Unique annual festival 'Pathron Ka Mela' celebrated in Himachal's Dhami

Shimla | A unique century-old festival 'Pathron Ka Mela' was celebrated a day after Diwali in Himachal Pradesh's Dhami village, about 30 km away from the state capital, on Friday.

The 300-year-old festival is celebrated by two groups -- Halog (royal family) and Jamog (villagers) -- who gather on either sides of a circular structure to throw small stones at each other, according to a local priest.

It concludes with when blood oozes out from the wound of an injured person, which is then smeared on the forehead of goddess Kali.

This year the festival lasted for 15 minutes, concluding with Surinder from Jamog village suffering minor injuries.

According to traditions, the fair is held the day after Diwali and begins with a procession led by a priest from the Narsingh Devta temple to the Kali temple.

"The festival continues till blood starts oozing from the wounds of the injured persons. The villagers smear tilak from the blood on the forehead of goddess Kali"," said Jagdeep Singh, former ruler of Dhami, which used to be a princely state.

"This tradition dates back to when human sacrifice was practised, but a Dhami queen ended that cruel custom after the death of her husband. Before she committed Sati, this new tradition of throwing stones was started and the blood of wounded persons was applied as tilak to the Devi," he said.

Devender Bharadwaj, a priest at the Narsingh Devta temple, said the members of the royal family are the first to throw stones in the festival which commences after they perform a puja.

Sustaining injuries during the ritual is considered auspicious and those who bleed are regarded as honoured devotees of Kali, he said.

Despite local administration and human rights activists discouraging participation in the ritual due to concerns over its cruelty, the villagers remain committed to this tradition, celebrating the fair in a grand manner each year.