E-Paper
Covid dampens spirit of centuries-old tradition of stone-pelting in Himachal’s Dhami village
The historic fair is celebrated on the next day of Diwali.
Even as the phased unlocking of activities to curb the spread of Covid-19 has ticked up the public movement, the 400- year-old tradition of stone-pelting, where residents from different village pelt stones at each other, will be a low-key affair this year in the backdrop of the pandemic.
Nearly 40 kilometres from Shimla, Dhami village will organise a stone-pelting fair, where every year, thousands of people from different villages near Dhami gather to celebrate the fair of stone-throwing, however, this year’s celebrations will be a low-key affair due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The historic fair is celebrated on the next day of Diwali. The fair committee in the wake of Covid-19 has decided not to hold the fair. “This year we are breaking off from the tradition for the first time. The annual fair has been cancelled,” said Kanwar Jagdeep Singh, scion of the Dhami royal family.
The participants, mostly youth and teenagers, relentlessly hurl stones at each other during the day-long festival. The violent stone pelting continues for more than half an hour at open areas close to the temple dedicated to goddess Bhadra Kali at Dhami. The temple was built by the royal family at Dhami.
Ahead of starting the festival, members of the fair committee along with members of the erstwhile royals worshipped the goddess Kali. A large number of people, particularly youth, tourists both domestic and foreigners had gathered at the sports ground to witness the fierce ritual that lasted for about 15 minutes. Stone pelting continues till a tilak of human blood that drip on the ground is smeared on the forehead of the goddess in the village.
The locals widely believe that the festival of stone-throwing brings good fortune. The stone-throwing is held between villagers of Jamog and Kateru. “we would perform only customary puja this time, stone-pelting will just be symbolic,” said Kanwar.
The legend has it that the practice of stone pelting was introduced after the tradition of human sacrifice that prevailed in the village was stopped. The tradition is continuing from the time of the Satti tradition. One of the queens in Dhami opposed human sacrifice and later evolved this tradition where only villagers participate. People believe that the erstwhile queen of Dhami sacrificed her life to end the practice of human sacrifice and asked people to start a fair in which people of two clans will throw stones at the sky and continue until someone is hit, and the blood of that person would be then offered to the goddess.
Another belief is that a woman from Halog village was engaged in the neighboring princely state of Rangaoli. But due to old bitterness, residents of Jamog village poisoned the prince just before the marriage was to be solemnised. The distressed woman burnt herself on the pyre of her fiancé. Angry villagers of Halog and Jamog fought with each other with stones. Being injured in the stone-pelting festival is considered auspicious. In the past many years, the local administration and human right activist have made several attempts to discourage the people from pursuing the tradition.
