Shahjahanpur (UP), March 4 The traditional "Lat Sahab" procession, held here on the occasion of Holi, was organized under tight security on Wednesday. Participants chanted slogans and symbolically struck the "Lat Sahab" with shoes as part of the custom.
This procession in Shahjahanpur is a centuries-old Holi tradition in which a man representing a figure of authority, a British officer from the colonial era ("Lat Sahab"), is paraded through the town on a bullock cart. Participants chant slogans and symbolically strike him with shoes as a symbolic act of mischief.
This unique custom, rooted in local history and communal participation, is conducted under administrative supervision and is considered a blend of satire, festivity, and heritage.
The procession this year began from the Phoolmati Devi temple, where the Lat Sahab offered prayers, and then proceeded to the Kotwali police station, where he was given a ceremonial salute. It then passed through key areas of the town before covering an 8-km stretch, before concluding at the temple, officials said.
A similar "Chhote" Lat Sahab procession was also held peacefully, they added.
Organizers said that the Lat Sahab was seated on a chair placed on a platform mounted on a bullock cart and wore a helmet, while police and PAC personnel formed a protective cordon around him.
District Magistrate Dharmendra Pratap Singh said that 48 mosques and mausoleums along the route were covered with plastic sheets and 148 adjoining lanes were barricaded to prevent crowd surges. The event was divided into seven zones with 136 magistrates deployed for supervision.
Superintendent of Police Rajesh Dwivedi said that four additional superintendents, 13 circle officers, 310 sub-inspectors, 1,200 constables, 500 home guards, along with four companies each of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and Rapid Action Force and a National Disaster Response Force team, were deployed. As many as 100 solar-powered CCTV cameras were installed along the route.
Officials said that both "Bade" and "Chhote" Lat Sahab processions concluded peacefully, with authorities crediting prior peace committee meetings for maintaining communal harmony.
