"Local Time"

#13223905

21 January 2026

A Gondhoraj lime (Citrus x limonia) plant with flowers, buds and fruits is seen in Sirkabad, Purulia district, West Bengal, India, on January 13, 2026.

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#13213194

18 January 2026

Former Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah, also known as Balen, gestures after arriving at the party office of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) in Kathmandu, Nepal, on January 18, 2026, formally joining the party to contest the March election. The rapper-turned-mayor is presented as the next Prime Minister by the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). The former rapper, who wins the local election of 2022 from the Nepali capital, also assumes the charge of senior leader of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). On December 28, Balen strikes a deal with the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) where it is agreed that he will be the next Prime Ministerial candidate from the party. As per the 7-point agreement, RSP chair Rabi Lamichhane continues as the party's central chairman, while Shah is presented as the party's parliamentary leader after the elections and its prime ministerial candidate. The RSP emerges as the fourth largest political force, winning 21 seats in the dissolved House of Representatives within a year of its establishment. With candidacy filing scheduled for January 20, Shah prepares to contest from the Jhapa-5 constituency in the March 5 elections, with the declared aim of beating four-time prime minister and CPN-UML chair KP Sharma Oli in his own constituency. Balen promises to institutionalize the agenda raised by September's Gen-Z movement. The electoral battle in Jhapa-5 shapes up to be an intriguing contest this time.

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#13213195

18 January 2026

Former Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah, also known as Balen, arrives at the party office of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) in Kathmandu, Nepal, on January 18, 2026, formally joining the party to contest the March election. The rapper-turned-mayor is presented as the next Prime Minister by the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). The former rapper, who won the local election of 2022 from the Nepali capital, also assumes the role of senior leader of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). On December 28, Balen strikes a deal with the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) where it is agreed that he will be the next Prime Ministerial candidate from the party. As per the 7-point agreement, RSP chair Rabi Lamichhane continues as the party's central chairman, while Shah is presented as the party's parliamentary leader after the elections and its prime ministerial candidate. The RSP emerges as the fourth largest political force, winning 21 seats in the dissolved House of Representatives within a year of its establishment. With candidacy filing scheduled for January 20, Shah prepares to contest from the Jhapa-5 constituency in the March 5 elections, with the declared aim of beating four-time prime minister and CPN-UML chair KP Sharma Oli in his own constituency. Balen promises to institutionalize the agenda raised by September's Gen-Z movement. The electoral battle in Jhapa-5 shapes up to be an intriguing contest this time.

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#13213290

18 January 2026

Former Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah, also known as Balen, rings a traditional bell after arriving at the party office of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) in Kathmandu, Nepal, on January 18, 2026, formally joining the party to contest the March election. The rapper turned mayor is presented as the next Prime Minister by the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). The former rapper, who wins the local election of 2022 from the Nepali capital, also assumes the charge of senior leader of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). On December 28, Balen strikes a deal with the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) where it is agreed that he will be the next Prime Ministerial candidate from the party. As per the 7-point agreement, RSP chair Rabi Lamichhane continues as the party's central chairman, while Shah is presented as the party's parliamentary leader after the elections and its prime ministerial candidate. The RSP emerges as the fourth largest political force, winning 21 seats in the dissolved House of Representatives within a year of its establishment. With candidacy filing scheduled for January 20, Shah prepares to contest from the Jhapa-5 constituency in the March 5 elections, with the declared aim of beating four-time prime minister and CPN-UML chair KP Sharma Oli in his own constituency. Balen promises to institutionalize the agenda raised by September's Gen-Z movement. The electoral battle in Jhapa-5 shapes up to be an intriguing contest this time.

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#13187619

12 January 2026

Karkateshwar Mahadev Temple and Ashram is located in Kakrighat, Uttarakhand, India, on April 20, 2024. Karkateshwar Mahadev Temple is situated along the Vivekananda Trail and is the place where Swami Vivekananda receives enlightenment. Swami Vivekananda spends a lot of time in the Kumaon region of the Himalayas and sets up Ashrams and spiritual centers there. The Vivekananda Trail in Kumaon is a path that he treads as a young monk in 1890. Kakrighat is the site where Vivekananda sets foot more than 100 years ago and is one of the most important places along the Vivekananda Trail in Kumaon. Within the grounds of Karkateshwar Mahadev Temple, there is a large Peepal tree with densely spread leaves. It is this spot where Vivekananda, in deep meditation after sanctifying himself with a bath in the Kosi River, revives enlightenment. The original tree under which Swami Vivekananda meditates has long since dried up. On July 15, 2016, one of the cloned saplings of the sacred tree, which the local people reverentially refer to as Vivekananda Jnana-vriksha, is planted at the very spot where the original tree stood.

