Varanasi: Communal clashes broke out today (Feb 29, 2004) in a locality of the temple town leaving one person injured After members of one group set ablaze a bonfire kept ready for next week's Holi celebrations, police sources said.

Members of the two communities clashed over the setting up the "Holika", a bonfire symbolising destruction of evil, this morning (Mar 01, 2004) at Narharpur locality of the city, the sources said.

Members of a community later set ablaze the "Holika" to which members of the other community objected, triggering the clash in which one person was injured, they said.

Heavy contingents of PAC and police have been deployed at the site. Senior officials of district and police administration have rushed there and necessary arrangements were being made to erect a fresh "Holika."