Kalaburagi (Karnataka)

The ongoing controversy surrounding the worship of the Raghava Chaitanya Shivling, located within the premises of the Laadle Mashak Dargah, has resurfaced during Mahashivratri in Kalaburagi district, Karnataka.

On Tuesday, the Kalaburagi court, in response to a petition filed by Hindu organisations, granted permission for the worship of the Raghava Chaitanya Shivling between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. on 26 February, coinciding with Mahashivratri. However, the court has not permitted Andola Siddalinga Seer to attend the worship.

Hindu activists had approached the court seeking permission to worship the Shivling at the dargah. The court has allowed 15 Hindu activists, including the petitioner Siddaramaiah Hiremath, to perform the worship. Additionally, it has directed the petitioner to submit a list of participants along with their Aadhaar cards to the district administration ahead of the worship.

Laadle Mashak Dargah is named after Laadle Mashak, a Sufi saint who won the hearts of people in the 14th century. The premises of the dargah also house the 'Samadhi' of Hindu saint Raghava Chaitanya, who lived in the 15th century. According to sources, Raghava Chaitanya was the guru of Samarth Ramadas, who was revered by Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji. The Shivling has been erected on the Samadhi of Raghava Chaitanya and is known as the Raghava Chaitanya Shivling.

As differences arose between the Hindu and Muslim communities, the matter of land ownership reached the court. Hindus who visited Laadle Mashak Dargah also used to worship the Raghava Chaitanya Shivling. The previous year, Shivratri and Urs were celebrated on the same day, and the court had permitted both Muslims and Hindus to carry out their respective rituals. Muslims were allotted time between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m., while Hindus were allowed from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. The court had allowed only 15 persons from the Hindu community to perform the worship.

In 2022, Karnataka Police arrested 167 individuals, including 10 women, in connection with communal violence that erupted in Aland town of Kalaburagi district on the day of Mahashivratri. The district administration imposed prohibitory orders in the town following large-scale violence. The unrest began when 'Gangabhisheka' (cleansing of the Shivling with water from the holy river Ganga) and worship were performed at the Raghava Chaitanya Shivling, located within the premises of the historical Laadle Mashak Dargah on Mahashivratri. During the worship, a group suddenly began pelting stones and instigated violence.

Police are actively searching for the miscreants involved in the incident, and more arrests are anticipated. Authorities have seized piles of stones, rods, and sticks from the terraces of houses. Investigations are ongoing to identify those responsible for orchestrating the violence. The tense situation has necessitated elaborate security arrangements in the city.

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The mob involved in the violence also targeted vehicles belonging to former Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers, New and Renewable Energy Bhagwanth Khuba, local MLAs, and BJP leaders. Vehicles of the District Commissioner and Superintendent of Police were damaged during the stone-pelting incident.

Former BJP MLA Subhash Guttedar from the Aland constituency had, during the Winter Session held in Belagavi in 2021, urged the government to provide protection to the historically significant Raghava Chaitanya Samadhi and Shivling following alleged incidents of desecration. This demand led to outrage among certain sections of the community.