- Hundreds of people get injured with great pride
Laxmikant Dhoke, Pandhurna
The world famous Gotmar Fair, celebrated every year on the new moon day of Krishna Paksha, i.e. on the second day of the Pola festival of Maharashtrian farmers, as per the tradition that has been going on for thousands of years, in Pandhurna town of Chhindwara district, gives rise to many doubts. There is no historical information available about this amazing Gotmar fair. In Marathi language, Gotmar means throwing stones. Actually, stone pelting is done in this fair, not just by two or four people for two or four hours, but thousands of people, from sunrise to sunset, pelt the opposition warriors with stone weapons and shed each other’s blood with great pride. Every year, in this one-day war, countless people get injured by these stone weapons and many even lose their lives. But the devotees of the mother of the world, Maa Chandika, have been continuously following the tradition of organizing this fair in the traditional manner despite facing many obstacles in closing this fair.
According to another popular belief, in ancient times, a young man from Pandhurna town got fascinated by a girl from Savargaon and gradually their fascination turned into love. But the people of the girl’s side were not ready to convert their love affair into marriage, hence the eager young man married his girlfriend in the morning on the day of Bhadrapada Amavasya i.e. the second day of the Pole festival of farmers, to make his girlfriend his life partner. He tried to bring her to Pandhurna from Savargaon, but when the people of Savargaon came to know about this while crossing the water barrier of Jam river situated on the way, they considered it as an attack on their reputation and showered stones on the boy. As soon as the groom’s party Pandhurna got this news, they started pelting stones to save the boy. These two lovers died in the middle of this Jam river due to the shower of stones between Pandhurna Paksha and Savargaon Paksha. The people of Savargaon side and Pandhurna side were great devotees of the mother of the world, Maa Chandika, that is why after the death of both the lovers, considering their shyness, the people of both the sides picked up the dead bodies of these two lovers and kept them in the court of Maa Chandika situated on the fort and After offering prayers, the last rites of these two lovers were performed.
Probably, in memory of this incident, the tradition of celebrating Gotmar Fair by worshiping Mother Chandika is going on. Being a girl from the Savargaon side, they bury a Palash tree in the form of a flag in the middle of the river and being a boy from the Pandhurna side, they bring this flag in the form of a Palash tree buried in the middle of the river and offer it in the temple of Mother Chandika, the mother of the world. After that, players from both the sides embrace and express happiness.
After the entry of the East India Company into India, the commanding officer of the British cantonment posted at this place, seeing the fair with his own eyes, said it is a Gotmar. Since then this fair became famous as Gotmar Fair. But the said commanding officer suggested to the Mandalik kings of that time to give a new dimension to this festival, due to which some people got angry and killed him. Whose tomb is still present in a dilapidated condition at the end of Savargaon in the name of Company Mandir.
Equality of all religions
This fair is held in the area near the temple of Lord Radhakrishna of Hindu religion lovers situated on the banks of Jam river flowing through the middle of the city and the mosque of Muslim religion lovers, just 100 yards away from here. This Gotmar Fair is celebrated together by people of all religions, castes and sects. There is neither a Muslim nor a Sikh nor a Christian in this battlefield.
Gotmar fair will be held for last time in dist
It is noteworthy that Gotmar Fair has been organized in Pandhurna of Chhindwara district for centuries, but in the year 2023, the Collector and District Superintendent of Police of Chhindwara district will be able to organize this Gotmar Fair for the last time. Because as per the announcement by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan of making Pandhurna a district, if it is given a formal shape before the assembly elections to be held at the end of this year, then Pandhurna will be separated from Chhindwara district and will come into existence as a district itself. The possibility is complete. After this, this world famous Gotmar fair to be held in the year 2024 will be organized under the guidance of the District Collector and District Superintendent of Police posted in Pandhurna.
