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Journalism of Courage
The communal violence during the Brajmandal Jalabhishek Yatra in Haryana’s Nuh on Monday, which left at least six people dead, was started by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) three years ago to “revive holy Hindu sites” in the district where Muslims constitute 79.2% of the population as per the 2011 Census.
As per lore, Nuh, which was earlier called Mewat, is home to three Shiva lingas from the era of the Pandavas in the Mahabharata. It is also believed that Krishna used to graze his cows here. VHP leaders argue that these sacred places face the “threat of encroachment by influential people in the region”. The VHP leaders say that the Mewat Darshan Yatra, as a part of which the Jalabhishek Yatra is held, “will help restore the significance of religious sites” in the region. Devotees from other districts of Haryana also participate in this yatra and visit the temples in Nuh, where Hindus constitute about 20.37% of the population.
The yatra, which enters Mewat from Sohna, begins with a ceremonial “jal abhishek (pouring of sacred water)” at the Nalhar Mahadev Temple. Surrounded by the Aravallis, this ancient temple is near the main Nuh town and is said to date back to the time of the Pandavas. It is also home to a pond called the Nalhar Pandava Reservoir.
After the “jal abhishek”, devotees visit the Jhirakeshwar Mahadev and the Radha Krishna Temple in the Shrangar village in the Punhana Tehsil of Nuh. They then go to the Shringeshwar Mahadev Temple, where another “jal abhishek” ceremony takes place.
Following the communal violence, on Monday, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij said around 3,000 people were “held hostage” at the Nalhar Mahadev temple. Around 25,000 people were present at the yatra. It also saw the participation of organisations such as the Gau Raksha Dal and the Bajrang Dal.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the authorities to ensure that nobody indulges in hate speech or violence during the Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad rallies demonstrating against the Haryana violence.
