Bengal photographer dies as horse falls on him during Maha festival
Times of India | 14 July 2024
Kolkata: A popular Kolkata photographer died in a freak accident at a Maharashtra festival as a horse fell on him. Kalyan Chattopadhyay (48) was in Purandawade village about 7km away from Solapur’s Malshiras to photograph Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj Palkhi procession when the accident took place.
The record of an unnatural death in Akluj PS was received around 8pm on Wednesday and the autopsy was done on Thursday morning.
During the ‘ringan’ ceremony of the century-old procession, as the palanquin started moving in a circle, one of the two galloping horses of Mauli and Astana stumbled and fell on devotees. Chattopadhyay sustained a head injury that led to brain haemorrhage. “He was unconscious and bled from his nose,” said a local. He was taken to Akluj govt hospital and declared brought dead. He is survived by his parents.
The death of the Dum Dum photographer has brought down a pall of sorrow on Kolkata’s amateur photographer community. “This is a very unfortunate incident. However, it should be a lesson for photographers to take proper care of their personal safety,” said photojournalist Bikas Das. Das said many photographers travel across the country to cover festivals, nature and wildlife without any proper background check and training. “Many amateur photographers from the city are travelling to South 24 Parganas to click photos of ‘moichara’ (bullock race). It can be very risky and even life-threatening,” he added.
“Photography involves a certain amount of risk. To capture the fleeting moment, mental preparation and readiness to face unpredictability requires an observant eye and quick reflex,” said ace photographer Jayanta Saha.
Photographic Association of Bengal — one of the oldest photographic clubs in the country — is also planning to conduct a discussion on risk assessments and ethics during outdoor photography.