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#13187620

12 January 2026

A man bathes by the Kosi River near the Karkateshwar Mahadev Temple and Ashram in Kakrighat, Uttarakhand, India, on April 20, 2024. Karkateshwar Mahadev Temple is located along the Vivekananda Trail and is the place where Swami Vivekananda receives enlightenment. Swami Vivekananda spends a lot of time in the Kumaon region of the Himalayas and sets up Ashrams and spiritual centers there. The Vivekananda Trail in Kumaon is a path that he treads as a young monk in 1890. Kakrighat is the site where Vivekananda sets foot more than 100 years ago and is one of the most important places along the Vivekananda Trail in Kumaon. Within the grounds of Karkateshwar Mahadev Temple, there is a large Peepal tree with densely spread leaves. It is this spot where Vivekananda, in deep meditation after sanctifying himself with a bath in the Kosi River, revives enlightenment. The original tree under which Swami Vivekananda meditates has long since dried up. On July 15, 2016, one of the cloned saplings of the sacred tree (which the local people reverentially refer to as Vivekananda Jnana-vriksha) is planted at the very spot where the original tree stood.

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#13187621

12 January 2026

Karkateshwar Mahadev Temple and Ashram is located in Kakrighat, Uttarakhand, India, on April 20, 2024. Karkateshwar Mahadev Temple is situated along the Vivekananda Trail and is the place where Swami Vivekananda receives enlightenment. Swami Vivekananda spends a lot of time in the Kumaon region of the Himalayas and sets up Ashrams and spiritual centers there. The Vivekananda Trail in Kumaon is a path that he treads as a young monk in 1890. Kakrighat is the site where Vivekananda sets foot more than 100 years ago and is one of the most important places along the Vivekananda Trail in Kumaon. Within the grounds of Karkateshwar Mahadev Temple, there is a large Peepal tree with densely spread leaves. It is this spot where Vivekananda, in deep meditation after sanctifying himself with a bath in the Kosi River, revives enlightenment. The original tree under which Swami Vivekananda meditates has long since dried up. On July 15, 2016, one of the cloned saplings of the sacred tree, which the local people reverentially refer to as Vivekananda Jnana-vriksha, is planted at the very spot where the original tree stood.

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#13187622

12 January 2026

Bells at the Karkateshwar Mahadev Temple and Ashram in Kakrighat, Uttarakhand, India, on April 20, 2024. Karkateshwar Mahadev Temple is located along the Vivekananda Trail and is the place where Swami Vivekananda receives enlightenment. Swami Vivekananda spends a lot of time in the Kumaon region of the Himalayas and sets up Ashrams and spiritual centers there. The Vivekananda Trail in Kumaon is a path that he treads as a young monk in 1890. Kakrighat is the site where Vivekananda sets foot more than 100 years ago and is one of the most important places along the Vivekananda Trail in Kumaon. Within the grounds of Karkateshwar Mahadev Temple, there is a large Peepal tree with densely spread leaves. It is this spot where Vivekananda, in deep meditation after sanctifying himself with a bath in the Kosi River, revives enlightenment. The original tree under which Swami Vivekananda meditates has long since dried up. On July 15, 2016, one of the cloned saplings of the sacred tree (which the local people reverentially refer to as Vivekananda Jnana-vriksha) is planted at the very spot where the original tree stands.

