A powerful solar radiation storm, the most intense since 2003, caused a rare red aurora over Hanle, Ladakh. This event, triggered by an X-class solar flare and Coronal Mass Ejection, highlighted Earth’s vulnerability to solar activity. Scientists warn of more such events as the Sun approaches solar maximum, emphasizing the need for early warning systems and infrastructure reinforcement.

The skies above Hanle in Ladakh are usually the kind that make you fall quiet without trying. Deep, dark, almost unreal. The sort of darkness astronomers chase across continents. Stars don’t twinkle here – they burn, sharp and steady, against a blue-black sky untouched by city lights or dust. But on the nights of January 19 and 20, that calm cracked. Instead of black, the sky glowed red. Not softly. Not gently. A deep, unsettling crimson that didn’t quite belong. Photos began circulating almost immediately. Social media called it the “Northern Lights over India,” and it’s easy to see why. The images were stunning. But behind that beauty sat a much heavier truth. This wasn’t just a rare visual treat. It was a sign of a Sun behaving badly. What lit up Hanle wasn’t a harmless glow. It was the result of the most intense solar radiation storm seen since 2003. A day earlier, on January 18, the Sun had erupted with a powerful X-class solar flare — the strongest kind there is. That blast sent a massive Coronal Mass Ejection hurtling into space, a thick cloud of superheated plasma tangled with magnetic fields. And it moved fast. Nearly 1,700 kilometres per second. In just about 25 hours, that solar cloud slammed into Earth’s magnetic field. The impact triggered a G4-level geomagnetic storm, officially labelled “severe.” In simple terms, Earth’s protective magnetic shield took a hard hit. These storms happen when charged solar particles crash into the magnetosphere, the invisible barrier that usually keeps us safe from cosmic radiation. This time, the collision excited oxygen atoms high above the planet – more than 300 kilometres up. That interaction produced the red glow people saw from Ladakh. Near the poles, auroras usually show up green. But places like Hanle sit much farther south. What observers there saw were the upper edges of the auroral display, and those edges glow red. ISRO scientists say we can expect more events like this as the Sun moves closer to solar maximum, the most active part of its roughly 11-year cycle. At the Hanle observatory, the entire event was captured by an all-sky camera. Beautiful to watch, yes. But also worrying. The January 2026 storm was classified as an S4-level radiation storm, meaning a dangerous surge of high-energy protons from the Sun. Both NASA and ISRO tracked how badly Earth’s magnetic shield was squeezed. Data from India’s Aditya-L1 mission showed just how close things got. During the peak of the storm, the magnetosphere was pushed alarmingly near the planet. For short stretches, even geostationary satellites – the ones we rely on for communication and weather – were directly exposed to harsh solar winds. For a country like India, that’s not a distant problem. It’s a real one. Strong geomagnetic storms can send electric currents through power grids, damaging transformers and triggering blackouts. They can also heat the upper atmosphere, making it swell and slow satellites down, sometimes enough to pull them out of orbit. GPS systems, flight navigation, internet networks, digital banking — all of it sits under that same sky. During this storm, astronauts aboard the International Space Station were told to take shelter in shielded areas because radiation levels spiked. So what keeps this from turning into a full-blown disaster? Warning time. India’s Aditya-L1 spacecraft is central to that effort. Parked at the L1 Lagrange point, about 1.5 million kilometres from Earth, it keeps a constant watch on the Sun. When a Coronal Mass Ejection heads our way, scientists can spot it early. That head start – usually a day or two – matters. Satellites can be put into safe mode. Power grid operators can adjust loads to avoid damage. Small steps, but ones that prevent big failures. Back on Earth, engineers are also reinforcing power infrastructure. Sensors that track geomagnetically induced currents are being installed to catch trouble in real time, before it cascades. And then there’s Hanle itself. The Indian Astronomical Observatory, sitting inside the Hanle Dark Sky Reserve, plays a quiet but crucial role. Its ground-based observations help scientists confirm what satellites see from space. But this only works if the sky stays dark. Hanle is India’s first officially recognised dark sky sanctuary. That darkness isn’t just poetic — it’s practical. Rising tourism and artificial lighting threaten to wash it out. And if that happens, we don’t just lose beautiful night skies. We lose a vital window into space weather. The red sky over Hanle was breathtaking. No doubt about that. But it was also a message. The Sun is entering a restless phase, and our world runs on systems that don’t take solar tantrums lightly. The glow may have faded, but the warning hasn’t.

