Airlines hike airfare from Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata to Patna ahead of the festive season

It is the festive season and airlines have hiked the airfares from Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata to Patna. The rise is, in some cases is in excess of more than three-fold over the off-peak season rates. The price of air tickets for flights from Delhi to Patna and from Mumbai to Patna were more than the rate from Delhi to Sharjah or from Delhi to Singapore or Delhi to Bangkok. These are for destinations in other countries. Obviously, airline companies were taking advantage of the flexible fare during the peak season. In the opinion of experts, the spike might continue. This is not only for Delhi but also for other cities like Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, and Surat. It is obvious that people can afford to pay these exorbitant rates and no one is gumbling. Airfare from Delhi, Mumbai to Patna rises upto three fold amid Diwali, Chhath.

One of the biggest reasons for the spikes in airfare could possibly be the non-availability of train tickets. The waiting lists for trains are very high and even Tatkal tickets are not available. Hence, the railways plan to start additional mail and express trains bound for destinations in Bihar. These could include Patna, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Jay Nagar, Kishanganj, Katihar, and Barauni (Begusarai). Moreover, Northern Railway has decided to run 32 additional mail and express trains bound to provide some relief to the passengers. According to the officials, there will be 211 trains until Chatth Puja. These will originate from Jammu, Amritsar, Ferozepur, Delhi, Bhiwani, and Pathankot. The authorities want the people to come home to enjoy the festive season with their near and dear ones.

Some popular stories of this blogger –

The Princess Royal made Daniel Craig a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George at Windsor Castle

Hurricane Michael of 2018 destroyed Mexico Beach and the earlier residents are unable to return because of high costs

A cyclonic circulation developing over the Andaman Sea threatens Kolkata with rains during Diwali

African elephants adapt themselves to an arid landscape of rocky mountains in northwest Namibia

Taiwan opens its doors to tourists after easing COVID-19 border curbs

Alaska cancels its snow crab harvest this year because of their disappearance from the Bering Sea in recent years

This year’s London Film Festival closed with ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’

SpaceX Crew-4 astronauts of NASA and ESA returned to Earth in a parachute-assisted splashdown

The mighty Mississippi River south of St. Louis is drying up because of drought

Sky lanterns made in China are a craze in Kolkata this Diwali

Firecrackers and illumination lights made in China are taboo in many places this Diwali but, in Kolkata, the sky lanterns or phanush made in China have become a sort of craze. These lanterns come in packets of five and are priced at Rs 30-40 each.
As explained by one of the sellers, there are restrictions on decibel levels and bans on chocolate bombs. Therefore, the thrust is on alternate items which are far cheaper than most aerial fireworks.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 30 October 2016.

The craze and mass appeal is such that events are being organized in free public places were people are being invited to watch the release of these lanterns. One such event was held at Deshbandhu Park and another is planned for Vivekananda Park.
Sky lanterns or phanush will counter the sound pollution caused by crackers during Diwali. Sky lanterns are soothing to look at and are safer.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


Some more interesting links -

Pine needles to produce electricity in Uttarakhand

Lost £250 wedding ring retrieved after the eight million gallon lake was drained

Jakarta to pay $1.5 for every rat caught to contain rat menace


Fuchka Festival in Kolkata and selfies (satire)

Moody fires cannons to eliminate mosquitoes (satire)

Lord Shiva’s Durga puja is about selfish people and selfies (satire)


Carey Mulligan leaves teddy bears outside gates of 10 Downing Street to protest attacks on Aleppo

Battle to liberate Mosul rages and ISIS fighters flee the city dressed as women

Group clashes in prisons in Brazil kill at least 18 inmates


The Guardians of the Galaxy 2 trailer released

Trailer of xXx: Return of Xander Cage starring Deepika Padukone launched in four Indian languages

Jackie Chan's Kung Fu Yoga to release on 28th January 2017

Owls being sacrificed in UP during Diwali to bring home the riches

Animals are sacrificed to appease the Gods and in UP, as Diwali approaches, the bird markets witness a very seasonal and very brutal trade in owls. This is done by some in the belief that if an owl is sacrificed in a house during Lakshmi puja, the goddess will be forced to "stay" with the family and bring in the riches.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 29 October 2016.

