Pune: A tragic incident occurred during the Palkhi Ringan ceremony of Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj in Purandawade. In a bizarre accident, a horse fell on people sitting near the Ringan, resulting in the unfortunate death of a photographer.

The deceased photographer has been identified as Kalyan Chattopadhyay, 48, a resident of Baranagar, West Bengal.

Many photographers participate in the Pandharpur pilgrimage to capture the excitement, devotion, and jubilation of the event. The untimely death of a photographer during the Ringan ceremony in Purandawade has cast a shadow over the event.

The accident occurred around 3:30 PM during the Ringan ceremony of Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj in Purandawade. As the horses were running in circles, one horse’s neck strap got entangled with the leg of the horse in front, causing it to fall on the people sitting nearby.

Photographer Chattopadhyay, who was among the devotees and pilgrims, was injured in the incident. He was immediately taken to the sub-district hospital in Akluj by ambulance, but doctors declared him dead before treatment could begin.

The first circular Ringan ceremony of Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj Palkhi (palanquin) in Malshiras taluka takes place in Purandawade Sadashivnagar. Thousands of devotees gather for this event. Just a few days ago, the field for the Ringan ceremony in Purandawade was leveled with murum and a large roller to prepare for Mauli's first Ringan ceremony.

On Friday (July 12), the sky echoed with the sounds of cymbals and mridangas, accompanied by the continuous chants of "Mauli-Mauli" from the Warkaris.

Orange flags fluttered around the palanquin as a massive crowd of devotees gathered under the dense black clouds. In this electrifying atmosphere, Mauli's horse completed a round in the Ringan at Purandawade. After the exhilarating leap play, millions of devotees rested at Malshiras for the night.