Margot Robbie captivated at the Wuthering Heights premiere wearing Elizabeth Taylor’s legendary heart-shaped diamond necklace. Valued at $8 million, the jewel, once owned by Mughal empress Nur Jahan, boasts a rich history of romance and royal heritage. Robbie’s choice connected modern glamour to centuries of craftsmanship and passion.

Margot Robbie made an unmistakable statement at the world premiere of Wuthering Heights in Los Angeles on Wednesday, January 28. While her sculptural Schiaparelli couture gown delivered high drama, it was the jewellery she chose that quietly stole the evening.The 35-year-old actor stepped onto the red carpet wearing a legendary piece of Hollywood history – a heart-shaped diamond necklace once owned by Elizabeth Taylor. Set on a gold-and-ruby Cartier chain, the necklace is valued at around $8 million (approximately ₹74 crore), according to People. More than its staggering price, the jewel carries a rare mix of cinematic romance and royal heritage.The necklace was originally gifted to Elizabeth Taylor by Richard Burton on her 40th birthday, over five decades ago. One of the most famous tokens from their turbulent love story, the piece has long been associated with passion, excess, and old-world glamour.Speaking at the premiere, Robbie acknowledged the emotional weight of the jewel, saying it “felt filled with romantic history” and perfectly suited for the evening.

The diamond itself is far older than Hollywood. As noted by Natural Diamonds, the heart-shaped, table-cut stone bears a Parsi inscription that reads “Love is Everlasting” and also carries the name of Mughal empress Nur Jahan. Historians believe the gem once belonged to Emperor Shah Jahan, who later passed it down to his son – a lineage that gives the stone its famed name, the Taj Mahal Diamond, and ties it deeply to India’s imperial past.Cartier acquired the diamond in 1971 and reimagined it for modern wear while preserving its heritage. The maison surrounded the stone with red gemstones and table-cut diamonds, incorporating jade elements and suspending it from an Indian silk cord. Cartier designer Alfred Durante later added a woven gold-and-ruby chain, complete with adjustable rondelles and tasselled detailing at the back.The necklace returned to Elizabeth Taylor the following year in an unforgettable moment. In 1972, Cartier president Michael Thomas presented the jewel to Burton and Taylor during a stopover at the International Hotel near Kennedy Airport. Taylor’s reaction was instant and enthusiastic – “I love this, tell me more about it,” she reportedly said.By choosing this storied necklace, Margot Robbie did more than nod to classic Hollywood. She bridged eras – linking a modern red carpet appearance to centuries of romance, craftsmanship, and history woven into a single extraordinary jewel.

Beauty giant Huda Beauty is embroiled in a boycott. Founder Huda Kattan’s social media posts on Iran and past claims about Israel sparked outrage. Consumers are demanding accountability from retailers like Sephora. This situation underscores the challenges for influencer-led brands when personal opinions intersect with global issues. The industry faces a new era of scrutiny.

For years, Huda Kattan stood for a very particular kind of beauty success. Loud. Confident. Online in a way that felt personal, not polished. She wasn’t just selling lipsticks and palettes. She was selling belief, that a woman with a phone, strong opinions, and a lot of hustle could build something massive.Huda Beauty didn’t come out of corporate meetings or legacy fashion houses. It grew on Instagram stories, YouTube tutorials, comment sections. It grew because people felt like they knew her.But influence has a flip side. And right now, that same reach is working against her.Over the past few weeks, Huda Beauty has landed in the middle of a growing boycott. It started with a video Huda Kattan shared related to protests in Iran. To some viewers, it looked like commentary. To many Iranians watching online, it felt like something else entirely.They said the video echoed visuals and narratives linked to the Iranian regime, while skipping over the voices of people protesting it, often at serious personal risk. For those living this reality, or watching family members live it, the post didn’t come across as balanced. It felt careless. And coming from someone with such a massive platform, that sting landed harder.The response was fast. Iranian users and activists began calling for a boycott of Huda Beauty. Posts were shared. Screenshots travelled. Hashtags picked up speed. What began as criticism quickly turned into organised online pressure.And underneath all of it sat an uncomfortable question. When influencers talk about global conflicts, how much homework is enough? Is silence safer? Or does speaking without context do more harm than good?

