With the Palkhi of Sant Tukaram Maharaj and Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj set to arrive in Pune on Monday afternoon, the Pune police have deployed around 7,000 personnel and a security cover comprising bomb detection squad, quick response teams and anti-theft squads, aided by a network of CCTV and drone-mounted cameras. Lakhs of warkaris (pilgrims) and devotees are expected to walk along the processions as part of the centuries-old tradition. The Palkhi or the procession of the palanquins carrying the Paduka or revered symbolic footwear of Sant Tukaram Maharaj and Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj started their three-week-long journeys on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, from the temple towns of Dehu and Alandi and are slated to reach Pandharpur on June 29. Sant Tukaram Maharaj Palkhi embarked on its journey from Dehu Saturday. As per the tradition, it halted at the Inamdar Wada in Dehu on the night of its departure, reached Akurdi in Pimpri Chinchwad on Sunday and started its journey to Pune on Monday morning with thousands of Warkaris walking along. The Palkhi of Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj began the journey from Alandi on Sunday. It started its journey towards Pune on Monday morning after stopping at Gandhi Wada in Alandi on Sunday night. Police officials said they were closely monitoring the processions in the backdrop of an incident in front of Alandi temple on Sunday afternoon when an altercation between police personnel and a large gathering of young warkaris was reported when the group tried to force their way into the Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj temple. The police said they used "crowd control measures" to avert overcrowding inside the temple. Officials said four motorcycles with GPS are accompanying the palanquins to share the live location of the processions. The GPS would also enable better traffic management and security arrangements for the procession. The web page diversion.punepolice.gov.in will provide updates about the Palkhi procession for citizens to understand the movement. Officials said the police deployment would comprise 5,693 personnel, 600 officers, a company of State Reserve Police Force and 500 home guard personnel. The police have deployed bomb detection and disposal squads, quick response teams, and anti-theft and anti-chain snatching squads, among others. The two processions will take a day of rest on Tuesday in Pune - Sant Tukaram Maharaj Palkhi at Nivdunga Vitthal Mandir and Dnyaneshwar Maharaj Palkhi at the Palkhi Vithoba Mandir. Both processions will start their separate journeys from Pune towards Pandharpur on Wednesday. The police have already announced a plan for road closures and traffic diversions.
