Latest news with #JethMela
New Indian Express
31-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
BJP's minority front chief Jamal Siddiqui offers chaddar at Salar Ghazi's dargah, calls him 'saint' amid ban on fair
BAHRAICH: Amid a ban by the district administration on the fair held at the tomb of Syed Salar Masood Ghazi in Bahraich, the national president of BJP Minority Front, Jamal Siddiqui, offered a 'chaddar' at the dargah on the occasion of Urs and said he considers Ghazi a "saint". On May 3, the Bahraich district administration denied permission for the annual 'Jeth Mela' traditionally held at the dargah. In an official statement, the administration cited the prevailing atmosphere of public anger following incidents like the Pahalgam attack and Sambhal violence and concerns surrounding the amended Waqf Act as the reasons. The Jeth Mela, originally scheduled to take place from May 15 to June 15, was expected to draw lakhs of pilgrims from India and abroad. Replying to queries, Siddiqui told reporters that there can be a ban on the fair, but there is no ban on Urs. "People are coming for pilgrimage. Syed Sahab's status is very high. Lakhs of people come here to pay obeisance and have benefited from him. I have also come here to pray with my father," he said.
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
SBSP chief pitches for grand fairs inSuheldev's name
Lucknow: Four days after the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court denied permission to the Dargah Sharif Management Committee in Bahraich to organise the annual Jeth Mela at Syed Salar Masud Ghazi dargah, the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief and UP minister Om Prakash Rajbhar on Tuesday pitched for organising a grand fair in the name of Maharaja Suheldev . Salar Masud, a semi-legendary figure who is believed to be the general and nephew of Turkish invader Mahmud Ghaznavi and is believed to have accompanied him on his plundering trips to India, including the attack on Somnath temple. Masud's rampaging moves are said to have been stopped by Maharaja Suheldev of Shravasti, another legendary figure, in what is now famous as the Battle of Bahraich in 1034 AD. They both find mention in Persian hagiography Mirat-i-Masudi, written in 17th century. The Jeth Mela, a centuries-old fair traditionally held between May 15 and June 15 at the dargah Salar Masud in Bahraich, was cancelled earlier this year. The district administration cited concerns over law and order, referencing recent incidents such as the Pahalgam terrorist attack and communal tensions in Sambhal. Other fairs in Masud's name, Sambhal's Neja Mela and Urs of Bale Miyan (as he is known in Gorakhpur) were also cancelled. This was followed by CM Yogi Adityanath 's assertion that glorification of invaders amounted to treason which an "independent India will not tolerate". Rajbhar, who made the demand during his meeting with CM Yogi Adityanath, pressed for organising a fair in Bahraich and a few other places. SBSP chief national general secretary Arvind Rajbhar, who was also present at the meeting, claimed that the CM agreed to the demand. He said that both the CM and Rajbhar were critical of the opposition parties who have been covertly backing such events linked to Muslim invaders. Rajbhar happens to be a cabinet minister for panchayati raj and minority welfare. Not far from the dargah, a grand memorial in the name of king Suheldev has already come up. Suheldev is often referred to as the presiding deity of the Rajbhar community, who are present in a large number in several eastern UP districts with the BJP projecting him as a Hindutva demigod. On February 16, 2021, the foundation stone of the Suheldev memorial in Bahraich was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi via video conferencing. The project includes the installation of an equestrian statue of Maharaja Suheldev at a site along the banks of Chittaura Lake in the district. The state govt is also planning to set up a museum based on the life of Suheldev.
Time of India
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
900-year-old traditiondisrupted: No Bale Miyanfair in Gorakhpur this yr
Gorakhpur: For the first time in what is believed to be a 900-year-old tradition , the iconic Bale Miyan fair in Gorakhpur will not take place this year. The month-long event held in memory of Syed Salar Masud Ghazi—locally called Bale Miyan—was scheduled to begin on May 18. However, the district administration has not granted the necessary security clearance, effectively stalling the fair, claimed the dargah mutawalli (custodian). Notably, the district administration has, however, declared May 19 a local holiday for the urs of Bale Miyan. Earlier this month, the Bahraich district administration had denied nod for the annual Jeth Mela held at the shrine of Syed Salar Masud Ghazi in Bahraich too, citing an LIU report flagging law and order concerns. Before this the state government had denied permission for holding the Sambhal's Neja Mela, also in the name of Salar Masud. This was followed by CM Yogi Adityanath's assertion that glorification of invaders amounted to treason which an "independent India will not tolerate".