Much of this trade is routed through Agra, as revealed by wildlife activists. In the city, the birds costing upwards of Rs 30,000 each, can even be home delivered. Moreover, for the squeamish, the trader will sacrifice it for the believers.
In the opinion of wildlife activists, Agra is one of the major hubs for this trade and places like Korai-Karavili village, near Fatehpuri Sikri, and Kosi Kalan in Mathura are infamous for it.
These owls are sold at a premium and are brought in only after a specific demand is made. This demand is usually for black magic, or during the Diwali season for sacrifice. The birds are often delivered right to the buyer's doorstep due to which such transactions remains undocumented.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


Some more interesting links -

Pine needles to produce electricity in Uttarakhand

Lost £250 wedding ring retrieved after the eight million gallon lake was drained

Jakarta to pay $1.5 for every rat caught to contain rat menace


Fuchka Festival in Kolkata and selfies (satire)

Moody fires cannons to eliminate mosquitoes (satire)

Lord Shiva’s Durga puja is about selfish people and selfies (satire)


Carey Mulligan leaves teddy bears outside gates of 10 Downing Street to protest attacks on Aleppo

Battle to liberate Mosul rages and ISIS fighters flee the city dressed as women

Group clashes in prisons in Brazil kill at least 18 inmates


The Guardians of the Galaxy 2 trailer released

Trailer of xXx: Return of Xander Cage starring Deepika Padukone launched in four Indian languages

Jackie Chan's Kung Fu Yoga to release on 28th January 2017

Saying no to Chinese fircrackers does not help the cause of Indian manufacturers

Realization appears to have dawned that banning import and sale of Chinese firecrackers during Diwali has had little or no effect on domestically made crackers. This is mainly because of anti-cracker campaigns run by schools, resident welfare associations (RWAs) and others.
The ASSOCHAM had interacted with firecracker wholesalers, retailers, traders in 10 cities of Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Bhopal, Chennai, Dehradun, Delhi, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Lucknow and Mumbai to understand the enthusiasm and demand for firecrackers together with impact of ban on Chinese crackers across India.
This has been reported in indianexpress.com dated 28 October 2016.

The dismal outlook is not only on cheap Chinese firecrackers but multiple other factors like growing environmental awareness, rising cost of living, growing tendency amid people to save their hard-earned money rather than spoiling it on burning crackers, paucity of time, traffic congestion during festive period etcetera.
Agreed that banning Chinese firecrackers was a welcome move targeted at strengthening the domestic industry, but growing criticism of bursting firecrackers and the associated negative publicity together with rising air and noise pollution have resulted in the firecracker industry across India gong into the doldrums.
Hundreds of units in Sivakasi have closed down because of intense campaigns and growing sales of China-made crackers over the years. On a rough estimate, nearly 30,000 people have lost their livelihood. There are about 800 licensed firecracker making units in Sivakasi and this industry accounts for a market size of about 2,500 crore rupees. But, rise in cost of raw materials and, overall inflation have also discouraged people from buying firecrackers and this trend has been going on for past few years now.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


Some more interesting links -

Pine needles to produce electricity in Uttarakhand

Lost £250 wedding ring retrieved after the eight million gallon lake was drained

Jakarta to pay $1.5 for every rat caught to contain rat menace


Fuchka Festival in Kolkata and selfies (satire)

Moody fires cannons to eliminate mosquitoes (satire)

Lord Shiva’s Durga puja is about selfish people and selfies (satire)


Carey Mulligan leaves teddy bears outside gates of 10 Downing Street to protest attacks on Aleppo

Battle to liberate Mosul rages and ISIS fighters flee the city dressed as women

Group clashes in prisons in Brazil kill at least 18 inmates


The Guardians of the Galaxy 2 trailer released

Trailer of xXx: Return of Xander Cage starring Deepika Padukone launched in four Indian languages

Jackie Chan's Kung Fu Yoga to release on 28th January 2017

Residents of high-rise buildings in Kolkata to bear the brunt of Diwali firecracker pollution

Residents of high-rise buildings in Kolkata are in fear of a very noisy Diwali. In areas around Dhakuria Lake people are worried. Ever since the Laxmi Puja immersions there has been relentless bursting of sound crackers.
Apparently, calls to local police station have fallen on deaf ears.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 24 October 2016.

