A TOTAL of 615 people were injured in the traditional Gotmar Mela organised here on Pola on Tuesday morning on the banks of Jam river. The Gotmar Mela which started at 10 am on Tuesday lasted till evening and according to the local sources, the condition of 13 people is critical. Later, with mutual concerned flag was brought to Chandika Mata Mandir for pujan. Total four health camps have also been set-up in the fair. Xrays of 15 people were done. Among them, 6 people were found with broken bones in their hands and legs. All are being treated in the civil hospital. As a ritual, people of Pandhurna and Sawargaon pelt stones at each other on the bridge of Jam river. Interestingly, a youth arrived wearing a cricket kit to avoid the stones. This game will continue till late Tuesday evening. Police force of 6 districts is deployed in the fair. ‘Gotmar Mela’ started on Monday and continued for about 2 hours. When it became dark, people from both sides returned to their homes. BMO, Dr Dipendra Salame said, more than 10 people were injured on Monday.

 

Among these, 4 people are serious. The game resumed on Tuesday and continued till late evening. Two stories behind the ‘Gotmar Mela’ and stones were used in the war. The first story is related to the Pindari (tribal) society. According to ancient belief, thousands of years ago, there was an ancient fort of the Pindari community on the banks of Jam river, where the community and their powerful army resided. Its commander was Dalpat Shah. But the army of the Bhonsale king of Maharashtra attacked the fort of the Pindari community. Due to lack of weapons, the army of the Pindari community attacked with stones. The Bhonsale king was defeated. Since then, the tradition of stone pelting has been going on here. It is said that after the war, the public changed the name of commander Dalpat Shah to Raja Jatba Naresh. Even today, the Samadhi of Jatba Raja is present here. The area where the Samadhi is present is registered as Jatba ward in Pandhurna Municipality.

 

This ward has a population of 600 people. Another story of ‘Gotmar’ narrates that it is played in the memory of the lovers. According to the elders, a girl from Sawargaon and a boy from Pandhurna were in love. Both wanted to get married. But the people of both the villages did not approve of this union. On the second day of Pola festival, early morning of Bhadrapaksha Amavasya, the boy and the girl eloped. But got stuck in the flood of Jam river. Both kept trying to cross the river. But the people of Pandhurna and Sawargaon gathered and started throwing stones at them, which led to their deaths. Since then, the game of ‘Gotmar’ is played in memory of the lovers. Additionbally, Kavle family has been installing the flag for 4 generations. The flag in the form of Palash has immense importance in ‘Gotmar Mela’ which is installed in the middle of the Jam river. The tradition of bringing this flag from the forest is being carried on by the family of Suresh Kavle of Sawargaon for four generations now.

 

A year before, a flag in the form of a palash tree is marked in the forest. A day before the Pola festival, it is brought to Suresh Kavle’s house. On the day of Gotmar, early in the morning, that flag is installed in the Jam river. The ‘Gotmar Mela’ begins in the name of Chandi Mata. First of all, the ‘Gotmar’ players reach the Chandi Mata temple and offer prayers. After this, a tree is planted in the middle of the Jam river. Then, from both sides of the culvert, they shower stones on each other. The Sambar family has lost 3 of its members in the Gotmar Mela. Mahadev Sambar was the first to die on August 22, 1955. Kothiram Sambar died on August 24, 1987 while Janardan Sambar died on September 4, 2005. So far 13 people have lost their lives in these stone peltings. The administration took very strict steps to stop the dangerous game and the police also fired bullets. This firing took place in 1978 and 1987, in which Devrao Sakarde of Brahmani ward died on September 3, 1978 and Kothiram Sambare of Jatva ward died due to bullet injuries in 1987. During this time, curfew-like conditions prevailed in Pandhurna. There was also a lathi charge by the police. Chhindwara administration made a lot of efforts to change the form of the fair. In 2001, the administration had laid plastic balls on the Jam river instead of stones. So that the practice of stone pelting could be stopped. But the players playing ‘Gotmar’ started Gotmar by throwing plastic and rubber balls in the river and hitting stones. It is to be mentioned that the Radha-Krishna temple located on the banks of the Jam river is closed for 3 days during the Gotmar fair. Actually, when stones fall on this temple, the people of the temple committee cover the temple with mats so that no damage is caused. The same is the condition of the people living around the Jam river. Their houses are also