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#13187623

12 January 2026

A sign stands by the peepal tree at the Karkateshwar Mahadev Temple and Ashram in Kakrighat, Uttarakhand, India, on April 20, 2024. Karkateshwar Mahadev Temple is located along the Vivekananda Trail and is the place where Swami Vivekananda receives enlightenment. Swami Vivekananda spends a lot of time in the Kumaon region of the Himalayas and sets up ashrams and spiritual centers there. The Vivekananda Trail in Kumaon is a path that he treads as a young monk in 1890. Kakrighat is the site where Vivekananda sets foot more than 100 years ago and is one of the most important places along the Vivekananda Trail in Kumaon. Within the grounds of Karkateshwar Mahadev Temple, there is a large peepal tree with densely spread leaves. It is this spot where Vivekananda, in deep meditation after sanctifying himself with a bath in the Kosi River, revives enlightenment. The original tree under which Swami Vivekananda meditates has long since dried up. On July 15, 2016, one of the cloned saplings of the sacred tree (which the local people reverentially refer to as Vivekananda Jnana-vriksha) is planted at the very spot where the original tree stood.

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#13187624

12 January 2026

A Shiva lingam is at the Karkateshwar Mahadev Temple and Ashram in Kakrighat, Uttarakhand, India, on April 20, 2024. Karkateshwar Mahadev Temple is located along the Vivekananda Trail and is the place where Swami Vivekananda receives enlightenment. Swami Vivekananda spends a lot of time in the Kumaon region of the Himalayas and sets up Ashrams and spiritual centers there. The Vivekananda Trail in Kumaon is a path that he treads as a young monk in 1890. Kakrighat is the site where Vivekananda sets foot more than 100 years ago and is one of the most important places along the Vivekananda Trail in Kumaon. Within the grounds of Karkateshwar Mahadev Temple, there is a large Peepal tree with densely spread leaves. It is this spot where Vivekananda, in deep meditation after sanctifying himself with a bath in the Kosi River, revives enlightenment. The original tree under which Swami Vivekananda meditates has long since dried up. On July 15, 2016, one of the cloned saplings of the sacred tree (which the local people reverentially refer to as Vivekananda Jnana-vriksha) is planted at the very spot where the original tree stood.

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#13187625

12 January 2026

Karkateshwar Mahadev Temple and Ashram is located in Kakrighat, Uttarakhand, India, on April 20, 2024. Karkateshwar Mahadev Temple is situated along the Vivekananda Trail and is the place where Swami Vivekananda receives enlightenment. Swami Vivekananda spends a lot of time in the Kumaon region of the Himalayas and sets up Ashrams and spiritual centers there. The Vivekananda Trail in Kumaon is a path that he treads as a young monk in 1890. Kakrighat is the site where Vivekananda sets foot more than 100 years ago and is one of the most important places along the Vivekananda Trail in Kumaon. Within the grounds of Karkateshwar Mahadev Temple, there is a large Peepal tree with densely spread leaves. It is this spot where Vivekananda, in deep meditation after sanctifying himself with a bath in the Kosi River, revives enlightenment. The original tree under which Swami Vivekananda meditates has long since dried up. On July 15, 2016, one of the cloned saplings of the sacred tree, which the local people reverentially refer to as Vivekananda Jnana-vriksha, is planted at the very spot where the original tree stood.

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#13187626

12 January 2026

A woman hugs the peepal tree at the Karkateshwar Mahadev Temple and Ashram in Kakrighat, Uttarakhand, India, on April 20, 2024. Karkateshwar Mahadev Temple is located along the Vivekananda Trail and is the place where Swami Vivekananda receives enlightenment. Swami Vivekananda spends a lot of time in the Kumaon region of the Himalayas and sets up ashrams and spiritual centers there. The Vivekananda Trail in Kumaon is a path that he treads as a young monk in 1890. Kakrighat is the site where Vivekananda sets foot more than 100 years ago and is one of the most important places along the Vivekananda Trail in Kumaon. Within the grounds of Karkateshwar Mahadev Temple, there is a large peepal tree with densely spread leaves. It is this spot where Vivekananda, in deep meditation after sanctifying himself with a bath in the Kosi River, revives enlightenment. The original tree under which Swami Vivekananda meditates has long since dried up. On July 15, 2016, one of the cloned saplings of the sacred tree (which the local people reverentially refer to as Vivekananda Jnana-vriksha) is planted at the very spot where the original tree stands.

