Colour Me Yellow!

Devotees smeared in turmeric powder carry a palanquin during a religious procession of the Shepherd God Khandoba as they celebrate the Bhandara Festival at Khandoba Temple, in Jejuri near Pune and which falls on Somvati Amavasya. Somvati Amavasya, a new moon day usually occurs two or three times in a year. Devotees of local deity, God Khandoba celebrate the Bhandara festival in unique way by throwing astounding amount of turmeric on each other and all over the temple premises. Lord Khandoba is popular in the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Khandoba is deity of a number of nomadic, agricultural and hunting communities. Khandoba is worshipped with turmeric, belfruit-leaves, onions and other vegetables. It is believed that a newly married couple must visit the Khandoba temple to celebrate their wedlock. Devotees sing devotional songs and chant hymns in praise of Lord Khandoba like ‘Yelkot Yelkot Jai Malhar’, ‘Sadanandache Yelkot’. During the procession, thousands of devotees carries an idol of Khandoba and his first wife Mhalsa in the palanquin for a holy bath from the temple to the Karha River. With the holy dip in the river, the ritual of the Khandoba’s marriage is recreated. At the end of the day, the idols are taken back to the shrine The ADC photographer Santosh Gupta us through the entire procession of the Lord’s journey on this auspicious day.