For many critics, the problem wasn’t just what was said. It was what wasn’t.As the backlash grew, older controversies resurfaced. Last year, Kattan faced intense criticism after sharing posts that suggested Israel was behind several major global tragedies, including wars and terror attacks. Jewish organisations and watchdog groups called the claims dangerous and rooted in long-standing antisemitic ideas. TikTok later removed the content for breaking its guidelines. But public memory doesn’t reset that easily.Now, those moments are being pulled back into the conversation, adding weight to calls for accountability.This time, the fallout hasn’t stayed confined to comment sections. Shoppers have begun turning their attention to retailers. Sephora, one of Huda Beauty’s biggest stockists, has been under particular pressure, with customers asking the brand to clarify its stance. Online petitions are circulating, signalling a wider shift in how people expect beauty companies to respond when things get messy.So far, no major retailer has announced a clean break. But the scrutiny alone says something. Beauty brands don’t exist in a bubble anymore. When a founder’s face and voice are inseparable from the product, their beliefs, and their silences, become part of what consumers are buying.Huda Kattan hasn’t publicly addressed the latest backlash. And in today’s always-online beauty world, silence rarely stays neutral for long. When a brand is built so tightly around one person, personal opinions can turn into business risks overnight.This moment feels bigger than just one brand. It points to a shift in the beauty industry itself. Influencer-led empires thrive on being real and outspoken. But that same openness demands care, context, and a real understanding of how words land – especially when human rights and political violence are involved.Huda Beauty was built on boldness. The question now is whether that boldness can make room for listening, reflection, and accountability. Because being heard comes with weight. And once you have that kind of power, there’s no such thing as speaking lightly.

If you are a corporate employee, then you might have come across situations where sometimes 20+ people sit in a meeting but nothing gets decided. The worst: Everyone’s just nodding along? Well, you’re not alone. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos tackled this common workplace organisational problem with his famous “two-pizza rule”: No team should be larger than what two large pizzas can feed. Typically, that means 5-10 people. It’s a simple and straightforward idea born from Bezos’ push to keep Amazon more productive as it grew into a global giant. Introduced early in the company’s history, it’s less about literal pizza and more about cutting bureaucracy to spark real work. Leaders everywhere have since adopted this idea, and here’s what it means and why it still works today:

The two-pizza rule in plain terms

Picture this: You order two large pizzas – about 8 slices each. That feeds 6-8 employees in a team comfortably, maybe 10 if they’re polite. Bezos’ point? Teams bigger than that grind to a halt. Massive groups mean endless debates, too many opinions, and decisions dragged out over weeks. We’ve all been on those chaotic Zoom calls with 50+ “team members” where ideas drown in chatter. But, when the same is done with small teams– Everyone knows their role, speaks up, and moves fast. It’s practical wisdom: Shrink the circle, speed up results.

Benefits of the two-pizza rule

1. Better collaborationIn a small team, hiding isn’t an option. With just 6-8 people, every voice counts, and no one lurks in the shadows while two talk over each other. Collaboration flows naturally between people because it’s easy to share ideas, build on them, and reach consensus. Think workshops: You don’t cram 100 people at one table; you split into groups of 8-10 for real discussion. Bezos knew big teams breed bystanders; small ones create owners. The result? Ideas stick, people’s participation rises, and work feels shared, not dictated.2. Real agility and more productivityA 10-person team can hop on a quick call– be it for discussing a new direction they need to work on or to find solutions to a new problem. Such meetings are often, short and to the point. But, imagine the same with a group of 50-100 people, and it’s utter chaos: Scheduling nightmares, pushback from some employees, and confusion. It’s logical then that small teams are like speedboats– they have quick turns, and aren’t dragged. While big teams are like rigid battleships– slow to steer amid waves of tech changes or market shifts. In today’s fast world – with AI tools, remote work, and constant disruption – agility wins. And Jeff Bezos’ two pizza rule helps build organisations full of these speedboats, not one lumbering giant.

