kollam l sunday l november 02, 2025 l `12.00 l PAGES 24 l city EDITION city of Nawabs goes global as unesco high-fives its cuisine Lucknow has been inducted into UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network under the ‘Gastronomy’ category, a testimony of its culinary heritage lucknow is a haven for food, says u.n. Make a trip for its uniqueness: pm modi UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay designated 58 cities as new members of the CCN “for their commitment to championing creativity as a driver of sustainable urban development”. The UN in India in a post on X said, “From mouth-watering Galouti Kabab to Awadhi Biryani, desserts like Makhan Malai and so much more — Lucknow is a haven for food...” ■ ■ Lucknow isn’t just about its kebabs. If the ever-inviting, rather demure, creamy “Malai Gilori” is an all-time favourite, the mouth-watering “paani puri” or “paani ke batashe”, are favourites too “I am glad UNESCO recognised this aspect of Lucknow. I call upon people to visit it to discover its uniqueness,” PM Modi said on X 408 cities in the world are part of UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Women among 9 people killed in AP temple crush No police permission sought for the event U s h a P e r i @ Srikakulam Nine devotees, eight of them women and a 13-year-old boy died , in a stampede at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Kasibugga, Srikakulam district, on Saturday. The crush occurred when a large number of people thronged the temple for darshan on the first Ekadasi of Karthika Masam, considered auspicious. Two persons are reportedly in a critical condition, while about 15 others suffered minor injuries. All the victims hailed from nearby villages and mandals. Srikakulam district Superintendent of Police KV Maheswara Reddy said the temple was built recently on a private land without proper permissions. “The structure, including the gate and stairway was com, pleted only 3-4 months ago. The crowd tried to enter through an exit gate with a seven-foot drop. The grill at the spot was weak, and collapsed due to the pressure, leading to the fall of sevRescue efforts on after the stampede at eral devotees,” he explained. No permission was sought the temple in Kasibugga | Express from local police for crowd management. “A case has been Probe committee registered against the temple owner, Hari Mukunda Panda, A three-member probe panel under various sections of culhas been constituted. It pable homicide,” the SP said. comprises Tekkali RDO M Prime Minister Narendra Krishnamurthy, ASP KV Modi expressed grief over the Ramana, and Endowments tragedy, and announced an exAssistant Commissioner gratia of `2 lakh to each of the Prasad Patnaik families of the deceased, and `50,000 to those injured in the incident. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu directed officials to ensure immediate medical aid and relief. The state government said the temple was not under the control of the endowments department. Harimukund Panda acknowledged that they were unprepared for the surge in devotees. “We rarely get more than a 1,000 even on special days. Today several , thousands arrived for darshan. We did not anticipate the crowd, and did not alert the police,” he admitted. A view of Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s house in Kalyan Bigha in Nalanda district | Rajesh Kumar thakur Former CM Lalu Prasad Yadav’s ancestral home in Fulwaria in Gopalganj | Special arrangement 2005 fallout on Lalu, Nitish villages RA J ESH KU M AR THAKUR @ Nalanda/Gopalganj IN Bihar’s political heartland, two villages—Kalyan Bigha in Nalanda and Fulwaria in Gopalganj — stand as contrasting portraits of their most illustrious sons, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and former Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav. Kalyan Bigha, Nitish Kumar’s ancestral village, mirrors the CM’s focus on development and order. T he once-slee py hamlet now gleams with smooth roads, solar-lit lanes, and uninterrupted electricity. On the spectrum’s far-end, former CM Lalu Prasad Yadav’s Fulwaria reflects the fading imprint of a political era long past. Once popularly referred to as a “mini-secretariat” during the RJD’s rule from 1990 to 2005, Fulwaria is now lost in the tedious warp of time, with whatever once built now slowly withering away . In Kalyan Bigha, where Nitish Kumar is affectionately called as “Munna”, villagers speak with pride and gratitude. “Our Munna has made this village immortal with development works,” said 70-year-old Girendra Singh, sitting under a tree near the market that’s buzzing with evening chatter. The village has round-the-clock electricity, high speed internet, a referral hospital, a high school upgraded to the 10+2 level, an ITI, a shooting range and a spacious guest house. Nitish’s ancestral doublestorey home remains locked for most of the year, except during his visits to the Smriti-sthal, a memorial built in memory of his parents and wife. Nearby, the restored Devi-sthal — where he reportedly prays before major political moves — serves as the village’s spiritual heart. Every corner echoes the villagers’ affection for both Nitish and his son, Nishant Kumar. Their only worry— why the NDA hasn’t formally projected Nitish again as chief ministerial face. About 200 km away, in Ful- CM declares Kerala extreme poverty-free E x p r e s s N e w s S e r v i c e @ T’Puram Collective security key to sovereignty: Rajnath United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and its adDEFENCE Minister Rajnath vocacy for freedom of navigaSingh on Friday reaffirmed In- tion and overflight in the Indodia’s stance in the Indo-Pacific, Pacific, are not directed against stressing that its emphasis on any country but are meant to the “rule of law” does not tar- safeguard the collective interget any country but ests of all re gional seeks to protect regionstakeholders,” said al interests collectively . Singh on Saturday . Speaking at the 12th Singh asserted that ASEAN Defence MinisIndia’s strategic enters’ Meeting — Plus gagement with ASEAN (12th ADMM-Plus) is not transactional but m e e t i n g i n Ku a l a long-term & principleL u m p u r, M a l ay s i a , Rajnath Singh driven, and it rests on a Singh underscored that shared belief that the India’s advocacy of the Indo-Pacific should reUN Convention on the Law of main open, inclusive, and free the Sea and freedom of naviga- from coercion. “India is ready