In Shahjahanpur and Sambhal: Mosques covered, security tightened for ‘Laat Saab’ Holi procession
Authorities in Shahjahanpur and Sambhal districts have covered over 20 mosques and 10 mosques, respectively, ahead of the ‘Laat Saab’ Holi procession scheduled for March 14, which falls on the day of Friday prayers. The move aims to protect the mosques from colour splashes during the procession.
To prevent disruptions, Friday prayer timings have also been deferred in several mosques across Uttar Pradesh. Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali, chairperson of the Islamic Centre of India, had earlier appealed to imams to reschedule Friday namaz timings considering the Holi celebrations.
SP Shahjahanpur, Rajesh S, said, “There is a traditional Laat Saab procession on Holi, with around 20 processions across the district. Two major ones, Bade Laat Saab and Chote Laat Saab, are the main focus. The Bade Laat Saab procession has been divided into three zones and eight sectors, with around 100 magistrates deployed to oversee the event.”
“Preventive action has been taken against 2,432 miscreants, and about 1,500 policemen, including 250 sub-inspectors from 10 police stations, will be stationed along the route. Two companies of the provincial armed constabulary (PAC) will also be deployed,” SP Shahjahanpur stated. Officials will monitor the procession live through a central control room, he added.
Shahjahanpur municipal commissioner Vipin Kumar Mishra stated that about 350 CCTV cameras and still cameras have been installed to monitor the route. “We have covered about 20 mosques with tarpaulin and set up barricades near mosques and electric transformers to ensure safety,” he said.
Two tractor-trolleys will accompany the procession to remove discarded footwear and torn clothes. Additionally, a sky lift and still camera operators will be positioned at 16 police picket points for video documentation of the event, which will also be streamed live, according to the municipal commissioner.
Meanwhile, Sambhal SP Krishan Kumar Bishnoi said, “Over 1,000 people under suspicion of causing disturbances have been bonded. Police teams are stationed along the Holi procession route, and 49 highly sensitive locations have been identified. Any attempt to disrupt communal harmony or forcefully apply colour will not be tolerated. Incidents should be reported immediately.”
ASP Shrish Chandra mentioned that meetings with religious place caretakers have been held. “The caretakers of the 10 mosques along the route have agreed to cover them to avoid any staining from colours. This will be completed by Thursday,” he said.
Historical background of Laat Saab procession
Historian Vikas Khurana, head of the history department at Swami Sukdevanand College in Shahjahanpur, shared insights into the origins of the procession. “Nawab Abdullah Khan, who lived in Shahjahanpur, once left for Farrukhabad after a dispute. When he returned in 1728 during Holi, he joined the celebrations with the locals, which gradually became an annual tradition. In 1930, the procession began using a camel cart, evolving over the years.”
Khurana also mentioned that in the 1990s, a petition was filed in the high court seeking to stop the procession, but the court declined to intervene, recognising it as a longstanding tradition.
The Laat Saab procession covers a 7-kilometer route through the city, concluding at Kuncha Lala. Participants traditionally throw shoes at Laat Saab while chanting “Ho Horihare Laat Saheb Ki Jai.”
