Ladle Mashak Urus, Raghava Chaitanya Shivalinga puja held amid full security

KALABURAGI: With the Kalaburagi bench of the Karnataka High Court upholding the decision of the wakf tribunal on allowing both the Urus and Shivalinga puja at the Ladle Mashak dargah in Aland, the police have made strict security arrangements for the smooth conduct of both rituals, which, incidentally fall on the same day.

As per the tribunal decision, 15 members of the dargah committee were to be allowed to offer prayers from 8 am to 2 pm on Saturday. Likewise, 15 members from the Hindu side will be allowed to offer prayers at the Raghava Chaitanya Shivalinga temple from 2 pm to 6 pm. On Thursday, the police, led by ADGP Alok Kumar, had staged a route march in the town.

Ladle Mashak dargah committee members were screened and allowed inside for the sandal ritual during the Urus in the morning hours.

Last year, stones were thrown at Union Minister Bhagawant Khubha and the district deputy commissioner’s cars from the dargah premises after they entered the premises to offer prayers at the Raghava Chaitanya Shivalinga temple.

On Saturday, the police had installed CCTV cameras and deployed 10 drones to ensure security. Vehicles were being checked everywhere since morning. Kalaburagi SP Isha Pant said 1,400 policemen, including KSRP, DAR contingents and the QRT were deployed to maintain law and order and 11 checkposts had been set up.

Kalaburagi SP Isha Pant supervising the security arrangements outside Aland town limits.

In the morning hours, 14 Muslim leaders were allowed into the dargah premises from a side gate to offer prayers. Their names were duly checked and noted down before they were allowed inside.

“As per the court order, 14 of us went in and offered prayers at the mazar. The Urus was never held under such strict police security, but this has been politically instigated. Both Hindus and Muslims in Aland are united and they participate in our rituals and we participate in theirs. But due to politics, we are now celebrating in this manner”, said dargah committee president Moiz Karabari and committee member Hafiz Ansari.

Hindu leaders were stopped outside Aland town and only 15 people were allowed into the Raghava Chaitanya Shivalinga temple.

Later in the afternoon, Hindu leaders arrived on the outskirts of the town where they held some religious rituals like Ganapathi puja, Ganga puja, Maharudrabhiseka, etc., under the leadership of the Kadaganchi seer and other religious heads.

Hindu religious leaders conducted some pujas outside Aland town limits before entering the Raghava Chaitanya Shivalinga temple

Around 3 pm, Sri Rama Sene state president Siddaling Swami, Aland MLA Subhash Guttedar, Basavaraj Mattimud, Kadaganchi seer and 11 others entered the Ladle Mashak dargah premises and offered prayers at the Raghava Chaitanya Shivalinga temple. After conducting puja, they emerged from the dargah premises around 4.30 pm.

Kalaburagi SP Isha Pant personally supervised the arrangement and allowed only the 15 people who were allowed to enter the dargah after checking all the vehicles of the Hindu leaders.