Stones Fly, Faith Stands Firm: 934 Injured In Madhya Pradesh's 'Gotmar' Fair

The centuries-old stone-battle fair of 'Gotmar' returned today with the same fervour and ferocity on the banks of the Jam river in Madhya Pradesh. As per ritual, the rival villages of Pandhurna and Sawargaon faced off in the unique fair, throwing stones at each other in a ritualised battle that has long blurred the line between devotion and danger.

By afternoon, 934 people had already been injured, with two cases serious enough to be referred to Nagpur. Among them, Jyotiram Uike suffered a broken leg, while Nilesh Janrao's shoulder was fractured in the relentless hail of stones. To cope with the casualties, the administration rushed to set up six temporary health centres, manned by 58 doctors and 200 medical staff, even as 600 police personnel tried to maintain order. Collector Ajay Dev Sharma invoked Section 144 to control the crowds, though the spirit of the fair remained unabated.

The fair begins with the worship of Chandi Mata in the Jam river. In a ritual passed down for generations, the people of Sawargaon carry a freshly cut Palash tree from the forest and plant it in the middle of the river, marking it as their sacred flag. Tradition dictates that Sawargaon defends the tree as if it were their daughter, while Pandhurna, seen as the "boy's side," launches a barrage of stones to seize it. The clash continues until the flag breaks, after which both sides unite in worship, closing the circle of violence and faith.

The origins of Gotmar are steeped in legend. Locals narrate a story dating back 400 years, when a young man from Pandhurna tried to elope with a girl from Sawargaon. As the couple reached the Jam river, villagers discovered the act and hurled stones to stop them. Pandhurna responded in kind, and amid the chaos, the lovers lost their lives. Since then, what began as a tragic love story has lived on as ritual combat, re-enacted every year.

The tradition has claimed lives over the years. Since 1955, at least 13 people have died, three of them from the same family. Many more have lost limbs and eyesight, yet every year, enthusiasm only seems to intensify. For some families, Gotmar is not a celebration but a day of mourning, marked by memories of loved ones lost in the frenzy.