People celebrate Pathron ka festival

Shimla, Oct 22 (UNI) People of Dhami village in Himachal Pradesh hurl stones at each other in a unique and a dangerous one-day festival, usually celebrated a day after Diwali as part of the annual celebration.

During the fair, youth from Hanlog and Jamog villages, near Shimla town, hurl stones at each other and the group with the least injuries is declared as the winner.

Legend has it that the then king started the ritual to end the custom of human sacrifices. Since then it is celebrated every year on the day after Diwali.

''In order to stop human sacrifices, the king asked the people to hurl stones at each other every year on the day after Diwali festival. However, if anyone gets injured then he is taken to the Kali temple and is treated immediately,'' a village elder Kanwar Vikram Singh said.

''I have been seeing it for the last 30 years and nobody has ever been injured or hurt seriously during the festival,'' he added.

After the festivities end, the villagers pay respect to the local deity, who is revered by majority of the residents.

In spite of high chances of getting injured, people are always enthusiastic about participating in the festival.

Police and local administration officials say the ritual has been going on for years now without anyone getting seriously injured and there were makeshift medical camps here to treat the injured.

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