Police personnel patrol in a sensitive area during the Holi festival, in Sambhal district, Uttar Pradesh, Friday, March 14, 2025.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Holi celebrations in various districts of Uttar Pradesh, including Sambhal, took place peacefully on Friday (March 14, 2025). Alongside the celebrations, Friday prayers on the occasion of the second Jumma (Friday) of Ramzan, too were held peacefully.

The police had put in place tight police security and elaborate surveillance, via drone and CCTV cameras, to prevent law-and-order issues. At Sambhal, the police conducted flag march in various locations, including near the Shahi Jama Masjid.

“Everyone cooperated. Along with Holi, Jumma namaz was performed peacefully. Both were peaceful. Police personnel were deployed to manage the crowd and maintain peace,” said Vandana Mishra, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Sambhal.

An aerial view of the devotees arriving to offer prayers (namaz) on the occasion of second Jumma of Ramzan, at Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal on Friday.
| Photo Credit:
ANI

Uttar Pradesh Director-General of Police Prashant Kumar monitored the security situation from the dedicated control room of the State police headquarters. “As the festival of colours and the sacred month of Ramzan coincide, we are ensuring that every police officer on duty remains vigilant, alert, and unwavering in their duty,” said the U.P. Police.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath participated in the Holi MJilan programme organised on the Gorakhnath temple campus in Gorakhpur. The Chief Minister said the Holi celebrations, much like the Maha Kumbh, had silenced those claiming that Sanatana Dharma divided people in the name of caste, religion, region and language. He added that every follower of Sanatana Dharma had celebrated Holi by throwing colors at each other.

“Today, every follower of Sanatana Dharma hugged one another, applying colours and gulal. This is our strength,” said Mr. Adityanath.

Earlier, in at least five sensitive districts such as Sambhal, Bareilly, Shahjahanpur, Bijnor and Aligarh, some mosques were covered with tarpaulin sheets to prevent Holi colours from falling on them. Prominent Muslim clerics in the State had also revised the timings for Friday prayers.

On November 24, 2024, five persons died and several others, including police personnel, were injured when violence erupted over a court-ordered survey of the city’s Shahi Jama Masjid, following a petition claiming that a temple once stood at the site.