A small town in northern Karnataka with a population of 60,000 is on high alert as Hindus and Muslims celebrate separate holidays in the same dargah or shrine.
In order to prevent any attempts to incite unrest, the police have forbidden big gatherings in the Karnataka Kalaburagi district’s Aland city, about 600 kilometres from Bengaluru, where extra officers and drones are on duty.
In an unusual decision, the Karnataka High Court’s Kalaburagi bench on Friday permitted a group of Hindus to do Shivratri prayers within the Sacred Madhaq Dargah.
The prayers were approved by a religious tribunal, and despite the dargah officials’ appeal, the top court refused to overturn the decision.
The dargah holds a Sufi saint’s shrine, and the complex also houses a Raghava Chaitanya Shivlinga.
Between 2 and 6 on Saturday, about 15 people are permitted to worship the Shivlinga and carry out their rites.
The court has given permission for 15 members of the Muslim community to offer prayers between 8 am and noon because the day also commemorates the Urs or the anniversary of the Sufi saint’s passing.
Last year, there were incidents of stone-throwing in the neighbourhood due to the conflict.
Over 12 checkpoints have been put up by the Kalaburagi police surrounding the city of Aland, and they are employing drone cameras to monitor the area.
Alok Kumar, a senior police officer, reported that 500 police officers from various units have been stationed at several sites throughout the city.
