last scenes of his newest movie, Forever Hold Your Peace, which was directed by Nick Lyon and also featured Bai Ling.

Oliver, originally from Germany, worked with Steven Soderbergh on The Good German, alongside Cate Blanchett and George Clooney. He also collaborated with Brian Singer and Tom Cruise on Valkyrie and the Wachowskis on Speed Racer in 2008. His television appearances include Saved By the Bell: The New Class, and his latest movie role was in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.

In another historic moment for India in space, Aditya-L1 — the country’s first mission to study the sun — has reached its final destination. The space observatory was launched on September 3 last year.

Praising the country’s scientists for the achievement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India has created yet another landmark and that the country will pursue new frontiers of science to benefit humanity. 

In a post on X on Saturday, the PM wrote, “India creates yet another landmark. India’s first solar observatory Aditya-L1 reaches its destination. It is a testament to the relentless dedication of our scientists in realising among the most complex and intricate space missions. I join the nation in applauding this extraordinary feat. We will continue to pursue new frontiers of science for the benefit of humanity.”

India creates yet another landmark. India’s first solar observatory Aditya-L1 reaches it’s destination. It is a testament to the relentless dedication of our scientists in realising among the most complex and intricate space missions. I join the nation in applauding this…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 6, 2024

Aditya L1, which is India’s first space-based observatory to study the Sun, has been placed in a halo point around the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 1. The point is around 1.5 million km from the Earth, in the direction of the Sun.