Indore’s fiery Hingot battle injures 35 after Diwali

What began nearly 200 years ago as a warrior ritual has once again turned dangerous.

Transcript

00:00At least 35 people were injured when villagers from the Tura and Kalangi teams in Indore clashed,

00:10flinging hingots, i.e. hollowed-out fruits packed with gunpowder.

00:15This is the post-festival ritual called Hingot Yud, which takes place after Diwali.

00:20Participants lit bamboo torches, shielded themselves and hurled the flaming hinges

00:25across a 100-200 foot field while drums thundered and crowds cheered.

00:29The ritual is believed to date back nearly 200 years to Maratha soldiers who reportedly used such hollowed fruits

00:36as makeshift grenades against Mughal invaders in the Chambal region.

00:40Today, young men revive the spectacle as a batch of local identity and communal pride.

00:45Critics call it dangerous and want it banned. Supporters call it heritage.

00:50In 2024, the battle left 17 people injured. And back in 2017, one young man lost his life.

00:56In the 2025 edition, at least 35 participants were injured, including five with serious burns,

01:02even with fire brigades and ambulances on standby.