Gotmar Mela: Bloody conflict or tradition? 488 injured so far

Six temporary medical centers have been set up to treat the injured. 600 policemen, 58 doctors and 200 medical staff are present on the spot. Collector Ajay Dev Sharma has also implemented Section 144 in view of security.

Pandhurna: In the name of tradition, bloody conflict has started once again on Saturday in Pandhurna. Gotmar Mela started at around 10 am, in which people of Pandhurna and Sawargaon are pelting stones at each other over the Jam river. By 3.20 pm, 488 people have been injured in this clash.

Six temporary medical centers have been set up to treat the injured. 600 policemen, 58 doctors and 200 medical staff are present on the spot. Collector Ajay Dev Sharma has also implemented Section 144 in view of security.

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13 People Have Died

A total of 13 people have died in this stone pelting from 1955 to 2023. Among them, three members of the same family have lost their lives. Apart from this, many people have suffered serious injuries to hands, feet or eyes. While people celebrate this game with enthusiasm every year, despite this, the families who have lost their loved ones remember it as a day of mourning. According to Pandhurna police station in-charge Ajay Markam, no one complained about these incidents in the police station, so no case related to this fair has been registered.

How Does Gotmar Mela Start?

After worshipping Chandi Mata in Jam river, the people of Sawargaon bury the cut Palash tree in the middle of the river. After this, the people of Pandhurna and Sawargaon start pelting stones. The people of Sawargaon see it as a girl and do not allow the removal of the Palash tree and the flag. The tradition of bringing this flag from the forest belongs to Suresh Kavle's family of Sawargaon. At the same time, the people of Pandhurna try to take possession of this flag by pelting stones. In the end, both the parties break the flag and together worship Chandi Mata and conclude this Gotmar fair.

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History Of World Famous Gotmar Fair

There are many stories behind the tradition of Gotmar fair. According to a folklore, a Palash tree is planted in the middle of the Jam river as a flag and stones are pelted. According to a story, a young man from Pandhurna and a girl from Sawargaon were in love. The young man wanted to run away from Sawargaon with the girl, but when they reached the middle of the Jam river, the people of Sawargaon came to know about it and tried to stop them by pelting stones. In response, the people of Pandhurna also pelted stones. Both the lovers died in this stone pelting. After this, the tradition of Gotmar fair started here.