The bigger philosophy

Jeff Bezos envisioned Amazon as a fleet of small, autonomous teams tackling specific problems, not a corporate giant which is bogged down by layers. This helps companies grow amid tech influxes, where innovation demands quick experiments. Large teams silo knowledge and stall progress; whereas multiple small ones scale solutions. And so, the simple philosophy is: Empower fewer people deeply, rather than spread thin across crowds.

What leaders can learn from this

Ready to try the two pizza rule in your team too? Audit your teams: Can two pizzas feed them all? If not, then split them up into smaller sub-teams and more manageable teams. Bezos proved it at Amazon – from startup to trillion-dollar empire. Benefits stack: Managers connect personally with individuals, boosting engagement. Trust grows as people know each other well. Collaboration deepens without egos clashing. Few downsides exist – maybe initial restructuring – but gains in speed and morale outweigh it.What are your views on this? Tell us in the comments below.

Mumbai, the city of dreams and destiny, has been attracting travellers, dreamers, photographers and history lovers from across the globe since decades now. The capital of Maharashtra is always welcoming to tourists, always. But like many famous international metropolises, the city demands a little street-smart travel. Now this is the story of Argentina Ariano, an American national, who was visiting India to attend a wedding. Despite getting scammed of INR 18,000, says that she loves India. Let’s see what happened that made her say, “I’m not going to change my opinion, India is better than those 2 person”.The Mumbai Taxi Scam that caught global attentionThe incident took place on 12 January, 2026. But Ariano shared the details of the incident on X on 26 January. Soon, her post went viral on social media for all kinds of reasons, bad and good, both. It also shows the swift police action and has sparked a crucial debate about airport transport safety for international visitors or visitors in general.In her post, she mentioned how she was scammed by a taxi driver at Mumbai airport. In her post, she describes, after landing in Mumbai she hired a taxi to reach her hotel close to the airport. Instead of taking the direct route, the driver, who was with another man, allegedly drove her to an unfamiliar location for 20 minutes, delayed the journey, and charged $200 (around ₹18,000) for a trip that should have covered barely 400 metres.“Landed in Mumbai recently,took a taxi to @HiltonHotels. The driver and another guy took us to an unknown location first, charged us $200 (₹18,000) and then dropped us at the hotel which was only 400m away. Taxi No:MH 01 BD 5405 @MumbaiPolice #scam @CPMumbaiPolice @MTPHereToHelp”The post mentions the taxi’s registration number also. She also tagged Mumbai Police in the post. Within hours, the matter went viral and the issue became a talking point across travel forums and news platforms. Swift response from Mumbai PoliceBut what follows is also extremely important to know for travellers. As per a recent update, because of the swift response from the Mumbai Police, the taxi driver was arrested. Mumbai Police responded quickly to her post. Acting on the information provided, police managed to trace the taxi with registration number. They also checked CCTV footage near the airport, and arrested the driver. The vehicle was also seized. Driver arrested

X (@ArgentinaAriano)

The culprit was arrested on 27 January and is booked under cheating-related sections. The authorities have initiated proceedings to cancel his licence as well. Police officials also confirmed efforts to formally record the traveller’s statement, even though the victim had already returned to the United States.Airport Taxi ScamsIt’s not the first time that an incident like this has happened. Such incidents have been reported in the past also from airports around the world, from Paris to Bangkok. These are famous international cities and hotspots for taxi-related complaints, especially from first-time visitors. Mumbai is no exception. After long international flights, travellers are often tired and just wish to reach their hotels as fast as they can. And just to avoid unnecessary delays, they get under such situations. Mumbai has a strong network of licensed taxis, but not all of them operate transparently.Learning from the incidenceTreat this incidence as an eye-opener. Such scams are happening on global level so rather than discouraging travel, it serves as a practical lesson for visitors that:Always use prepaid or app-based transportAvoid unsolicited offersConfirm distance and approximate fare before Note taxi details immediatelySpeak up earlyI love India, people are kind, love the food

x (@ArgentinaAriano)

Another positive takeaway from this incident is Ariano’s love for India was not shaken despite the scamming incident. On her X profile, she writes, “I came to India to attending a wedding event, love India people is kind caring, love the food, but for two badly person, I’m not going to change my opinion, India is better than those 2 person!!!”So yes, such incidents happen but these don’t define a place or the people.

