Sambhal's Kartikeya Mahadev temple celebrates Holi after 46 years

India Today

The Kartikeya Mahadev temple in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, witnessed vibrant Holi celebrations on 13th March after a 46-year closure due to communal riots.

Transcript

00:00And let me take you straight to Sambal in Uttar Pradesh, where after close to 50 years

00:06break, a hiatus of 46 long years, the Kartikeya Mahadev Temple in Khaggu Sarai, Sambal witnessed

00:15vibrant holy celebrations on the 13th of March.

00:20The temple had remained closed since 1978.

00:24And why?

00:26Because there were horrific communal riots and Hindus were forced to leave.

00:32They were compelled to leave.

00:34The temple was shut down.

00:35It reopened now in December 2024 and for the first time after a gap of close to 50 years,

00:42there was massive, watch those images, significant holy celebrations and what a moment for locals

00:50in the area who celebrated holy.

00:53It's a big statement of intent that has also been made.

00:57Remember what Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath told us at the India Today

01:01Conclave.

01:03He said, we will take what is ours.

01:07The government is very clear and the significance of Sambal, a very holy Hindu shrine, a teerth

01:16of the Kalki Avatar Temple of Lord Vishnu.

01:20We get you more in this report.

01:30Vibrant holy celebrations in Sambal.

01:33Festival of colours at the Kartikeya Mahadev Temple after a 46 year break.

01:40Members from various social and Hindu organisations actively participated in the celebrations.

01:46The participants lauded the efforts of the police and local authorities in ensuring a

01:51secure environment.

01:56In a bid to ensure peace during the overlapping festivities of Holi and the Friday prayers

02:00in the month of Ramzan, the UP government took many measures.

02:05Ten mosques, including the Shahi Jama Masjid, were covered with tarpaulin to prevent any

02:10disturbances.

02:15Sambal administration has tightened the security on the ground currently.

02:18I am here behind the Shahi Jama Masjid, which became the epicentre of violence in the month

02:22of November last year.

02:24And as you can see in the visuals, you can see Uttar Pradesh police personnels, RRF as

02:31well as PAC police personnels are deployed on the ground to maintain peace.

02:36The police also conducted a flag march in Sambal, where clashes occurred in November

02:41last year over a court-ordered survey of the Jama Masjid.

02:47As you can see behind me in the visuals, currently a flag march is taking place and ASP as well

02:52as circle officers are taking this flag march and you can see in the visual, the Vajravan

02:58is also patrolling on the streets of Sambal and this is like a warning for the elements,

03:03those who will try to break law and order in the city.

03:08Meanwhile, the ASI team carried out measurements and assessments ahead of the planned whitewashing

03:14and renovation work of Shahi Jama Masjid.

03:17The ASI team has come from Meerut today and they are doing the measurements here, they

03:24are looking at where and how to do the demolition, they are making all the estimates and we are

03:30fully cooperating as you can see and there is no problem anywhere.

03:34The demolition will start very soon.

03:37The successful and peaceful celebration of Holi at the Kartikeya Mahadev Temple after

03:42nearly half a century highlights the local community's commitment to harmony.

03:48With Anmol Bali in Sambal, Bureau Report, India Today.

03:56And I quickly want to take you to Sambal where my colleague Anmol Bali now joins us with more.

04:02Anmol, we saw these images and we saw the singing of Aaj Baraj Mein Holi Hai.

04:09It just sounded marvellous.

04:11What's the situation right now?

04:13Is it calm?

04:14Is it peaceful?

04:15Why the deployment of so many police personnel?

04:23Gaurav, currently I am here at the Shankar Chowk and I will show you two visuals of Sambal.

04:28On one of my side I will show you hustling bustling market because only one day is left

04:32for the mega Holi celebration but on the other hand the administration has also tightened

04:37the security measures in the city and I will also show you the other visuals where they

04:42have deployed heavy number of police forces on the ground.

04:45This is Shankar Chowk, one of the main area of Sambal and today it was also seen that

04:51today police held a flag march on the streets of Sambal on the main route where we will

04:56see tomorrow the Holi procession will pass.

04:59They have deployed RRF as well as PAC, Uttar Pradesh police on the ground to maintain peace,

05:06law and order and they have also requested peace and harmony.

05:09They are talking with the police committees.

05:11Even they have covered the walls of the mosque, not only Shahi Jama Masjid but nine other

05:16mosques which will come on the way of the main Holi procession.

05:20All those walls are now covered.

05:22So you can see in the visuals, two visuals, one of hustling bustling market and other

05:26of the security forces being deployed to control the situation if something arises.

05:31I will also show you they are keeping eye via CCTV camera, they are keeping eye via

05:35drones, they are also monitoring the social media, they have detained several people,

05:39those who were trying to break law and order in the city and while talking to India today

05:44ACP explained that soon they will initiate action against those elements, those who will

05:49break law and order or try to hamper peace and harmony.

05:52But Anmol I want to understand, I want to understand from you and you know what are

05:57your police sources telling you?

05:58Is it the first time that masjid and you are telling us that there are about 10-12 mosques

06:04in the area where tarpaulin is being put on the wall outside.

06:10Is this being done for the first time or is it almost a standard operating procedure year

06:15after year?

06:20Gaurav today it was seen that a team of ASI came to Shahi Jama Masjid and while talking

06:26to us Zafar of Shahi Jama Masjid, Zafar Ali who is the president of Jama Masjid committee

06:33explained us that this is not the first time that they have covered the walls of masjid

06:37with plastic sheets.

06:39Last year also they did like this and they have been doing this for last many years to

06:42protect walls of the masjid.

06:44But yeah, when we talked with various of the locals like some people were preparing for

06:48Holi Ka Dehen just few steps away from the Shahi Jama Masjid when we asked them is this

06:53the first time that you are burning or you are going to burn Holi Ka in this tight security

07:00amid tight security, they said yeah this is very first time they are witnessing security

07:04like this.

07:05So locals have different opinion to the tight situation of security in the city.

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