Daijiworld Media Network – Tivim

Tivim, May 4: A deep wave of sorrow has engulfed the quiet village of Tivim, as the community mourns the loss of three residents who tragically died in the stampede at the Lairai Devi Zatra in Shirgao early Saturday morning. The incident claimed six lives in total, leaving this close-knit village reeling in grief.

Among the victims was 52-year-old Tanuja Khautankar from Auchit-vaddo, a devout dhond who had participated in the sacred ember-walking ritual for the past 15 years. She was accompanied by her youngest daughter, Ruthika, a class 9 student and dhond, who survived the stampede but remains hospitalized with injuries.

The family’s home, once filled with devotion and joy, now bears the weight of an irreplaceable loss. Tanuja’s elder daughter is in shock, and her husband, silent and numb, struggles to cope.

Just a few houses away, tragedy struck again with the death of 17-year-old Adhitya Khautankar, a relative of Tanuja. A recent SSC graduate from St Ann’s High School, Adhitya was full of ambition and promise, which were cruelly cut short. His parents, devastated, are left grappling with the void of losing their only son.

The third victim from Tivim, 40-year-old Yeshwant Kerkar, a contractor and sole breadwinner, also lost his life. A fellow dhond, Yeshwant leaves behind two young children—his daughter in class 5 and son in class 3. His death has not only shattered the family emotionally but also thrown their financial stability into uncertainty.

“This tragedy has upended everything,” said a neighbour, as the village collectively mourns.

The heart-breaking losses have raised serious questions over safety arrangements at large religious events, with locals calling for accountability and stronger measures to prevent such disasters in the future.