48 mosques covered with tarpaulins ahead of Jootamar Holi procession in Shahjahanpur

Bareilly: Authorities in Shahjahanpur have covered 48 mosques and shrines located along the route of the traditional Laat Sahab Holi procession, also known as Jootamar Holi, with plastic tarpaulins ahead of the festival on March 3.Officials said security arrangements for this year's procession, taken out a day before Holi, have been enhanced to 1.5 times last year's deployment. Several magistrate-level officers will be on duty to oversee the arrangements.Shahjahanpur SSP Rajesh Dwivedi said, "The deployment will include four additional SPs, 13 circle officers, 310 sub-inspectors, 1,200 constables and 500 home guards. Four companies of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and the Rapid Action Force (RAF) will be stationed in the city. A team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) will also remain on standby."Around 100 CCTV cameras have been installed to monitor both major and smaller Jootamar Holi processions, which cover an approximately 8-km radius in the city. Officials said an additional security zone has been created following minor disputes reported during last year's celebrations.Additional district magistrate (administration) Rajnish Kumar Mishra said 148 lanes connected to the procession route have been barricaded to prevent sudden crowd surges. A total of 103 magistrates will be deployed at Holika Dahan sites.The procession dates back to 1728, when Nawab Abdullah Khan returned to Shahjahanpur on Holi and was welcomed by both Hindu and Muslim residents. After independence, the event came to be known as the Nawab Sahab procession before being renamed Laat Sahab in 1988.(With inputs from Asif Ansari)