Muslims in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, observed Alvida Jumma, the last Friday prayers of Ramadan, at Shahi Jama Masjid amidst tight security arrangements. Devotees prayed for peace and harmony across the country as they prepare to celebrate Eid.
Hundreds of Hindu devotees gathered at the Bhojshala complex in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh, for a 'maha aarti' following a high court ruling declaring the site a temple. Members of the Muslim community protested peacefully by offering namaz at home wearing black bands.
The Allahabad high court on March 12 directed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to undertake and complete the whitewashing at the mosque within one week.
According to police, rumours claiming the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was demolishing the mosque spread primarily through voice notes shared across community, religious and neighbourhood WhatsApp groups ahead of a court-ordered anti-encroachment drive.
Zafar Ali, the president of the Shahi Jama Masjid committee in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, was arrested on Sunday in connection with the violence that erupted in November 2022 over a court-ordered survey of the mosque. Ali's brother alleged that the arrest was intended to prevent him from submitting his testimony before a judicial commission investigating the violence. The mosque has been at the center of a controversy after a petition claimed it was the site of an ancient Hindu temple. The violence resulted in four deaths and several injuries.
Holi and Friday prayers passed peacefully in Sambhal district of Uttar Pradesh amid tight security, officials said.
Most devotees stayed indoors to offer 'namaz' as religious and festive gatherings remain prohibited in most part of the country.
As the month-long fasting observed by the people of the Muslim community during Ramzan came to an end on Modnay, devotees across the country offered namaz on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr in large numbers on Tuesday.
Uttar Pradesh is on high alert as Holi coincides with Friday namaz, prompting authorities to implement additional security measures in the state, including enhanced patrolling, surveillance drones, and strict monitoring of social media. The decision follows controversial remarks made by some politicians and a police officer, raising concerns about potential incidents in mixed population localities. The administration has also decided to cover mosques to prevent them from being stained with colors, while several mosques have shifted the timing of Friday prayers.
Amid escalating tensions at the Uday Pratap College in Varanasi over a mosque located on its premises, police on Thursday restricted outsiders' entry to the campus, allowing only students with valid identity cards.
The Bombay high court on Tuesday granted an interim stay for two weeks on the Jalgaon district collector's order restraining people from praying at a mosque on a complaint by an outfit which claimed the structure has the "appearance of a temple".
Authorities in the communally sensitive city of Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, have deployed seven companies of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) ahead of Holi and the first Friday of Ramzan, which fall on the same day. Peace committee meetings have been held to ensure peaceful celebrations, with Hindus agreeing to play Holi till 2:30 pm and Muslims to offer Jumma namaz after that time.
The crowd at the mosque was larger than usual, unsurprisingly because it happened to be the last "Jumma" (Friday) of the holy month of Ramzan.
'Barricading will remain for a few more days. Situation today is better than previous days and we are keeping an eye on law and order here'
Raj has set May 4 as the deadline to remove loudspeakers from mosques.
Many faithful preferred offering 'namaaz' at their homes than visiting mosques.
Yaadhum is a documentary that talks about how Islam spread in South India because of trade and not through invasion.
Hemmed in by barricades and police and paramilitary swarming all over the place, the troubled Jahangirpuri on Friday showed signs of returning to normalcy, with the local peace committee calling for communal harmony and members of the warring communities embracing each other, agreeing to let bygones be bygones.
'The irresistible charm of Indian politics is it can always throw up surprises -- even when it looks as predictable as in Tamil Nadu,' discovers Shekhar Gupta.
Narendra Modi has a once in a lifetime chance to change and take the RSS-BJP-VHP to a new level. Varanasi is the right place to turn the page on saffron history. By surrendering to the spirit of mystical Varanasi, Modi and his party can change the trajectory of their political journey.
It is a sight that both warms and breaks the heart. The women of Shaheen Bagh seem oblivious of the cold, these women and their children, the latter ranging in age from 19 days to early teens, who have been occupying the road for over two weeks now. Some of them have not gone home for days, but their faces are clear, unlined by fatigue, their eyes bright and fierce as those of the falcon, shaheen, the area is named for.
Bhendi Bazaar faces a fairytale future as the Dawoodi Bohras initiate a Rs 3,000-crore project to change it from a squalid marketplace to a swanky neighbourhood, says Ranjita Ganesan
