Millions of Indians are celebrating Dussehra — the Hindu festival to mark the victory of good over evil — on Wednesday after a two-year pandemic lull.
Dussehra is marked on the tenth day of Navratri, when people worship Goddess Durga for nine days to celebrate her victory over Mahisasur, a half-man, half-buffalo demon.
People visit family and friends and exchange sweets and gifts.
Women from the Bengali and Assamese communities and neighbouring Odisha and Jharkhand states also play shindur khela, meaning “vermilion game”, in which they smear each other’s faces with vermilion and bid farewell to the goddess.
The day also marks Lord Ram’s victory over the powerful 10-headed demon king Ravan, who had abducted his wife Sita, after ten days of fighting.
The festival symbolises the triumph of good over evil and Hindus celebrate the day by burning effigies of the demon king, his brother Kumbhakaran and son Meghand, across the country as large crowds gather to watch the spectacle.
In the northern city of Chandigarh, a 27-metre effigy of Ravan has been set up. Traditionally, the effigies are filled with firecrackers. But restrictions on the toxic crackers, which cause pollution, mean a laser show has been arranged for the event this time.
In the western state of western Rajasthan, a 22-metre eco-friendly effigy has been erected. More than 4,000 people are expected to witness the moment the effigy is set on fire.
In Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Ram, in Uttar Pradesh, grand effigies will be burnt in the presence of regional celebrities and politicians.
Large fairs have also been organised in the capital New Delhi to celebrate the day in a grand manner.
Dussehra also marks the beginning of preparations for Diwali — the festival of lights — which is celebrated 20 days later to commemorate the return of Lord Ram, his wife Sita and his brother Lakshman to Ayodhya after killing Ravan.
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MATCH INFO
What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)
Citizenship-by-investment programmes
United Kingdom
The UK offers three programmes for residency. The UK Overseas Business Representative Visa lets you open an overseas branch office of your existing company in the country at no extra investment. For the UK Tier 1 Innovator Visa, you are required to invest £50,000 (Dh238,000) into a business. You can also get a UK Tier 1 Investor Visa if you invest £2 million, £5m or £10m (the higher the investment, the sooner you obtain your permanent residency).
All UK residency visas get approved in 90 to 120 days and are valid for 3 years. After 3 years, the applicant can apply for extension of another 2 years. Once they have lived in the UK for a minimum of 6 months every year, they are eligible to apply for permanent residency (called Indefinite Leave to Remain). After one year of ILR, the applicant can apply for UK passport.
The Caribbean
Depending on the country, the investment amount starts from $100,000 (Dh367,250) and can go up to $400,000 in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take between four to five months to receive a passport.
Portugal
The investment amount ranges from €350,000 to €500,000 (Dh1.5m to Dh2.16m) in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take a maximum of six months to receive a Golden Visa. Applicants can apply for permanent residency after five years and Portuguese citizenship after six years.
“Among European countries with residency programmes, Portugal has been the most popular because it offers the most cost-effective programme to eventually acquire citizenship of the European Union without ever residing in Portugal,” states Veronica Cotdemiey of Citizenship Invest.
Greece
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Greece is €250,000, making it the cheapest real estate residency visa scheme in Europe. You can apply for residency in four months and citizenship after seven years.
Spain
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Spain is €500,000. You can apply for permanent residency after five years and citizenship after 10 years. It is not necessary to live in Spain to retain and renew the residency visa permit.
Cyprus
Cyprus offers the quickest route to citizenship of a European country in only six months. An investment of €2m in real estate is required, making it the highest priced programme in Europe.
Malta
The Malta citizenship by investment programme is lengthy and investors are required to contribute sums as donations to the Maltese government. The applicant must either contribute at least €650,000 to the National Development & Social Fund. Spouses and children are required to contribute €25,000; unmarried children between 18 and 25 and dependent parents must contribute €50,000 each.
The second step is to make an investment in property of at least €350,000 or enter a property rental contract for at least €16,000 per annum for five years. The third step is to invest at least €150,000 in bonds or shares approved by the Maltese government to be kept for at least five years.
Candidates must commit to a minimum physical presence in Malta before citizenship is granted. While you get residency in two months, you can apply for citizenship after a year.
Egypt
A one-year residency permit can be bought if you purchase property in Egypt worth $100,000. A three-year residency is available for those who invest $200,000 in property, and five years for those who purchase property worth $400,000.
Source: Citizenship Invest and Aqua Properties
