'Pathron Ka Mela' celebrated in Himachal village

The 18th-century annual festival 'Patharon ka Mela' (a ritual of pelting stones) passed off peacefully in Dhami village near here today with no report of any major casualty during the fair.
The 'Mela', which is organised a day after Diwali to appease Goddess Kali, lasted for about half-an-hour, but was stopped after a youth from Kateru village was injured during the ritual, police said, adding any major casualty was not reported from the village.
The local administration made adequate arrangements and deployed police force in strength in Dhami village, 25 km from here.
"Two groups of the villagers - one representing the erstwhile princely family of Dhami village and other by commoners - indulged in stone-throwing for about half-an-hour.

"Barring one person from Kateru village, who was injured, there was no major injury and the situation was peaceful," SDM (Rural) G S Negi said.
The pelting of stones stops till a person, participating in the fair, starts bleeding and the blood is offered to the deity as part of the ritual.