Mosques covered with tarpaulins ahead of ‘Laat Saheb’ Holi celebration in Shahjahanpur

SHAHJAHANPUR (Uttar Pradesh): Mosques in Shahjahanpur were covered with tarpaulins ahead of the ‘Laat Saheb’ Holi celebration on March 14.

Shahjahanpur has a unique way of celebrating holi where a long procession called ‘Laat Sahab’ takes place. In this event, a person is chosen as ‘Laat Sahab’ and placed on a buffalo cart while people throw colours, shoes and slippers at him. It is a 300-year-old tradition.

#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh | Mosques covered ahead of ‘Laat Saheb’ Holi in Shahjahanpur ahead of the Holi festival on 14 March. (11.03)

‘Laat Sahab’ Holi procession, a unique 300-year-old tradition, is a procession of ‘Laat Sahab’ taken out on a bullock cart throughout the city https://t.co/qhIo1gTy8Z pic.twitter.com/ZlbBI8mEFA

— ANI (@ANI) March 12, 2025

Police Superintendent Rajesh S said, “We started the peace committee meeting a month ago and demanded the required number of security forces. In total, around 3,500 security forces will be deployed. All mosques on both sides of Laat Sahib have been covered. We are keeping an eye through drones and CCTVs. All preparations have been made”.

“After the Holika Dahan in Shahjahanpur, a procession takes place on Holi. Seventeen procession will be leaving, including two important ones, that are Bade Laat Sahab and Chhote Laat Sahab processions, which are unique and different from traditional Holi celebrations. This is a celebration unlike any other in the country”, Rajesh said.

Talking about the security preparation, he said, “We began preparations a month ago by holding peace committee meetings at checkpoint, station and district levels. We have also requested all the necessary forces, which have now been deployed from various districts. Two companies, one from the paramilitary forces, which is PC and the other one is RF forces, are arriving. We’ve already conducted a route march for this. With the forces coming from outside and our local forces, we have a total of around 3,000 to 3,500 personnel for security. Additionally, all the mosques along the route of the Laat Sahab procession have been covered for security reasons”.

The district administration is taking extra precautions this year to ensure safety. A large police force has also been deployed in the area to maintain security. (ANI)