Pune: The revered Palkhi (palanquin) procession of Sant Tukaram Maharaj has set off for Pandharpur. The entire temple area resounded with chants of "Gyanba Tukaram."

The first halt of the Palkhi will be at Inamdar Wada after a circumambulation of the main temple. There, an aarti will be followed by a Kirtan in the evening. Thousands of devotees have gathered in Dehu to participate in the event.

The 339th Palkhi procession of Saint Tukaram Maharaj commenced with great enthusiasm and devotion. Devotees from all over Maharashtra have arrived in Dehu.

The town was filled with chants of "Gyanba Tukaram" and "Dnyanoba Mauli Tukaram." The banks of the Indrayani River were crowded with Vaishnav devotees since yesterday.

In the morning, the padukas (footprints) of Saint Tukaram Maharaj were worshipped at Inamdar Wada. The padukas were then brought to the main temple with traditional instruments like Tal and Mridang.

Shortly thereafter, the horses and the dindis (groups of pilgrims) arrived at Deul Wada. After the morning Kirtan, at around 2:45 PM, Sant Tukaram Maharaj's palkhi began its journey to Pandharpur amid chants of "Gyanba Tukaram."

5000 police officers have been deployed and the processions will be monitored through CCTV cameras, and observation towers will be erected for crowd control. There was a significant police presence to ensure security and prevent thefts. Plainclothes officers were monitoring suspicious individuals and maintaining vigilance.

The procession of Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj's procession will start on Saturday (June 29). Both processions will reach Pune on Sunday, June 30. On Monday, Sant Tukaram Maharaj's procession will halt at Shri Nivdungya Vitthal Temple in Nana Peth, and Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj's procession will halt at Shri Palkhi Vitthal Temple in Bhavani Peth.

Schools and colleges in the city area have declared holiday on Monday. The processions will then proceed towards Pandharpur.