On June 2, Queen Harish, the famous folk dancer from Rajasthan who described himself on Twitter as “The One & Only Whirling, Dancing Desert Drag Queen”, was killed in a road accident near Jodhpur. According to NDTV, three other folk artists were also killed in the accident. The victims were reportedly travelling towards Ajmer in an SUV.

Harish’s death was condoled by Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Twitter. “With his special style of dance, Harish gave a different identity to Jaisalmer. His death is a huge loss to folk art,” Gehlot said.

Queen Harish had appeared on television-based show India’s Got Talent in 2010, garnering nationwide recognition. He was adept at multiple dance forms, including ghoomar, kalbelia, and bhawai. He had also been invited to perform at Isha Ambani’s pre-wedding celebrations in Udaipur in December 2018.