Muslim mob attacks Hindus, pours water to douse Holika Dahan ritualistic fire in Maharashtra

On the eve of Hindu festival of Holika dahan, a mob consisting of 200-300 Muslim objected to Hindus celebrating Holika Dahan ritual hurting Hindu sentiments. The tradition of burning the ritualistic pyre on the auspicious day of Holika dahan in Maharashtra’s Akola district.

A video of the incident has gone viral on social media platforms, showing a crazed Muslim mob dousing the fire that represents the Hindu festival of Holika Dahan.

The incident involves a Hanuman temple in Pola Chowk, Akola. The temple is said to be in a Muslim-dominated area. According to social media users, after some Hindus lit a pyre to commemorate Holika Dahan, a Muslim mob of 200-300 people approached the Hindus who were celebrating their festival, resulting in a scuffle between members of the two communities and the pyre being doused.

At Pola Chowk in Akola, there is an ancient Hanuman temple (Udasi Math). The temple is located in a Muslim-majority neighborhood. For several years, this temple has been neglected. However, in recent months, Hindu youths in the area have begun performing Hanuman Chalisa and Aarti every Saturday,”

As seen in the video above, a swarm of Muslims confronted the Hindus who were celebrating their festival. Following an altercation between members of the two communities, some Muslim fanatics poured water on the burning pyre to put it out.

This is the second incident in Maharashtra in recent days in which radical Muslims have prevented Hindus from performing their rituals. According to a report published in Shiv Sena mouthpiece, about 50 to 60 Muslim fanatics barged into the ancient temple of Machhindranath perched atop the Malang Gad fort and chanted “Allahu Akbar” slogans to disrupt the ongoing aarti performed by Hindu devotees. According to the report, on March 28, Hindu devotees were performing the traditional aarti (Hindu religious ritual of worship) when a large group of Muslims stormed the Machhindranath temple and attempted to disrupt the proceedings. The enraged mob yelled “Allahu Akbar” and shoved Hindus in the temple, attempting to prevent them from performing their annual ritual.