Qatar Airways, on Monday, has declared that it would raise the frequency of its daily flights from the three Indian cities including Delhi, Amritsar and Cochin by the coming month (September 2010).

Gulf-based full service air carrier stated that it will start 14 extra flights from these cities.

It added that the occurrence of the flights from these stations would be augmented in phases, starting next month.

Around 30 pupils reported feelings of nausea after consuming iron pills at a school in Amritsar on Friday.

The incident occurred at the Government Senior Secondary School situated in the neighborhood of Hakima Gate in Amritsar.

The young pupils complained of sharp pain in the stomach. Some vomited after taking the medications.

School authorities swung into action and admitted the children to the Civil Hospital.

As part of his kar seva, Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan washed dishes and cleaned the premises at the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

According to ritual and religious belief, by doing manual work, it is a pure devotion to God.

The actor had gone to Amritsar to shoot for the television game show 'National Bingo Night.'

Abhishek's sister Shweta Nanda was also with him and they visited three well-known Gurdwaras.

Amritsar, Jan. 11 : Heads of various Gurdwaras situated in the United States and Canada have expressed their resentment over the changes made in the NanakShahi Calendar, the only Sikh calendar, by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandhak committee (SGPC), the premier body of the Sikhs, in meet held at Fremont (San Francisco) on Sunday.

The meet lasted for three hours, during which the heads of various Sikh organizations expressed their objection to the changes made by SGPC recently in NanakShahi calendar.

Amritsar, Jan. 11 : Conveying a strong message over the issue of rocket shelling from the Pakistan’s soil, the Border security force has reportedly warned Pakistan’s Rangers against such incidents, as Border guards of India and Pakistan held a DIG level meeting at Attari land border on Saturday.

Notably after the third incident in six month, over 10 rockets were lobbed from the Pakistan soil in to Indian Territory. In retaliation Indian border gourds open fired with machine gun and mortar towards.

Amritsar, Jan 9 - Suspected terrorists fired seven rockets into Punjab's Amritsar district but there were no casualties, officials said Saturday.

The rockets were found in an agricultural field in Kangarh chowki (post) in Attari sector early Saturday. It is not clear when the rockets were fired.

A thick fog was hampering efforts by the Border Security Force to find out if more rockets had been fired, BSF sources said.

BSF officials held talks with the Pakistani Rangers and lodged a strong protest over the incident.

Amritsar, Jan 8 : Punjab Police on Friday detained a Nigerian national with about 8 kilograms heroin worth 400 million rupees in the international market.

Acting on a tip-off, Punjab Police’s Special Operation Cell, detained international Heroin smuggler Felix Odemole resident of Nigeria near the Amritsar railways station.

Amritsar, Jan. 5 : Devotees thronged to the Golden Temple on Tuesday in large numbers for a holy dip in the Golden Temple’s Sarovar or, the sacred pool on the occasion of 344th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh

The Sikh fraternity holds the occasion, which marks birth anniversary of Sikhs’ 10th master, in high esteem.

Golden Temple, also known as Harminder Sahib, the most important Sikh shrine in the

world is illuminated for two days on this occasion. On Tuesday, fire crackers will

Amritsar, Jan 5 - A Pakistani "smuggler" who entered India early Tuesday was shot dead by Border Security Force (BSF) personnel in a border area in Punjab while three others went back into Pakistan under the cover of darkness when the fighting started, officials said.

Contraband worth over Rs. 27 crore was recovered from his possession following the gunfight in Raja Taal area near Bhikiwind town, around 30 km from here.

Amritsar, Jan 4 : The Akal Takht, the temporal seat of the Sikh religion, Monday approved the changes made in the "Nanakshahi" or Sikh religious calendar.

The nod for the changes made, according to which dates of some Sikh religious events will be as per the Vikrami calendar, was announced by Akal Takht Jathedar (chief) Gurbachan Singh.

The decision to approve the changes was taken by the five Sikh high priests at a meeting held here Monday following recommendations of a panel of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) Sunday.

