It's been 40 days since the 18-year-old's death in Central Park.
Candles, flowers and fruit were placed at the base of the Cherry Hill Fountain in honor of Romanch Mahajan, the teen tourist who was killed in June after a horse-drawn carriage accident.
His father led the Sik/Hindu service by phone from India to mark 40 days since his death, which is meaningful in Hinduism.
The teen was killed when the horse carrying his family, visiting from India, got spooked and sprinted. The teen was thrown from the carriage. The driver had let go of the reins to take the family's picture.
The Mahajan family's attorney says they are suing the city for negligent supervision and wrongful death.
"These incidents are foreseeable; horses have bolted in the past, people have gotten hurt in the past. There should be a proper mechanism to stop a horse," the family's attorney Ali Najmi said.
The teen's parents have made pleas to the City Council to pass legislation phasing out horse-drawn carriages.
There is a bill being considered called "Romanch's Law" which would ban carriage rides in New York City.
Supporters of the measure say the bill is needed to improve public safety after eight serious carriage-related incidents over the past two years.
The legislation would stop the renewal of two-year licenses for the city's 68 horse-drawn carriages, effectively ending an industry that has operated in New York for more than 150 years.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani has expressed support for the legislation's intent but has raised concerns about its impact on workers whose livelihoods depend on the industry.
"In our religion, we feel there is a purpose for his sacrifice; we feel he has become a champion for animals not only here in Central Park, but around the world," the victim's aunt Sovia Thukral said.
The afternoon turned contentious when Romanch's Law advocates spotted Christina Hanson, leader of the Union representing horse carriage drivers, in the crowd.
"I thought this was a memorial, not a press conference," Hanson said.
Hanson argues there are many things the city can do and should do to increase safety like installing posts that would not require eliminating the entire industry.
The City Council had a heated hearing on Romanch's Law a month after the deadly accident.
"Nearly 70 percent of New Yorkers are supportive of phasing out this practice," Council Speaker Julie Menin said.
The City Council has yet to set a date for a vote.
A City Hall spokesperson released a statement saying, "Our heart goes out to the Mahajan family, and we are deeply troubled by the heartbreaking tragedy they have experienced. We look forward to working with City Council, union partners, carriage drivers, animal welfare advocates, and community leaders to deliver a just transition that protects workers while ending horse-drawn carriages in Central Park once and for all."
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