VARANASI, March 1 -- Despite the restrictions, Masan Holi was celebrated at the Mahashmashan Manikarnika Ghat in Varanasi on Saturday, as a large number of people managed to reach the ghat by evading the police and administration and joined the Holi revelry. As per ritual, a special pooja of Baba Masannath, a form of Shiva, was performed before the celebrations began. Following which, people smeared ashes and abir-gulal on one another, seeking the blessings of Baba. Many devotees, dressed as Gana, the loyal attendants and companions of Shiva, participated in the festivities. Saints, mahants, Aghoris, and commoners joined the celebration with distinct fervour. They were seen near the funeral pyres, chanting praises of Lord Shiva and offering prayers to seek his blessings. During the Holi celebrations, devotion intertwined with the rhythmic beats and reverberating sound of the Damru. As the drums echoed through the surroundings, people smeared themselves with ashes from the funeral pyres. The Damru group captivated the crowd with its dynamic and high-energy performance. Meanwhile, assistant commissioner of police (ACP) Dashashwamedh, Atul Anjan Tripathi, said the organisers at Manikarnika Ghat had been contacted and informed the authorities that Holi with ashes would be played at the Manikarnika Temple. Therefore, no one was permitted to celebrate Holi with ashes at the ghat. The ACP further stated that only those involved in cremation rituals were allowed to remain at Manikarnika Ghat, while others were barred from entry. The general public was not permitted to play Holi with ashes. A heavy police force was deployed in the area, and drones were used for continuous surveillance. ACP Dashashwamedh said that inspectors from 12 police stations, several outposts in-charges, four companies of the PAC, and one company of the RAF were deployed at Manikarnika Ghat, adding that adequate security arrangements had been made. Barricades were put up in the lanes leading to Manikarnika Ghat and no one is being allowed to come to the ghat from those lanes, he added. Meanwhile, Masan Holi organiser Gulshan Kapoor stated that Holi with pyre ashes was celebrated at the Masan Nath temple. "We are not responsible for those playing Holi at the ghat. The administration has not granted permission to celebrate Holi at the ghat," he said....