Time of India
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
900-year-old tradition disrupted: No Bale Miyan fair in Gorakhpur this year
Gorakhpur : For the first time in what is believed to be a 900-year-old tradition , the iconic Bale Miyan fair in Gorakhpur will not take place this year. The month-long event held in memory of Syed Salar Masud Ghazi—locally called Bale Miyan—was scheduled to begin on May 18. However, the district administration has not granted the necessary security clearance, effectively stalling the fair, claimed the dargah mutawalli (custodian). Notably, the district administration has, however, declared May 19 a local holiday for the urs of Bale Miyan. Earlier this month, the Bahraich district administration had denied nod for the annual Jeth Mela held at the shrine of Syed Salar Masud Ghazi in Bahraich too, citing an LIU report flagging law and order concerns. Before this the state government had denied permission for holding the Sambhal's Neja Mela, also in the name of Salar Masud. This was followed by CM Yogi Adityanath's assertion that glorification of invaders amounted to treason which an "independent India will not tolerate". The Bale Miyan fair is usually held on the banks of the Rapti river in Bahrampur, where a sprawling ground hosts the festivities. Despite the announcement made by dargah mutawalli Mohammad Islam Hashmi earlier this month, no visible preparations have taken place at the venue. While the committee had formally written seeking security arrangements, officials have not taken any decision so far. Adding to the uncertainty, large amounts of construction material have been stockpiled at the fairground due to the ongoing widening work of the Herbert Dam. "In previous years, the local administration always began preparations for the fair. This year, things were different though. Since we didn't hear anything from the district administration, we submitted a letter to the divisional commissioner seeking security arrangements at the fair. We didn't hear back from them though," the mutawalli said. TOI has a copy of the letter submitted to the divisional commissioner on March 18. According to Hashmi, the fair was supposed to run until June 16. However, as of Saturday evening, the usual hustle and bustle was missing, indicating that only a few devotees might arrive for prayers—without the festive environment the fair typically brings. On the contrary, ADM (city) Anjani Kumar said, "I have not received any request letter so far for the Bale Miyan fair. They only informed us that they will do some rituals, distribute prasad and also offer chadar on the shrine inside the premises. They also informed us that they will set up 15 shops inside their campus, which requires no approval as it is inside their premises." Salar Masood, a semi-legendary figure, is believed to be the nephew of Mahmud of Ghazni and served as his military commander. The main source of information about him is contained in Mirat-i-Masudi, a Persian-language hagiography written by Abdur Rahman Chishti during the reign of Jahangir. According to Mirat-i-Masudi, Ghazi was killed in a battle with Maharaja Suheldev of Shravasti at Bahraich in 1034 CE. Where he is believed to have been buried is now the Dargah Sharif in Bahraich. Though Ghazi doesn't find mention in any contemporary 11th century Ghaznavid chronicles, he had become a well-known figure in Delhi Sultanate by the 12th century, when the pilgrimage to his tomb in Bahraich appears to have started.
Indian Express
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
UP: High Court denies nod for Jeth Mela; rules ‘will not interfere with govt decision'
THE LUCKNOW bench of the Allahabad High Court on Saturday refused to interfere with the decision of the state government denying permission to hold 'Jeth Mela' at the Dargah of Syed Sallar Masood Ghazi in Bahraich. A division of Justices Attau Rahman Masoodi and Subhash Vidyarthi, said in its order that, however, 'Until the delivery of the judgment, as an interim measure, we provide that routine activities at Dargah Sharif for carrying out the ritualistic practices shall remain open, for which all support for maintaining law and order as well as necessary civic amenities shall be provided by the State in co-operation with the Committee administering the management of Dargah Sharif.' The court added, 'We also provide that the Committee shall ensure that devotees visit the shrine in moderate numbers as per routine in order to avoid the possibility of any stampede or unwarranted situation causing a concern to the safety of the devotees and creating difficulties for the administration.' The court was hearing a bunch of petitions challenging the order issued on April 26 this year by the District Magistrate, Bahraich, declining permission for holding the annual Jeth Mela at and near the Dargah of Syed Sallar Masood Ghazi. The court said, 'As the prayer for organising 'Jeth Mela' having cultural/commercial trappings is concerned, we are not persuaded, prima facie, to interfere with the decision of the state authorities.' A previous court order had said the petitioners' lawyer had made the key points about why the case should be admitted and interim relief granted. These points mentioned that the Dargah was established in 1375 AD by Firoz Shah Tuglaq in the memory of Syed Sallar Masood Ghazi. There is no requirement in law for seeking such permission, thus, there was no question of denying it, the lawyer submitted. The reasons given in the impugned order are not at all germane to the holding of Urs/Mela. In fact, what is sought to be held is an Urs and not Mela. The Urs/Mela is being organised at the said place for the past several years. He relied upon documents on record pertaining to the last few years to contend that there has never been any law and order or other problem during the Urs, therefore, there is absolutely no basis nor justification for preventing organization of such Urs/Mela.
