Shahjahanpur prepares for ‘Juta Maar Holi’, covers mosques with tarpaulin sheets

Authorities in Shahjahanpur have covered mosques and mazars along the route of the annual ‘Juta Maar Holi’ procession with tarpaulin sheets and stepped up security deployment, officials said on Monday. The district administration has also installed CCTV cameras, barricaded lanes and divided the route into multiple zones to manage crowds and prevent incidents during the Holi event.

What is ‘Juta Maar Holi’ in Shahjahanpur

‘Juta Maar Holi’ is a long-running local tradition in Shahjahanpur celebrated on the day of Holi. In the procession, people throw shoes and sandals at a person dressed as a British-era ‘Laat Sahab’ who rides on a buffalo cart. Participants also play with colours during the event.

Security stepped up, CCTV and barricading in place

Superintendent of Police Rajesh Dwivedi said the district will deploy over 200 magistrates and about one-and-a-half times more security personnel than last year.


Four Additional Superintendents of Police, 13 Circle Officers, 310 sub-inspectors, 1,200 constables and 500 home guards will be on duty during the procession.

He added that four companies each of the Provincial Armed Constabulary and Rapid Action Force, along with a team of the National Disaster Response Force, will also be stationed along the route.

More than 100 solar-powered CCTV cameras have been installed along the eight-kilometre route of the ‘Bade Lat Sahab’ and ‘Chhote Lat Sahab’ processions to ensure continuous monitoring even during power cuts.

Dwivedi said that after minor incidents last year, authorities have created an additional zone this time. For the past month, peace committee meetings involving members of all communities have been held at police stations and outposts.

While urging people to celebrate Holi peacefully, Dwivedi ensured strict action against those disrupting the procession.

Mosques and mazars covered, crowd movement to be controlled

Additional District Magistrate (Administration) Rajneesh Kumar Mishra said 48 mosques and mazars along the route have been covered with thick plastic sheets.

A total of 148 lanes opening onto the procession route will be barricaded to prevent sudden crowd surges.

The administration has divided the procession route into seven zones with sector and sub-sector arrangements. As many as 136 zonal, sector and static magistrates will supervise arrangements in their respective areas.

Mishra added that 103 magistrates will be deployed at Holika Dahan sites to oversee rituals from lighting the pyre to the conclusion of ceremonies. Preventive action, including externment of identified individuals and opening of history sheets, has also been taken for the event.

History of the tradition

Historian Dr Vikas Khurana of Swami Sukdevanand College said the procession dates back to the 18th century. He said Nawab Abdullaha Khan returned to Shahjahanpur in 1728 during Holi, when Hindus and Muslims jointly celebrated the festival with a city-wide procession.

According to Khurana, the British administration later formalised the procession after taking control of Shahjahanpur in 1859.

The event continued peacefully after Independence. In 1988, it was renamed from “Nawab Sahab” to “Lat Sahab” by then district magistrate Kapil Dev.

The procession begins with prayers at the Phoolmati Devi temple and then moves through the city.

Khurana added that a petition filed in the High Court in 1990 seeking a ban on the procession was dismissed, with the court treating it as a long-standing tradition.