A priest performs puja at the Sitla Ghat in Varanasi on Wednesday in memory of Swastika Sharma who was killed in the blast. Picture by Naeem Ansari

Varanasi, Dec. 8: Varanasi’s ghats were dark this evening save for one candle waved for a few minutes in front of a picture of Swastika, the child who died on her second birthday after shrapnel hit her back.

No aarti was performed at any of Ganga’s ghats, with the priests deciding to stop the ritual for three days. “We want security, we want pilgrims and tourists to be safe from these senseless attacks,” said Kanaiah Guru Tripathi, a representative of the priests who organise the aartis in 70 of the 84 ghats.

But there was little to suggest today that security agencies have any credible leads into the blast except that Indian Mujahideen was behind it.

Senior officials also warned that blasts could take place in other parts of the country in the next few days and asked states to tighten security around religious places, including the Kalighat and Dakshineswar temples in Bengal.

A blame game between the Centre and the Mayavati government was on display. The chief minister, who handed the investigation to the anti-terror squad, accused New Delhi of not sending adequate central forces to check terror strikes and wrote to the Prime Minister asking for 125 companies.

Union home minister P. Chidambaram said the Centre had sent a specific intelligence input on the possibility of blast at Dashashwamedh ghat on February 25. “Law and order is a state subject and the state has to act,” he said.

The state government retorted that the tip-off was for Dussehra.

Additional director-general of police Brij Lal said no remote-control device, trigger device or electrical wire were found at the site. Agencies are still trying to find out the nature of the explosive used.

“Remnants have been sent for forensic examination to Agra. We should get the report in a couple of days,” special secretary (internal security) U.K. Bansal said in Delhi.

The Cabinet Committee on Security met today and also discussed the Varanasi blast.

In the temple town, Satyendra Mishra, a 60-year-old priest from Sitala Ghat temple, came out with a single candle this evening and waved it for about two minutes in the presence of about 50 visitors.

Swastika had come to the temple with her grandmother to mark her birthday. “She was found unconscious near the site of the blast and died there,” said her father Santosh Sharma, who met Chidambaram this morning.

Priests who have been in Varanasi for two decades said this was the first time the aarti had been stopped.

“I am disappointed by the decision to cancel aarti. I will not be able to watch it,” said Anne Romain, a foreign tourist.