A violent scuffle between priests and devotees at Jyotiba temple in Wadi Ratnagiri village in Kolhapur on Sunday triggered widespread outrage after videos of the brawl went viral on social media. The incident prompted residents of Parite village to observe a bandh on Monday, while thousands from Parite and surrounding villages marched to the district collectorate, raising the slogan “Pujari Hatao, Jyotiba Bachao”, demanding the removal of the priests involved in the violence.

The fight broke out around 11.30 am when a group of devotees from Parite village in Shahuwadi tehsil arrived at the temple carrying Sasankathi, a decorated pole that serves as the flag of Lord Jyotiba.

According to the priests, the group disrupted the scheduled aarti procession route from Kalbhairav temple to Jyotiba temple, threw gulaal-smeared broken coconuts at priests, and ignored repeated warnings. They also allege that the commotion caused tables and other aarti arrangements to be knocked over, and that some priests’ traditional dhotars (garment worn around the waist) were pulled off in the chaos.

The devotees, however, tell a different story. Manoj Patil, sarpanch of Parite village, said a devotee who was playing the halgi, a traditional folk instrument, lost his balance while dancing, accidentally pushing a priest. He added that the village had observed a three-day ban on the consumption and sale of liquor during the fair period, making the priests’ claims — that the devotees were intoxicated — baseless.

Both sides agree that what began as a verbal altercation quickly spiralled out of control. Videos circulated on social media showed priests beating devotees, with some footage showing devotees attempting to retaliate. Priests were also seen dragging accused devotees through the temple premises. Bystanders can be seen running in panic, only to be chased and brought back.

Police registered a case of rioting and disturbing the peace against both priests and devotees. At least 30 individuals have been booked. Kolhapur Collector Amol Yedge confirmed that an FIR has been filed and that police are studying CCTV footage to verify the conflicting claims.

“Following the incident, an FIR has been filed, and police are investigating the case,” Yedge told the Indian Express.

On Monday, thousands of residents from Parite and the surrounding villages of Karvir tehsil marched from Dasara Chowk to the district collectorate in Kolhapur, demanding that the priests responsible be removed from the temple, echoing the call – “Pujari Hatao, Jyotiba Bachao”.

Patil said the community is not against the entire priest community, but that those who participated in the violence must be dismissed. He also demanded that the government break what he called the monopoly of hereditary priests and instead appoint priests through a formal government process, similar to the system followed at the Vitthal-Rukhmini temple in Pandharpur.

Dilip Desai, president of Prajasattak Samajik Sewa Sanstha, a Kolhapur-based social organisation, echoed this view. “Not all priests are to be blamed, but those involved in misbehaving must be transferred,” he said.

He also raised concern over the failure of guards and police personnel stationed at the temple to intervene until the situation had already gone out of hand, and called for those individuals to be identified through CCTV footage and transferred. His organisation has written to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, urging the district administration to investigate the matter.

Desai also noted that authorities have assured that AI-enabled cameras will be deployed for the Jyotiba Yatra starting April 1, primarily to identify and restrain those with criminal records from causing trouble.

Jaywant Shinge, 59, a senior priest who has served at Jyotiba temple for around 45 years, called the incident condemnable and acknowledged that some priests as well as devotees overstepped. “I’ve been at the Jyotiba temple for around 45 years, and no such incident has ever happened. Some priests crossed the limit along with the devotees,” he said, while also maintaining that the provocation by some devotees, including throwing a broken coconut smeared with gulaal, played a role in the escalation.

With Jyotiba Yatra, one of Maharashtra’s major religious fairs, attracting 8 to 10 lakh devotees annually, set to begin on April 1, Collector Yedge said the immediate priority is ensuring the procession passes off peacefully.

“We will first complete this yatra, and have planned a meeting with all stakeholders to come up with a decision. Even the protestors have agreed to this,” he said. Security has been beefed up at the temple complex in light of the incident.