575 hurt in Pandhurna’s Gotmar Mela

Devotees pelting stones at each other to reach till the Palash tree installed in the river bed during the traditional Gotmar Mela organise at Pandhurna.

Our Correspondent : PANDHURNA (Chhindwara) AS MANY as 575 people were injured in stone-pelting during the famous 400-year-old traditional Gotmar Mela held on Saturday at Pandhurna in Chhindwara district. As per the tradition Gotmar Mela is organised between two villages Pandhurna and Savargaon. The branches of Palash installed in the middle of river Jam were broken down to get the flag around 5.37 pm by the people of Pandhurna.

Till the time of filing of the report, around 575 people were injured. The villagers tried to break the branches to win the flag which is offered to Goddess Chandika. This year, the Gotmar Mela began with old traditional and people pelting stones at each other. District administration kept vigilance through video-recording. Medical camp was also set up at both Pandhurna and Savargaon. The mela began at 10 am and as people were getting injured were brought to these medical camps where doctors and medical staff provided them treatment.