Similar is the situation in Salt Lake, Tollygunge, and a section of Ballygunge, Behala, Santoshpur and Sarsuna. Activists claim that at least 14 police station areas in the south, southeast and added areas are the worst affected.
Reports from police headquarters at Lalbazar also accept that "more ground action" will be required to make this Diwali sound free because the markets are flooded with illegal firecrackers which are cheaper than the ones that emit lights.
Police have indicated that the market names might have changed, but not the products. A few examples are - the popular Kalipatkas have been renamed Chutphuts and double-sound Dodomas are now Navarangs. Generators being passed off as flowerpots (Tubris) burst like chocolate bombs instead of releasing a fountain of light.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


Some more interesting links -

Pine needles to produce electricity in Uttarakhand

Lost £250 wedding ring retrieved after the eight million gallon lake was drained

Jakarta to pay $1.5 for every rat caught to contain rat menace


Fuchka Festival in Kolkata and selfies (satire)

Moody fires cannons to eliminate mosquitoes (satire)

Lord Shiva’s Durga puja is about selfish people and selfies (satire)


Carey Mulligan leaves teddy bears outside gates of 10 Downing Street to protest attacks on Aleppo

Battle to liberate Mosul rages and ISIS fighters flee the city dressed as women

Group clashes in prisons in Brazil kill at least 18 inmates


The Guardians of the Galaxy 2 trailer released

Trailer of xXx: Return of Xander Cage starring Deepika Padukone launched in four Indian languages

Jackie Chan's Kung Fu Yoga to release on 28th January 2017

Campaign is on to boycott Chinese goods during Diwali

A campaign has been launched to boycott Chinese goods this Diwali because China has extended support to Pakistan after the Uri attack. The campaign has adversely affected Diwali sales. While the social media is abuzz with calls to boycott Chinese goods this Diwali, a number of politicians have also urged people to go in for Indian products only.
However, while some traders agree with the sentiment of the campaign, they point out that such actions would lead to huge losses for traders and shop-owners who have stocked Chinese goods worth lakhs over the past four months.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 14 October 2016.

Traders and businessmen have invested a lot of money on these products and, before taking any such decision, people should consider the effect it can have on others. As a trader in Delhi has remarked - any plan to stop entry of Chinese goods in India is not feasible since we do not possess any infrastructure to manufacture these products. If the government is serious on the subject, it should stop importers from buying products from China rather than banning retail sales.
The most popular Chinese products for Diwali are small blinking lights, also called `fairy lights', decorative items and statues. Even idols of Ganesh and Lakshmi are made in that country for Indians.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


Some more interesting links -

Taiwan struck by Typhoon Megi, third typhoon in two weeks

Terrorist alarm in Uran was the figment of a 12-year-old schoolgirl's imagination

Tourist season in Kaziranga National Park to start from October 1 instead of November 1


Moody is off mood – Na Buzz had fooled him again (satire)

Didi’s version of ABCD - cycle to work to bypass potholes (satire)

Goddess Durga and her kids wait for the annual bash (satire)


9300 people killed in Russian airstrikes in Syria during last year

MH17 flight shot down by rocket over Ukraine in 2014 was work of pro-Moscow rebels

Shooting in Burlington - gunman on the run after shooting dead four women in a shopping center


Mark Wahlberg talks about movie on Deepwater Horizon explosion in the Gulf of Mexico

Adele creates a record - her latest album 25 has gone platinum in the US

Movie memorabilia go under the hammer - Batman's batpod fetches £312,000