Aligarh mosque covered in tarp to maintain peace ahead of Holi celebrations

Ahead of Holi, a mosque in Aligarh has been covered with tarpaulin in order to ensure that it is not drenched in colour.

Reportedly, Abdul Karim Masjid is situated at Aligarh's most sensitive intersection, the "Halwaiyan," and was covered with a tarpaulin sheet at night on the directions of the police administration on Holi to prevent the dousing of the mosque in colour during the celebrations. This is done to maintain peace and order and keep the area safe. Moreover, just like the previous Holi celebrations, other mosques in the sensitive area were also covered with tarpaulin at night to prevent anyone from smearing it with colour.

Haji Mohammad Iqbal, Mutawalli-Masjid Halwaiyan, said, "On the instructions of the administration, we cover the mosque with tarpaulin so that no one can throw colour or dirt in the mosque."

Aligarh: Halwaiyan Masjid has been covered ahead of the #Holi festival. Abhishek, SP City Aligarh says, "the area is sensitive. This trend is followed so that communal harmony can be maintained in the area." (08.03) pic.twitter.com/MLINaVRRBc

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP)

Holi 2023 

The festival of colours, Holi, will be observed on Wednesday, March 8.

The festival celebrates the spirit of inclusiveness and humanity and heralds the onset of spring on the Indian subcontinent.

Holi marks the victory of good over evil and is celebrated over two days—Holika Dahan and Holi Milan.

Holi commemorates both the triumph of good over evil and the divine love between Lord Krishna and Radha. It also serves as a harvest celebration to honour the beginning of spring and the end of winter. According to Hindu folklore, Lord Krishna had a dark complexion, whereas his beloved Radha was relatively fair. Krishna used to fear that Radha wouldn't embrace him because of their dissimilar skin tones. He voiced his displeasure to Yashoda, his mother. Yashoda once made the remark that Radha's face should be painted by Krishna to hide any flaws. Krishna followed his mother's instructions and applied Gulal to Radha's face. And thus the festivities for Holi began.