Democracy:

Pandhurna is a Municipality in district of Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh. The Pandhurna city is divided into 30 wards for which elections are held in every 5 years. The Pandhurna Municipality has population of 45,479 in which 23,478 are males while 22,001 are females as per report released by Census India 2011.

Population of Children with age of 0-6 is 4986 which is 10.96% of total population of Pandhurna (M). In Pandhurna Municipality, Female Sex Ratio is of 937 against state average of 931. Moreover, Child Sex Ratio in Pandhurna is around 959 compared to Madhya Pradesh state average of 918. Literacy rate of Pandhurna city is 87.03% higher than state average of 69.32%. In Pandhurna, Male literacy is around 91.02% while female literacy rate is 82.76%.

Pandhurna Municipality has total administration over 10,243 houses to which it supplies basic amenities like water and sewerage. It is also authorized to build roads within Municipality limits and impose taxes on properties coming under its jurisdiction.

STONE WAR :

Gotmar literally means stone throwing('got' = small stone & 'mar' = beat). This is an event unique to this place. Every year a tree trunk (flag) from one of the Savargao family placed the middle of the river Jam which flows through this village and pandhuran village. A flag is tied on top of this tree. People from neighbouring village Savargao, and Pandhurna gather on either side of the river banks in the morning. Savargao people try to save the tree (flag) from pandhurana people through throwing stone, and Pandhurana people try to push back Savargao people and cut the tree (flag ) and bring into pandhurna.If pandhurana people could pull the tree(flag) till evening 5:00, 6:00 PM then they are the winner, after pulling tree (flag) into pandhurna people carry this flag to Chandika Mata temple, If pandhurana people could not able to cut the tree and bring into pandhurana side till evening then mutually both side people cut the tree and bring into Chandika mata temple. This festival is celebrated every year. This is a very bloody custom and there are usually several deaths and hundreds of injuries every year.[2]

The local authorities had not interfered until recently. After attempts in 2001 and 2002 to get the villagers to use rubber balls instead of stones failed, the authorities banned the festival in 2009 & 2011.Ninety-Seven km from Chhindwara, in the headquarters of 'Pandhurna' tahsil a unique fair (mela in Hindi) by name 'Gotmar Mela' is celebrated every year on the second day to 'Bhadrapad' New Moon day. This fair is celebrated on the banks of the river 'Jam'. A long tree is erected in the middle of the river with a flag at its very top. The residents of the villages 'Savargaon' and 'Pandhurna' gather on either bank of the river, and start pelting stones ('Got') at the persons of the opposite village who try to cross into the mid of the river and remove the flag on top of the tree trunk. The village whose resident succeeds in removing the flag will be considered victorious. The whole activity happens amidst the chanting of the sacred name of 'Maa' Durgaji. Several people get wounded in this celebration and the District Administration makes elaborate arrangements for the smooth conduct of this rare fair. People are often left dead or injured so the festival has now been banned.[3]