The Hingot war is named after a jungle fruit that is turned into a weapon in Indore for a mock battle that takes places outside Indore in Madhya Pradesh the day after Diwali.
The war is fought between the “Turra” of Gautampura and the “Kalgi” of Rungi village. They attack each other with hingot fruits that have been hollowed out, filled with gunpowder, coal and brimstone and then set on fire.
This year’s festivities left 40 participannts injured, PTI reported.
The battle can sometimes prove fatal. The 2017 edition resulted one death and over 36 injuries.
Not everyone is enthusiastic about the tradition. In 2015, an advocate named Deepak Bourasi filed a Public Interest Litigation in the Madhya Pradesh High Court asking the court to ban the annual battle, failing which the authorities should at least pay compensation to those injured in the war and regulate the explosive materials used to make the practice safer. The case is scheduled for its next hearing on November 10, 2019.
As for this year’s war, District Collector P Narhari told PTI that in view of its traditional and religious significance, there was no proposal to prohibit the tradition. However, like every year, the administration had made arrangements to provide immediate medical help to the injured persons, he said.
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