Pandhurna’s Gotmar Mela tradition lives on, 934 injured

 

 

 

 

Over 934 people were in the famous Gotmar Mela that concluded on Saturday on Jam river between Pandhurna-Sawargaon in Pandhurna city. Players from Pandhurna-Sawargaon side participated in the fair and followed the tradition by pelting stones. About 934 players from both the sides were injured in stone pelting in the fair. Out of which, 72 seriously injured were taken to a civil hospital by ambulance. From there, two injured were referred to Nagpur for intensive treatment. Among them, Jyotiram Uike’s leg was broken, while Nilesh Janrao’s shoulder was broken. The administration had set up six temporary health centres for treatment of the injured, 58 doctors and 200 medical staff are deployed in them. Over 600 police personnel are deployed for security. Collector Ajay Dev Sharma had also implemented Section 144. Before this, on the intervening night of Friday-Saturday, devotees planted a flag in the form of a Palash tree in the middle of Jam river in a cordial atmosphere.

 

Also, a large number of devotees reached and worshipped the flag. Crowd of devotees gathered at the temple of Maa Chandika, the Goddess worshipped in the fair. Devotees and players participating in the fair took part in the fair after visiting Chandi Mata. There was a crowd of devotees here throughout the day. Here Bajrang Kanwar Sangh Pandhurna distributed Mahaprasad among devotees. To maintain peace in the fair, Collector Ajay Dev Sharma kept an eye on the activities through binoculars from the control room built in Kekatpure Shri Ram temple. Along with this, administrative and police staff including SP, Sundar Singh Kanesh, ASP, Neeraj Soni, ADM, Neelmani Agnihotri remained engaged in the arrangements and monitoring. Temporary medical camps were set-up on both sides of Pandhurna and Sawargaon for (Contd from front page) treatment of players injured in stone pelting during the fair. In which the team of the medical department remained engaged in the treatment of the injured. The injured were taken to the civil hospital by an Ambulance for necessary treatment. Revenue, Nagar Palika, Education and Police staff remained deployed at the camps.

 

During organisation of the fair, toy market was set-up on Gujri Bazaar, Sukhrawari Bazaar, Teensher Chowk, Panchsheel Chowk and internal routes of the city. Apart from this, temporary shops of Manihari, Puja material, clothes, household items and various types of recreational games etc. were also decorated. For which the administration and police made various arrangements. During Gotmar fair, MLA Nilesh Uike reached there and followed the tradition by throwing five stones.

 

He visited Maa Chandika along with city Congress president Jayant Ghode, District Social Media In-charge, Devkant Mandogade, youth Congress president Bunty Thakur, Akash Kolhe and other workers and toured the fair. After hoisting the flag, stone pelting takes place between the people of Pandhurna and Sawargaon. People of Sawargaon do not allow the Palaash tree and the flag to be taken out. They protect it considering it to be a girl.

 

The people of Pandhurna are considered to be the boy’s family. People of Pandhurna try to take possession of Palaash tree by pelting stones. Finally, after breaking the flag, both the parties together worship Chandi Mata and end Gotmar. 13 people died from 1955 to 2023 - There is no clear information about the beginning of Gotmar tradition, but Suresh Kavle, a resident of Sawargaon, claims that it must have started about 400 years ago. The first death occurred in 1955 in stone pelting. After this, 13 people lost their lives till 2023. Among these, three people were from the same family. Many people lost their hands, legs and eyes in Gotmar. Despite this, people play it with double enthusiasm every year.

 

However, the families who lost their loved ones celebrate it as a day of mourning. According to Pandhurna Police Station In-charge Ajay Markam, no one has complained to the police station so far in the case of death and injury, due to which no case related to the fair could be registered.