tion reflects a commitment to to deepen cooperation in all arinclusivity, openness, and sta- eas of mutual interest to probility in the region. mote dialogue, and to strength“India’s emphasis on the en mechanisms that ensure rule of law, particularly the peace and stability .” waria, the once-busy helipad is in ruin, the railway station silent, and battered link roads carry the scars of neglect. “Samay ka chakra hai. Jo kal chamakta tha aaj murjha raha hai (It’s the wheel of time. What once used to shine has now lost its glitter),” says Parmeshwari Singh, watching cattle graze where choppers once landed. Fulwaria’s old hospital still functions but in a ramshackle state. Lalu Yadav’s two-storey ancestral home, with a statue of his mother inside, serves as a reminder of his past glory . Villagers hope for a revival under Tejashwi Yadav. “When he comes to power, Fulwaria will bloom again,” says Nityanand, a youth. m aya n k s i n g h @ New Delhi star-struck A child having a chat with actor Mammootty as Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and General Education Minister V Sivankutty look on during the event held to declare Kerala extreme poverty-free, at Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram | Vincent Pulickal express read Nearly three in ten indebted in Kerala Sabarimala gold case: Ex-executive officer held End of Maoist violence soon, says PM Modi T’Puram: Kerala ranks third among major states in indebtedness, with nearly three in every ten adults in debt, says a new study published by the National Statistics Office. While Kerala had an indebtedness of 29.9%, Andhra Pradesh topped the list at 43.7%, according to the report. P5 T’Puram: The special investigation team probing the Sabarimala gold theft case has arrested former executive officer D Sudheesh Kumar in the case. After being questioned for several hours at the Crime Branch office on Friday, he was formally taken into custody on Saturday morning. P5 Raipur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the number of districts affected by Maoist terror has dwindled from 125 to just three in the last 11 years. Speaking at an event in Chhattisgarh, the prime minister said the day is not far when the country will be freed from the Naxal menace. P7 Marking a major milestone in the state’s history, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday declared Kerala free of extreme poverty — making it the first state in the country to achieve the mark. Earlier in the day the CM , made the formal announcement in a special assembly session convened on the occasion of ‘Kerala Piravi’. The Opposition UDF, which boycotted the special session, ter med the declaration a mere eyewash. The CM made the public declaration at a starstudded event attended by actor Mammootty and cabinet members, at Central Stadium in the state capital. Listing out the achievements of the state government, Pinarayi termed it the rise of a ‘Nava Keralam’ and the ‘real Kerala story’. Pinarayi said the survivors of the Wayanad landslides will get new houses by next January. Stating that I CC W o m e n ’ s w o r l d c u p Final destination: Harmanpreet & Co set to take a shot at immortality G o m e s h S @ Navi Mumbai IT doesn’t get any bigger than this — India team is set for the final of the home ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup here on Sunday. Their final obstacle before getting their hands on their first-ever ICC Trophy are South Africa — a team and country chasing a history of their own. One just needed stroll along the roads around the DY Patil Stadium to understand what the final meant to the teams. With more than 24 hours to go, thousands of fans had flocked the gates and lanes of the venue, trying their luck to get tickets for the game. The official ticketing partner had gone from ‘coming soon’ to ‘event closed’ overnight, leaving the fans disappointed. Excitement was palpable as myriad emotions gripped the fans. T h e p re s s u re o f ‘availability of tickets’ did not spare the India captain either. Though it was an avoidable nuisance for players, Harmanpreet Kaur under- stood the gravity of it. She rather cheekily welcomed it. “I think it’s good that not only for cricket on the field but there is pressure for tickets also,” she said during the press conference on Saturday This daily has . reported how ticket prices on resaling websites have shot the roof. As much as Kaur had an off-the-cuff reply, the enormity of the occasion had not gone past her. Leading the country in a home World Cup for first time, she knew how crucial the final will be for women’s cricket. Despite the high points of the 2005, 2017 and 2020 World Cup finals (two ODIs and one T20), the silverware has remained elusive. With Sunday offering the chance to reshape history it , is understandable why Kaur called the home WC final the biggest thing in their lives. “We know how it feels to lose, but we are really looking forward to seeing how it feels after we win. Hopefully, this day tomorrow (Sunday) will be special for us,” said Kaur. If they manage to win, they will change the course of women’s cricket in P11 India forever.  Captains Harmanpreet Kaur and Laura Wolvaardt with World Cup trophy | PTI 3 pm on Jio/Hotstar; LIVE Star Sports Networks Kerala’s development had gone cold when he took office in 2016, the CM cited the hike in welfare pensions as one of the key achievements of the LDF government. Accusing the Union government of witholding the funds following the Wayanad landslides, he said the state has eradicated extreme poverty at a time when the Centre has been challenging the federal structure of the country “The situation . in Kerala is special — here, wealth is not controlled by just a f ew p e o p l e, ” h e said. Responding to the Opposition’s allegations that the declaration was a sham, the CM termed it “an unfortunate remark”, and said all cabinet ministers were present when the move to lift the last family out of e x t r e m e p o ve r t y w a s initiated. “After that family from Ernakulam was brought out of the belt, I was informed that a meeting in this regard was even conducted in that district,” he said.  ● More on P5 Ekm-B’luru Vande Bharat soon The train between Ernakulam Junction and KSR Bengaluru will begin services next week. It will have stops at Thrissur and Palakkad | P5 W I T H T H I S I SS U E As spaces shrink and eco-awareness rises, urban Indians are embracing minimalist design More or Less PLUS 12 P AGES