Rosemary is one of the most loved Mediterranean herbs which is used in home and garden both. From cooking with it to applying its oil on skin, there are multiple benefits and uses of rosemary. It not only adds to your home environment but also boosts the health of our garden. The plant itself and its essential oil have a wide range of practical, natural uses. Let’s have a look at five interesting ways rosemary and its oil can be used in the home and garden.Read on:Natural Pest RepellentFor those who don’t know, rosemary oil is counted among the best natural pest repellents. These can be used both indoors and outdoors (home and garden). Its strong fragrance can save your garden from common insect pests like aphids, spider mites and whiteflies, among others. All you need to do is mix rosemary oil with water and a few drops of mild soap. Spray this on plants. Rosemary’s smell inside your house repels mosquitoes and other insects. You can dilute rosemary oil with water and spray around living areas and doorways.It’s a perfect eco-friendly method to protect your plants and make your home chemical free.

Stress Relief Rosemary is a magical stress buster. Its aroma is so pleasant that it instantly helps in relieving the day’s stress. It also has immense effects on uplifting mood and mental peace. Research also suggests that inhaling rosemary essential oil may improve concentration, likely due to its influence on stress hormones. In the home, you can use rosemary oil in a diffuser. The scent helps reduce feelings of stress and anxiety.Air Freshening antimicrobial propertiesRosemary oil also has antimicrobial properties. It is useful in household cleaning solutions. All you need to do is mix rosemary essential oil with water and vinegar or mild soap. This can be used as a natural and chemical free cleaner for surfaces like floors, bathroom tiles and kitchen. It is also very easy to create simple homemade air fresheners by mixing rosemary oil with water in a spray bottle. Soil Health BoosterRosemary oil can also support plant growth and improve soil conditions. Some gardeners use highly diluted rosemary oil sprays to help plants thrive. It strengthened roots. Some gardeners apply diluted oil into soil which can stimulate microbial activity, improving soil health. It acts as a perfect plant companion.Cooking and decorative uses Fresh rosemary sprigs can add amazing taste to meat dishes and breads. The flavor and aroma are hard to replicate. Its nutrient richness also brings antioxidants to your diet. Inside the home, you can use dried rosemary or fresh sprigs in potpourri, closets and drawers, for a fresh feel.These simple decorative uses make rosemary beautiful and useful in our daily life.

In a surprising twist, comedy icon Chelsea Handler, known for her candid stance against motherhood, has taken the plunge into parenting classes. Her motivation? A genuine desire to enrich her relationship with her ex-partner’s three daughters.

Chelsea Handler, 50, has never hidden the fact that she does not want children. That is why her decision to take parenting classes surprised many listeners. The moment came up during her conversation on Dinner’s On Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson. What sounded like a joke at first turned into a thoughtful reflection on care, responsibility, and showing up for young lives. The story is not about changing her mind on motherhood. It is about learning how to be present in a child’s world, even without being a parent.

The moment parenting entered her life

Chelsea Handler became closely involved with three girls, the daughters of an ex-partner. The relationship stayed strong even after the romance ended. These girls were not passing figures in her life. They were teenagers dealing with confusion, neglect, and the need to feel noticed. Handler chose not to stay distant. She chose to learn how to support them in a healthy way.

Why she signed up for parenting classes

The parenting classes were not taken out of pressure or guilt. They were taken out of respect. Handler admitted she did not want to “guess” what kids need. A psychologist leading the sessions explained the basics children look for: feeling safe, secure, and seen. The classes helped her understand boundaries, consistency, and emotional availability. These were not lessons about discipline. They were lessons about trust.

Host Chelsea Handler walks on stage during the 31st Annual Critics Choice Awards on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, at The Barker Hanger in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Learning without becoming a parent

The classes did not push her toward having her own children. Instead, they helped her become a steadier adult in children’s lives. Handler learned that influence does not require biology. It requires time, honesty, and follow-through. She stayed clear about her choice to remain child-free, while also accepting her ability to care deeply.

