Large crowds of villagers lined the hillsides of Halog in the Dhami area of Shimla district, Himachal Pradesh on 9 November 2026 to witness the annual Pathar Ka Mela (Stone Fair), a centuries old tradition in which participants hurl stones at each other.
A participant sustained injuries after being struck by a stone during the Pathar Ka Mela in Halog, Dhami, Shimla district, on 9 November 2026; by tradition, the injured participant's blood is applied as a ceremonial tilak at the Bhadrakali Temple, a ritual central to the fair's religious significance.
Participants hurled stones at each other during the Pathar Ka Mela — also known as Pathar Ka Khel — held in Halog, Dhami, Shimla district, Himachal Pradesh, on 9 November 2026, continuing a folk tradition rooted in local Himachali cultural heritage.
Villagers watched from a hillside as participants hurled stones at each other during the Pathar Ka Mela in Halog, Dhami, Shimla district, on 9 November 2026, with spectators from communities including the Jamogi and Katedu groups traditionally attending the fair.
The Pathar Ka Mela in Halog, Dhami, Shimla district, Himachal Pradesh draws villagers as both participants and spectators each year, with the stone throwing ritual regarded as an enduring expression of Himachali cultural identity and devotion to the Bhadrakali Temple.