Karnataka: Hindus, Muslims offer prayer in same compound in Kalaburgi's Aland as tension prevails

Tension prevailed at Aland in Kalaburagi district of Karnataka on Saturday as Hindus and Muslims observed separate festivals in the compound that houses the Ladle Mashak dargah.

The dargah houses the shrine of a Sufi saint and adjacent to it, in the same compound in the town about 600 km from Bengaluru, is the Raghava Chaitanya Shivlinga as well.

Last year, prayers were cleared by a religious tribunal and the high court refused to cancel the verdict based on an appeal by the dargah authorities. The Kalaburagi bench of the Karnataka High Court on Friday allowed a group of 15 Hindus to carry out Shivratri prayers for about four hours in the evening. As the day also marks the Urs, marking the death anniversary of the Sufi saint, the court permitted 15 people from the Muslim community to offer prayers in the morning.

Last year, the communally sensitive area had witnessed stone-throwing. This year, the Kalaburagi police set up 12 check posts around Aland and used drone cameras to keep vigil.

Around 500 police personnel from various units were posted at various vantage points in the town, a senior police officer said. People of the town preferred to stay indoors because of the tight security and the palpable tension.