Bahraich (UP), May 31 (PTI) The one-day annual fair at the shrine of Lakkarh Shah Baba located in the core area of the Katarniaghat forest in Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich district could not be held this time, Forest Department officials said on Saturday.
Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) B Shivshankar on Saturday told PTI, "Lakkarh Shah's mazar (mausoleum) is located in the Murtiha Range of Katarniaghat Wildlife Division. The one-day fair held here in the (Hindu) month of 'Jyeshth' attracts a huge crowd.
"This place falls in the core area of the forest, that is why gathering of crowds here has been prohibited for the last four years. We have given the responsibility of controlling the crowd to the Special Tiger Protection Force, Sashastra Seema Bal, police and Forest Department, so that crowds do not gather there and incidents like human-wildlife conflict do not occur."
He said that no ban has been imposed on religious activities.
"To prevent crowds in the area, movement of vehicles and cooking food by lighting a fire and staying there or overnight stay have been prohibited," Shivshankar said.
He also said that the managers of the shrine had presented their claim before the Forest Department by calling this place Waqf land, but they could not present any documents related to the ownership of the land.
Therefore, their claims were rejected.
Raees Ahmed, chairman of Lakkarh Shah Mazar Management Committee, said that Hindus as well as Muslims have faith in this dargah, and called it a "symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity". He said that among the devotees who visit the dargah, 40 per cent are Muslims and 60 per cent are Hindus.
"Fairs have been held here for centuries. For the first time, such strictness is being done that people are being chased away with sticks, even water was poured on the stove of the pilgrims cooking food. The Forest Department, which till now used to award contracts through auction and issue work orders, is now calling it an encroachment," he said.