934 injured in Madhya Pradesh's deadly Gotmar Mela
The Gotmar Mela, a centuries-old festival in Madhya Pradesh, returned this week with its intense tradition: villagers from Pandhurna and Sawargaon hurl stones at each other on the banks of the Jam River.
By the afternoon of the event, more than 900 people were injured—but locals still showed up in full force, undeterred by the risks.
Tradition, faith, rivalry
Gotmar Mela is a 400-year-old mix of faith and rivalry. It starts with prayers to Chandi Mata, then Sawargaon villagers plant a sacred Palash tree mid-river.
While one side guards it, the other tries to capture it—by throwing stones.
The battle ends when the tree breaks and both villages come together for worship.
Health centers, police deployed
This year saw 934 injuries (including two serious cases sent to Nagpur).
To keep things under control, authorities set up health centers nearby and deployed 600 police officers under crowd-control rules.
Even with efforts to make it safer, the tradition's history is marked by violence—at least 13 deaths since the 1950s—but for many locals, Gotmar remains an unmissable part of their culture.