Amritsar, Jan 2 :The Sikh Diaspora has raised eyebrows over the working of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee (SGPC) regarding amendments made in the NanakShahi calendar without taking the community into confidence.

It is also pertinent to mention that the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs, sent its proposals to SGPC to discuss the necessary action to make amendments in the calendar.

The SGPC has also called an emergency meeting of its executive members on Sunday to make certain amendments.

Amritsar, Jan 2 : The sale of kirpans (a ceremonial dagger or sword sported by devout Sikhs) has increased here in Amritsar.

Devotees and tourists are thronging the Golden Temple here to acquire the kirpan as a blessed and decorative item for their homes.

According to an estimate, the annual turnover of swords industry is around 500 million rupees. The swords are also exported abroad for both devotees and tourists.

Amritsar, Jan 1 : At least 51 poor couples tied the nuptial knot at a mass marriage ceremony that was held near Amritsar on Thursday (December 31).

The ceremony organised at Majithia, around 35 kilometers from Amritsar saw the participation of social activists, community leaders who came to bless the couples along with their parents.

On their part, the grooms and brides expressed their gratitude for the help and support provided to them by the organisers of this mass marriage event.

Amritsar, Dec 28 : Hardeep Singh, an artist in Amritsar, has drafted the Gurbani, the Sikh scriptures in calligraphy.

He said he undertook the work because he had not seen anybody doing it before.

"It has been almost a year. The response has been great. Calligraphy means beautiful writing. The art originated in England. I have not seen anybody drafting Gurbani in calligraphy that is why I decided to undertake it," said Hardeep Singh.

His father, Surindra Singh, himself a collector of art antique''s, helping him with his new venture.

Amritsar, Dec 26 : Pakistan Saturday handed over 100 Indian fishermen, including nine children, to Indian authorities at the Attari-Wagah joint border checkpost, officials said.

The fishermen, mostly residents of Gujarat, had mistakenly crossed the maritime border around three years ago and were caught by the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency.

"Pakistan authorities have handed over to us 100 Indian fishermen at the Attari-Wagah border. Most of these fishermen belong to Gujarat," said an official here Saturday.

Amritsar, Dec. 21 : A collection of olden handwritten miniature manuscripts, replicas of Sikh weapons, and treasured photographs of the Sikh gurus and warriors has been put on public display here.

The Chief Khalsa Diwan, the oldest and respectable socio-religious organization of the Sikhs, has organized the exhibition. Established in 1902, it has made commendable contribution in promoting Sikh culture and served the nation and community in the field of education since its formation.

Amritsar, Dec 21 : A group of young Singaporeans recently visited Punjab’s Gurdaspur district to aid underprivileged and needy school children in the state.

The 20 young Singaporean students, were welcomed at the Government High School in Veela Bajju village.

Part of the Young Sikh Association’s community service project `Khawaish’, the Singaporean delegation was accompanied by members of the association.

Amritsar, Dec 21 : Punjab is ushering a second ‘white revolution’ by adopting modern dairy technology, which is seen as a viable and profitable alternative.

Gurmukh Singh, a daily farm owner who has four acres of farmland, shifted to dairy farming, as earnings from routine farming were not adequate.

Amritsar, Dec. 15: Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Dr. Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday inaugurated country's first commercial 2 mega watt Solar Power Plant in Punjab's Amritsar District. The plant is proposed to be further expanded to 5 MW.

Set up by a U. S. Company Azure Power in IPP Mode in the sleepy village Awan 45 KM away from here, the solar power plant was inaugurated by Dr. Farooq Abdullah in the presence of Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and local MP Navjot Singh Sidhu.

Amritsar, Dec. 7 : Supporting the public call to observe closure across Punjab, thousands of activists of various Sikhs organizations set ablaze effigy of Ashutosh Maharaj, the controversial sect leader, who heads the Nurmahal-based (near Jalandhar) Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan, on Monday.

Holding placard in their hands, activists raised slogans against Dera chief and the Punjab Government.