What changed after the classes

After the sessions, her role became clearer to her. She showed up to school events, checked in regularly, and stayed emotionally consistent with the children. FaceTime calls became routine, even late at night. The girls trusted her because she listened without talking down. Their parents welcomed her presence, not as a replacement, but as an extra layer of support.

A reflection of her own childhood

Handler connected this effort to her own upbringing. Growing up as the youngest of six, she often felt unseen. Her parents were largely absent, and older siblings filled the gaps. The parenting classes helped her recognise what she once missed. Showing up for these girls became a way of breaking an old pattern, not repeating it.This story challenges one idea: that parenting wisdom belongs only to parents. Handler’s experience shows that children benefit from more than one caring adult. Aunts, uncles, mentors, family friends, and neighbours can matter deeply. The key is respect, honesty, and emotional presence, not labels.Disclaimer: This article is based on statements shared by Chelsea Handler during her appearance on the Dinner’s On Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson podcast and related public discussions. It does not add or assume details beyond what has been publicly shared.

In a thought-provoking discussion, Therapist Snowy Rahi delves into ‘Raja Beta syndrome,’ a detrimental parenting style where young boys are overly coddled, leaving them ill-prepared for adulthood and reliant on others. This cycle, perpetuated through lenience in mistakes and a lack of chores, ultimately burdens partners with emotional and physical responsibilities.

Therapist and psychologist Snowy Rahi shares a moment many families may recognise but rarely question. She recalls visiting a home and understanding the son’s behaviour within minutes. A grown man lay on the sofa, silent, uninterested, and detached. He did not greet anyone. He did not help. He simply existed in the space with what she calls a “premium bad attitude.” That moment, she explains, was not about laziness or arrogance. It was about upbringing. This, she says, is what people casually call Raja Beta syndrome, and it is far from harmless.

What “Raja Beta syndrome” really means

Snowy Rahi is clear that the term sounds playful, but the reality is serious. She calls it “a fancy name for we never made him lift a finger.”In simple words, Raja Beta syndrome grows when a child, usually a boy, is raised with constant protection but very little responsibility. Every mood is excused. Every mistake is softened. Every hard task is handled by someone else.Over time, the child learns comfort, not accountability. The lesson absorbed is quiet but powerful: someone else will always manage life.

How small daily choices create this mindset

This syndrome is not built in one dramatic moment. It grows through everyday habits.Snowy points out how families often step in too quickly. Chores are skipped. Consequences are avoided. Emotional discomfort is rushed away.The child is not taught skills because “he will figure it out later.” But later rarely comes on its own. What looks like love in childhood slowly turns into dependence in adulthood.

The part no one likes to say out loud

Snowy Rahi speaks the uncomfortable truth directly. She says, “When a boy grows up being treated like someone who has no responsibility and owes no accountability, someone else has to do the emotional and physical labor in adulthood.”She adds that this role usually falls on the wife. She becomes the one cooking, remembering, managing, fixing, and regulating everything.Meanwhile, the man often says, “I don’t know how to do all this.” According to Snowy, this is not because he is incapable. It is because he was never expected to learn.

Why this affects relationships more than childhood

Raja Beta syndrome does not stay inside the family home. It travels into marriages, workplaces, and friendships.A partner slowly turns into a manager. Love turns into exhaustion. Respect quietly fades. The imbalance grows heavier because one adult is doing the work of two.Snowy explains that raising a child without responsibility does not remove the work. It only delays it and shifts it onto someone else later.

Love is not the problem, lack of accountability is

Snowy makes an important distinction. She says, “Raising a child with love is absolutely beautiful.” The damage begins when love is not paired with responsibility.When accountability is missing, parenting does not end. It simply gets handed over to the child’s future partner.Real care, she suggests, teaches skills, effort, and shared responsibility. It prepares a child not just to be loved, but to function.Raja Beta syndrome is not about blaming parents or shaming sons. It is about noticing patterns before they harden into lifelong habits.Snowy Rahi’s message is direct and grounded in lived experience. Children do not learn responsibility automatically. They learn it because someone expected it from them.The question she leaves behind is powerful: have people met a real-life Raja Beta, or lived with one?

