Puja is performed on Sunday at Raghava Chaitanya Shivalinga in the premises of Ladle Mashak Dargah in Aland town of Kalaburagi. | Photo credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The Mahashivaratri puja to the Raghava Chaitanya Shivalinga at the premises of Hazrat Ladle Mashak Dargah in Aland town of Kalaburagi district was held on Sunday amid tight police security.
The puja was performed after the Karnataka High Court in Kalaburagi granted permission to the 13 petitioners to perform rituals, including Rudrabhisheka, between 2 pm and 8 pm. A group of people performed rituals at the Shivalinga between 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM. Upon entry, they were thoroughly checked by the police and mobile phones and electronic devices were prohibited inside the premises.
The security deployment included nearly 1,000 personnel of the District Armed Reserves (DAR) platoon and the Karnataka State Reserve (KSRP). At least 40 CCTV cameras and four drones have been used to monitor the area and ensure the safety of devotees.
The district administration has imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) for Aland city, which came into force on Saturday evening (10:00 pm) and will remain in force until Sunday midnight, with roads barricaded and vehicular movement restricted; the buses were stopped approximately 2 km from the town.
Meanwhile, the management committee of the dargah challenged the High Court order in the Supreme Court seeking to prevent pujas on the Waqf land. However, the Supreme Court refused to deal with the plea under Article 32 of the Constitution and dismissed it as withdrawn. With judicial permission, the rituals were carried out peacefully under strict police surveillance.
The court’s order allowed the rituals to be performed by two sets of petitioners. Siddaramaiah Hiremath was allowed to perform the puja alone, while Gurushant Tengli led a second group of 12 members.
Puja is performed on Sunday at Raghava Chaitanya Shivalinga in the premises of Ladle Mashak Dargah in Aland town of Kalaburagi. | Photo credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Among the petitioners who performed the puja were Siddaramaiah Hiremath, Gurushant Tengli, Harshanand Subhash Guttedar, Rakesh Jamadar, Shivaraj Bali, Ashok Bagali, Mallikarjun Savalagi, Shivaputra Nadigeri, Mallikarjun Kandgol, Veeranna Hattargi, Rajant Malahravi Patil, Hanum Hirepujari.
In 2022, the city of Aland witnessed heightened tension at the dargah as the Urs celebration coincided with Mahashivaratri. Clashes between communities during this period led to the arrest of 167 people. Authorities issued bans from February 27 to March 3 that year, while police found stones, sticks and poles that had been piled up on the terraces of houses, underscoring the volatility of the situation at the time. The tension was triggered by tight security measures taken for the annual ritual on Mahashivaratri.
Published – 15 Feb 2026 19:42 IST