Fresh protests at Varanasi’s Manikarnika Ghat over ‘damage’ to Ahilyabai Holkar statue, several detained

Most of the protesters were from Prayagraj and from neighbouring Bihar, Pintu added.

Assistant Superintendent of Police, Varanasi, Atul Anjaan Tripathi said that no FIR has been registered so far.

“Police tried to pacify and convince the protesters who had assembled at the ghat. But the situation escalated,” he said.

Last Tuesday, during the renovation work at Manikarnika Ghat, the mani (platform) on which idols were carved into the walls was reportedly damaged. As a result, the inscribed idols were also affected during the beautification exercise.

Angered by the incident, a group of people, led by Mahendra Pal Pintu, demanded that a statue of Ahilyabai Holkar—who made significant contributions to Varanasi and the Kashi Vishwanath Temple — be installed at the same site. The protesters claimed that if the government had intended to remove the statue for renovation, it should have been shifted to a safer location before any demolition work was undertaken.

As news of the alleged damage spread, the issue drew political attention, with several political parties targeting the government over the matter.

The district administration has clarified that it was a kalakriti (an artwork) carved on the walls of the mani (platform) that was affected during the renovation work. Officials said the artwork has been safely secured by the Department of Culture and will be reinstalled later in its original form after the completion of the renovation.