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#13187627

12 January 2026

Karkateshwar Mahadev Temple and Ashram is located in Kakrighat, Uttarakhand, India, on April 20, 2024. Karkateshwar Mahadev Temple is situated along the Vivekananda Trail and is the place where Swami Vivekananda receives enlightenment. Swami Vivekananda spends a lot of time in the Kumaon region of the Himalayas and sets up Ashrams and spiritual centers there. The Vivekananda Trail in Kumaon is a path that he treads as a young monk in 1890. Kakrighat is the site where Vivekananda sets foot more than 100 years ago and is one of the most important places along the Vivekananda Trail in Kumaon. Within the grounds of Karkateshwar Mahadev Temple, there is a large Peepal tree with densely spread leaves. It is this spot where Vivekananda, in deep meditation after sanctifying himself with a bath in the Kosi River, revives enlightenment. The original tree under which Swami Vivekananda meditates has long since dried up. On July 15, 2016, one of the cloned saplings of the sacred tree, which the local people reverentially refer to as Vivekananda Jnana-vriksha, is planted at the very spot where the original tree stood.

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#13187628

12 January 2026

Karkateshwar Mahadev Temple and Ashram is located in Kakrighat, Uttarakhand, India, on April 20, 2024. Karkateshwar Mahadev Temple is situated along the Vivekananda Trail and is the place where Swami Vivekananda receives enlightenment. Swami Vivekananda spends a lot of time in the Kumaon region of the Himalayas and sets up Ashrams and spiritual centers there. The Vivekananda Trail in Kumaon is a path that he treads as a young monk in 1890. Kakrighat is the site where Vivekananda sets foot more than 100 years ago and is one of the most important places along the Vivekananda Trail in Kumaon. Within the grounds of Karkateshwar Mahadev Temple, there is a large Peepal tree with densely spread leaves. It is this spot where Vivekananda, in deep meditation after sanctifying himself with a bath in the Kosi River, revives enlightenment. The original tree under which Swami Vivekananda meditates has long since dried up. On July 15, 2016, one of the cloned saplings of the sacred tree, which the local people reverentially refer to as Vivekananda Jnana-vriksha, is planted at the very spot where the original tree stood.

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#13187629

12 January 2026

A Peepal tree stands at the Karkateshwar Mahadev Temple and Ashram in Kakrighat, Uttarakhand, India, on April 20, 2024. Karkateshwar Mahadev Temple is located along the Vivekananda Trail and is the place where Swami Vivekananda receives enlightenment. Swami Vivekananda spends a lot of time in the Kumaon region of the Himalayas and sets up Ashrams and spiritual centers there. The Vivekananda Trail in Kumaon is a path that he treads as a young monk in 1890. Kakrighat is the site where Vivekananda sets foot more than 100 years ago and is one of the most important places along the Vivekananda Trail in Kumaon. Within the grounds of Karkateshwar Mahadev Temple, there is a large Peepal tree with densely spread leaves. It is this spot where Vivekananda, in deep meditation after sanctifying himself with a bath in the Kosi River, revives enlightenment. The original tree under which Swami Vivekananda meditates has long since dried up. On July 15, 2016, one of the cloned saplings of the sacred tree, which the local people reverentially refer to as Vivekananda Jnana-vriksha, is planted at the very spot where the original tree stands.

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#13187630

12 January 2026

A Peepal tree stands at the Karkateshwar Mahadev Temple and Ashram in Kakrighat, Uttarakhand, India, on April 20, 2024. Karkateshwar Mahadev Temple is located along the Vivekananda Trail and is the place where Swami Vivekananda receives enlightenment. Swami Vivekananda spends a lot of time in the Kumaon region of the Himalayas and sets up Ashrams and spiritual centers there. The Vivekananda Trail in Kumaon is a path that he treads as a young monk in 1890. Kakrighat is the site where Vivekananda sets foot more than 100 years ago and is one of the most important places along the Vivekananda Trail in Kumaon. Within the grounds of Karkateshwar Mahadev Temple, there is a large Peepal tree with densely spread leaves. It is this spot where Vivekananda, in deep meditation after sanctifying himself with a bath in the Kosi River, revives enlightenment. The original tree under which Swami Vivekananda meditates has long since dried up. On July 15, 2016, one of the cloned saplings of the sacred tree, which the local people reverentially refer to as Vivekananda Jnana-vriksha, is planted at the very spot where the original tree stands.

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