Ground Report: A Week After Nuh Violence, Temple Resembles Military Base, Rooftop Bunkers Installed, 'YouTubers' Barred

Driving from New Delhi to Haryana’s Nuh district, it was evident that the route is under heightened security.

As we approached Sohna, roughly 30 kilometre from Nuh’s Nalhar Mahadev temple, police were noticeably stationed at various points.

The temple was the site of a recent attack on 31 July, during a gathering for jalabhishek — a significant event before pilgrims commence their visits to various ancient temples.

Until 2016, Nuh was called Mewat in government documents, the term derived from the dominant Meo jaati inhabiting the area. Meos, who have been almost wholly Islamised over the last 800 years, have significant population in the adjoining Alwar and Bharatpur districts of Rajasthan as well.

Approaching the town's main intersection, Nuh chowk, the robust presence of security forces was hard to miss.

Venturing further into Nuh, about 400 metre ahead, there was evidence of recent disturbances: JCB machines tearing down structures, with mostly women present, likely because the men, fearing potential repercussions for their involvement in the recent turmoil, had fled.

Connectivity became a challenge as we moved deeper into the district, with our internet signal dissipating.

The landscape also transformed; the dense housing near Nuh chowk began to spread out, giving way to the more remote Nalhar Shiv temple. Evidence of recent violence, in the form of charred cars and burnt trees, lined the roads leading up to the temple.

The temple, set against the backdrop of hills on three sides, had become the site of an ambush, with assailants believed to have used the hill's steep terrains for their vantage.

Entering the temple complex was no simple affair; stringent security measures were in place. We were questioned and vetted by the guards before being granted access. "YouTubers" were not welcome, the guards told us plainly.

When we introduced ourselves as correspondents for a magazine, they agreed to see our identity cards and eventually let us in.

Inside, the temple, which is usually a place of spiritual calm, had transformed into a fortress with massive security deployment. Camps had been set up at several points, making the site resemble a conflict zone.

The helper said, "You are visiting today but might forget the temple by tomorrow. However, Panditji and we must stay and serve here. Who will protect us when everyone else is gone?"

We climbed to the terrace, where at each corner, soldiers were stationed behind temporary bunkers. Their weapons were trained on the surrounding hills.

We eventually found three people standing in a group outside the temple, who were civilians and not temple staff, and agreed to talk.

Ramkishen Bhagat is a resident of Chhapera village, which is about 10 kilometre away from Nuh. He described the horrifying turn of events on the day of the attack as a "sudden onslaught from the hills."

Before the devotees could even process what was happening, they heard gunshots. Panic took over, and everyone began to scatter in every direction, he said.

As per police, two home guards died in the attack. Two participants of the yatra, Pradeep Chauhan and Abhishek Saini, sustained severe injuries and succumbed later.

The attack was preceded by threats issued over social media from Meo residents of Nuh, directed at Bajrang Dal and particularly against the organisation’s Gau Raksha Dal head, Monu Manesar.

Swarajya reported about the threats and the controversy around Manesar here and here. Police have also accessed an audio clip, where a man introducing himself as “Mewati” (the term is synonymous with Muslim Meo residents of the Mewat region) is calling upon fellow Mewatis to gather at the temple in Singar and killed “at least 10-20 people”.

Ramkishen accused the MLA of Firozepur Jhirka, Mamman Khan, of being privy to information about a possible attack. “It’s not easy for a thousand people to gather on the hills without anybody knowing,” he said. "Mamman Khan knew about this," he added.

Others we spoke to shared this sentiment. Anand Sharma, identifying himself as a worker for the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), said it was impossible that the attack was spontaneous. "It takes hours to trek to the hilltops," he reasoned.

Meanwhile, Sachin Yadav, a regular participant in the yatra, expressed his sorrow and disbelief over the violent events.

The temple, typically bustling with the sounds of visitors and aartis, had taken on an entirely different atmosphere on Saturday (5 August), bearing more resemblance to a fortified military outpost than a place of worship.