Pune: The grand Palkhi processions of Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj and Sant Tukaram Maharaj will enter the city on Sunday (June 30). Anticipating a large gathering of devotees and pilgrims, the city will see a deployment of 5,000 police officers to manage the crowd. The processions will be monitored through CCTV cameras, and observation towers will be erected for crowd control.
The procession of Sant Tukaram Maharaj will begin from Dehu on Friday, June 28, while Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj's procession will start on Saturday (June 29).
Both processions will reach Pune on Sunday, June 30. On Monday, the processions will halt at Nana Peth and Bhavani Peth. On Tuesday, June 25, the processions will proceed towards Pandharpur.
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. The security arrangements, overseen by Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar, have been meticulously planned.
CCTV cameras will monitor the processions, and the responsibility for crowd management will lie with the police, supported by the deployment of 5,000 officers.
Observation towers will be set up at various points to keep an eye on the crowd. Additional police units will be dedicated to traffic management.
Security Deployment for Palkhi Procession:
Additional Police Commissioners: 2
Deputy Police Commissioners: 10
Assistant Police Commissioners: 20
Police Inspectors: 101
Assistant Inspectors and Sub-Inspectors: 343
Police Personnel: 3,693
Home Guard Personnel: 800
State Reserve Police Force Units
Crime Prevention:
To prevent thefts and other incidents, crime branch teams will patrol in plain clothes. These teams will focus on preventing the theft of valuables such as gold chains and mobile phones from devotees in the crowd.
Meanwhile, Indian National Congress (INC) leader Rahul Gandhi will also participate in the annual pilgrimage of Pandharpur Wari on July 7.