📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Kailash Mohankar
Local
Stone-throwing clash at Pandhurna Gotmar fair leaves over 1,300 injured
✍️ Amar Ujala · Madhya Pradesh
🗓 12 Sep 2026, 12:38 AM
👁 39
Traditional stone-throwing between Pandhurna and Saverganj sides at the Gotmar fair injured more than 1,330 people, with eight seriously hurt sent to Nagpur and 120 to the district hospital.
Pandhurna in Madhya Pradesh hosted its annual Gotmar fair, a centuries‑old event where participants from the town and the neighboring Saverganj village traditionally hurl stones at each other. This year the ritual turned violent, resulting in more than 1,330 injuries reported by local authorities.
Emergency services were overwhelmed as crowds swelled, and the injured were rushed to nearby medical facilities. Eight of the victims, classified as critically injured, were transferred to hospitals in Nagpur for advanced care, while another 120 were admitted to the district hospital in Pandhurna.
The incident has reignited calls from community leaders and health officials to reconsider the practice, citing the high human cost and the strain on medical resources. Police have launched an inquiry to determine if any legal provisions were breached during the melee.
Despite the casualties, the fair continued under heightened security, with organizers emphasizing the cultural significance of Gotmar while acknowledging the need for safer conduct in future editions.
Emergency services were overwhelmed as crowds swelled, and the injured were rushed to nearby medical facilities. Eight of the victims, classified as critically injured, were transferred to hospitals in Nagpur for advanced care, while another 120 were admitted to the district hospital in Pandhurna.
The incident has reignited calls from community leaders and health officials to reconsider the practice, citing the high human cost and the strain on medical resources. Police have launched an inquiry to determine if any legal provisions were breached during the melee.
Despite the casualties, the fair continued under heightened security, with organizers emphasizing the cultural significance of Gotmar while acknowledging the need for safer conduct in future editions.