The police made elaborate security arrangements for the special puja to Raghava Chaitanya Shivalinga in Aland town of Kalaburagi district to mark Mahashivaratri on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit: ARUN KULKARNI

Mahashivarathri special puja to Raghava Chaitanya Shivalinga located on the Hazrat Ladle Mashak Dargah premises in Aland town of Kalaburagi district was performed peacefully amid tight security arrangements on Wednesday.

A 15-member team led by Sri Veerabhadra Shivacharya Swami of Kadaganchi Mutt, vice-president of Vishwa Hindu Parishad-North Karnataka region Lingaraj Appa, the former BJP district (Rural) president Shivaraj Patil Raddewadagi, the former Zilla Panchayat vice-president Harshanand Guttedar, RTI activist Siddaramayya Hiremath and others performed special puja to Raghav Chaitanya Shivalinga on the dargah premises.

Meanwhile, Sri Ram Sene founder Pramod Mutalik, who reached Aland town on Wednesday to participate in the Shivalinga Puja, was restricted from entering Raghav Chaitanya Shivalinga site by the district authorities. On Tuesday, the High Court said that national honorary president of Sri Ram Sene Siddalinga Swami is not allowed to participate in the puja to Raghava Chaitanya Shivalinga.

Nearly a 1,000 police personnel, including senior officers, Karnataka State Reserve Police battalions, District Armed Reserve battalions and other police personnel, were deployed to prevent any untoward incidents across the town on the occasion.

Officials inspecting Raghav Chaitanya Shivalinga inside Ladle Mashak Dargah in Aland town in Kalaburagi district after which the High Court allowed puja to be performed there.
| Photo Credit:
ARUN KULKARNI

Section 144 has been imposed in the town, from 6 a.m. on Wednesday till 6 a.m. on Thursday.

The town wore a deserted look with empty roads and shops remaining closed. Barricades were placed on most of the roads restricting vehicle movement. Commuters were put to hardship as buses were stopped 5 km away from the town due to road block.

Earlier, the Waqf Board argued that no Shivalinga existed at the site on the dargah premises. However, the High Court of Karnataka in Kalaburagi ordered a site inspection and historical verification before granting permission for performing puja to Raghav Chaitanya Shivalinga.