Pithoragarh, Aug 22 (PTI) The 'Bagwal' festival, in which devotees traditionally pelt stones at each other, was held in a low-key affair at the Devidhura temple in Uttarakhand's Champawat district on Sunday due to COVID-19 restrictions.

The festival sees devotees divided into four clans, hurling stones at each other to please the deity. It was held for just seven minutes, Khim Singh Lamharia, chairperson of the Devidhura temple committee said.

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But even in that short span of time, 77 out of a total of 300 devotees sustained injuries, he said.

The festival is held every year as a ritual to please the goddess.

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As a precaution due to COVID-19, nobody from the administration took part in the festival, and no guests were invited from outside, Lamharia said.

"Bagwal was played with flowers and local fruits. A total of 1,250 local people witnessed it," he added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)