UP: Four Aligarh mosques covered with tarpaulin ahead of Holi celebrations

Aligarh (Uttar Pradesh) [India], March 24 (ANI): Four mosques in Uttar Pradesh's Aligarh have been covered with tarpaulin to ensure they are not smeared with colours during Holi celebrations.
To maintain peace and order on the occasion of Holi, the festival of colours, four different mosques of Aligarh, located in the city's most sensitive areas have been covered with tarpaulin.
The work of covering these mosques were carried out throughout the previous night in the presence of police and people associated with the mosque committee so that no colours or dirt are smeared on the structures by the people during the festive celebrations.
The mosques that have been covered include the "Masjid Halwaiyaan" located at Sabzi Mandi, a highly sensitive intersection of Aligarh, the Ansari Wali Mosque located at Kanwari Ganj and others.
Speaking to ANI, Mosque committee member Akil Pehalwan said, "We cover these mosques because of Holi celebrations. The reason for covering is that the place for offering namaz is a clean place. These mosques are covered during Holi from the past 5-6 years. There are about several mosques in the citys that are covered prior to Holi."
"These mosques include the "Masjid Halwaiyan" located at Sabzi Mandi intersection of Aligarh. Apart from this, there are 4-5 such mosques like the mosque located at Babri Mandi, the mosque located at Delhi Gate intersection, the mosque located at Sasni Gate intersection," he said.
Adding further, he said that the administration supports us in and in the presence of the administration, we, the mosque committee people and shopkeepers worked together under the leadership of CO City and Inspector and covered the mosques so that there is no problem on Holi.
Aligarh City, Circle Officer, Abhay Kumar Pandey also spoke to ANI and said, "Holi will be celebrated traditionally tomorrow in the Aligarh market. In view of Holi celebrations, mosques are covered by the Mosque Arrangement Committee. 4 mosques have been covered and the rest of the police system is deployed here on alert and drone surveillance has also been done and other security arrangements are being made in view of Holi."
Holi, a festival celebrated with as much fervour in the country as it is overseas, will be marked on March 25, Monday, this year.
Meanwhile, people thronged markets in Uttar Pradesh's Moradabad on Sunday, ahead of Holi, making last-minute purchases of colours or gulals, trendy water guns, and colourful wigs. (ANI)