Varanasi, Aug 1 : A large number of devotees today took a holy dip in the river Ganges during the occurrence of a partial solar eclipse to ward off ''evil effects'' of the rare celestial phenomenon .

"It is our belief, be it material belief or spiritual belief, we believe that these rituals are for the benefit of the mankind. These rituals are not just for the benefit of the individual, this will be beneficial for the entire world," said Geeta Prasad Pandey, a devotee.

New Delhi/Varanasi/Ahmedabad, May 14 : Security across the country has been beefed up after eight serial blasts rock Jaipur, claiming the lives of 70 people and injuring over 200 others.

Mumbai/Varanasi/New Delhi, Apr 17: Exiled Tibetans today attempted to storm the Chinese Consulate

New Delhi/ Ayodhya/Varanasi, Apr 7: Devotees in different parts of the country offered prayers with devotion on the second day of the nine-day 'Navratri' festival.