Dhuleti Turns Tragic: 5 Drown in Aravalli Pond, Surat’s Kim River

Ahmedabad | Gujarat — What began as a day of colour and celebration ended in heartbreak across Gujarat, as five people — including two minor cousins — drowned during Dhuleti festivities in separate incidents in Aravalli and Surat districts.

In the first tragedy, two young cousins from Jambu Phali village in Malpur taluka of Aravalli district lost their lives after drowning in a village pond. The deceased, Raichand Damor and Jaimeen Damor, students of Classes 5 and 6 respectively, had gone to bathe after playing Dhuleti.

According to villagers, the boys accidentally ventured into deep water and began drowning. “Within minutes, panic spread across the village,” said a local resident. “By the time help arrived, it was too late.”

On receiving information, the Modasa Fire Brigade rushed to the spot. After intense efforts, both bodies were retrieved from the pond. Malpur police shifted the bodies to the local Community Health Centre for postmortem and initiated further investigation.

“The loss of two promising children on a festival day has shattered the entire village,” an official said, as grief engulfed the Damor family and residents gathered at the pond in stunned silence.

In a separate but equally tragic incident, three youths drowned in the Kim river near Pansara village in Mangrol taluka of Surat. The deceased were identified as Chandrabhushan Singh, Happy Bhaisingh, and Sanjay Dhanji Mangukiya. The trio had gone to bathe in the river during Dhuleti celebrations when they reportedly slipped into deep waters.

Personnel from the Sumilan Fire Brigade and local swimmers conducted a rescue operation and recovered the bodies after considerable effort. The remains were sent to the Keem Primary Health Centre for postmortem. Kosamba Police have registered the case and begun further inquiry.

“These Dhuleti drowning incidents in Gujarat are a painful reminder of the need for caution near water bodies during festivals,” a police official said.