LUCKNOW - Many ordinary Muslims are against waging another prolonged legal battle in the Supreme Court over the Hindu-Muslim Ayodhya dispute although their religious leaders feel otherwise.

AJMER - The condition of 10 members of a family from Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh who were fasting for the last over 30 days at Sufi saint Hazrat Chisti's dargah in Ajmer is stable, a police official said. Three members of this family died of starvation Monday at the dargah.

KOLKATA - An unofficial competition to bring celebrities and politicians to the Durga Puja festivities has begun among the organisers in West Bengal as the devotees are all set to celebrate the biggest religious festival of the state starting Wednesday.

THIRUVALLA - He was a Hindu and one of their longest serving doctors, so a Kerala church broke from tradition Tuesday to cremate him in the premises of a hospital run by it. The Bhagwad Gita and the Bible both found a place at his prayer service.