Shimla: The residents of Dhami, 25 km from Shimla, kept the centuries old tradition of “Pathron ka mela” (stone pelting festival) alive by performing the annual ritual under heavy police protection.
“Two groups of villagers indulged in stone throwing for about half an hour. The mela was stopped when one youth of Kateru group received injury. No serious injury was caused to any person as the district administration had made adequate arrangements and the police was deployed in strength”, said SDM (Rural) SD Negi.
The tradition is regarded as “cruel” by the people but the local villagers are enthusiastic about it and turn up in large numbers and the festival stops only after the “tilak of Goddess Kali” with blood.
The two groups are engaged in stone pelting. One represents the erstwhile royal family of Dhami and the other consists of the commoners. Injured person applies a ‘tilak’ on the forehead of the idol of Goddess Kali with blood. Today villagers of Dagoi, Turnu, Kateru and Jatheru were in one group while the people of Jamogi area were in the other group.
The mela is held at Dhami village, once the favourite hunting ground of the Britishers. Old-timers recall that in the 18th century, male adults from Halog, the erstwhile capital of Dhami state, and the neighbouring village Jamog gathered in the village and pelted small stones at one another.
As per the tradition, getting injured is considered auspicious. The ritual reportedly started after the practice of “human sacrifice” to appease the goddess was stopped by the erstwhile rulers of Dhami.
The locals, dressed in new attire, line up on the grassy slopes and pelt stones at the royal family members after the arrival of the deity from the Nara Singh and Kali Devi temple in the village housed in Dhami’s palace.
“Two groups of villagers indulged in stone throwing for about half an hour. The mela was stopped when one youth of Kateru group received injury. No serious injury was caused to any person as the district administration had made adequate arrangements and the police was deployed in strength”, said SDM (Rural) SD Negi.
The tradition is regarded as “cruel” by the people but the local villagers are enthusiastic about it and turn up in large numbers and the festival stops only after the “tilak of Goddess Kali” with blood.
The two groups are engaged in stone pelting. One represents the erstwhile royal family of Dhami and the other consists of the commoners. Injured person applies a ‘tilak’ on the forehead of the idol of Goddess Kali with blood. Today villagers of Dagoi, Turnu, Kateru and Jatheru were in one group while the people of Jamogi area were in the other group.
The mela is held at Dhami village, once the favourite hunting ground of the Britishers. Old-timers recall that in the 18th century, male adults from Halog, the erstwhile capital of Dhami state, and the neighbouring village Jamog gathered in the village and pelted small stones at one another.
As per the tradition, getting injured is considered auspicious. The ritual reportedly started after the practice of “human sacrifice” to appease the goddess was stopped by the erstwhile rulers of Dhami.
The locals, dressed in new attire, line up on the grassy slopes and pelt stones at the royal family members after the arrival of the deity from the Nara Singh and Kali Devi temple in the village housed in Dhami’s palace.
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