For the first time since 2005 and in nearly two decades, the US passport has found itself ousted from the top ten most powerful passports of the world, and was ranked at 12th position by late 2025. However, in the latest rankings, it’s in 10th position.
In 2014, the US was in the first position, and provided visa-free access to more destinations than any other country, as per the press release by Henley & Passport. By 2026, that ranking fell to 10th place, with visa-free access to 179 destinations; although still strong, but outshone by passports extending even further.
According to the experts, this sliding can be attributed to visa reciprocity, whereby the number of countries allowing US citizens entry without a visa is declining just as the US remains strict in its entry policies for foreigners, and countries around the globe are modifying visa policies that bar US citizens from entry.
This historic decline demonstrates how shifts in immigration policy and diplomatic relations can reshape global mobility power.

At first, this one-day excursion from Mumbai to Shirdi may seem exhausting. Well, if planned properly, and timely, you can do it in a day and that too via Vande Bharat Express. With a schedule, speed and connectivity guaranteed, there are now many devotees who prefer this mode for a short spiritual visit which does not require an overnight stay.If this idea convinces you, will will need to get up and set out early morning for departure from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Mumbai. One of the best things about this Vande Bharat train is that it makes the early hours count. The ride is fast, quiet and far more comfortable than it can be described in words. The experience is indeed premium for first time travelers with fresh interiors and other welcoming features.

Among other elements, the 180 degree rotating chair design allows passengers to turn towards a window and provides an uninterrupted viewing zone. By around 9 AM, the train reaches Nashik, and that’s when it starts getting quite lovely, which further contributes to the overall serenity.

Mumbai to Shirdi Vande Bharat timingThe only reason a day trip is even feasible is the train schedule.From Mumbai to Shirdi – train no – 22223 The train leaves CSMT in the morning and reaches Sainagar Shirdi Railway Station at approximately 11:30 AM. The complete route takes around 5 hours. From Shirdi to Mumbai – train no – 22224 The return train departs Sainagar Shirdi at 5:45 PM and reaches Mumbai CSMT at around 10:50 PM, also taking nearly five hours. The timings are perfect if you plan to have a same day Shirdi darshan from Mumbai, mini spiritual getaways and even weekend plans in hurry. Upon reaching the Sainagar Shirdi Railway Station, taxis are easily available. It is the nearest railway station to Sai Baba Temple, which enables further easy commuting. Auto-rickshaws and taxis are easily available outside where shared autos charge around INR 20-30 per seat. The nearest hotel and lodge are just 5-10 minutes away for any sort of refreshment before going to the temple.

Darshan and key spiritual sites

The Shirdi Sai Baba temple is the highlight for most pilgrims. Darshan tickets are priced at INR 200 and available for pre-booking online, wherein you can select a preferred date over a time slot. The system is pretty organised, and darshan normally lasts for around 45 minutes, depending on how busy it is.After darshan, several devotees prefer to meditate inside the temple complex for some time in silence or just sit and look around. There are several other interesting spiritual places in the vicinity which can be covered on the same day. One of the holiest places in Shirdi, Dwarkamai is a mosque where Sai Baba abstained himself for several years. It contains Baba’s grinding stone and a holy dhuni, drawing followers seeking a personal as well as an emotional rapport. Then there is Gurusthan, which is believed to be the place where a young Sai Baba first appeared as a saint, and is a peaceful and meditative place. Visitors who have time to spare can also opt to explore nearby attractions like Sai Teerth Theme Park and Sai Heritage Village before returning.

Lunch and return journey

Shirdi Prasadalay is one of the most popular places to have lunch within Shirdi. The fare is plain and hearty, the surroundings quiet: it’s a quick stop without sacrificing even more time. The return trip on Vande Bharat at 5.45 PM is equally plush. The fare is around 1,130/person including meals. After evening snack it is time for tea or coffee with cookies and finally a sumptuous full veg. Dinner. When it is combined with optimal timings, easy local commutes and well-organised darshan, a one-day Mumbai to Shirdi journey by Vande Bharat not only becomes possible, it also becomes one of the most viable options for visiting Shirdi without taking time off work or arranging overnight stay.