All you need to know about Medaram Jatara
The age-old festival commemorates the fight of a mother and daughter- Sammakka and Saralamma who fought against the unjust law made by rulers during the Kakatiya reign in the 12th Century.
By Amrutha Kosuru Published on 16 Feb 2022 6:29 AM GMT
Post-unlock 2.0, the biennial Sammakka Saralamma Jatara has kicked off at Medaram Village in Mulugu district. Medaram is a remote hamlet in Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary, a part of the Dandakaranya forest range.
Thousands of devotees are participating in the historic four-day festival- which is the largest tribal event in the country.
The age-old festival commemorates the fight of a mother and daughter- Samakka and Saralamma who fought against the unjust law made by rulers during the Kakatiya reign in the 12th Century.
Legend says the two women reportedly died during their fight, and the Koya community constructed this temple as a token of gratitude. Hence, the festival has no Brahmanical or Vedic influence.
One of the beliefs in the festival is offering Bangaram (Jaggery) to the goddess. Devotees offer several kilos- equivalent to their own weight, of Jaggery to the deity. The festival is celebrated once every two years and devotees mainly tribals, come from various parts of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and other states. As many as one crore people are expected to participate in the Jathara
Medaram is 90 km from Warangal. One can also opt for visiting some historical and tourist places in Warangal apart from the Jatara.
Ramappa Temple, Laknavaram Lake, Jampanna Vagu, and Dayyala Vagu are also prime tourist attractions in the Mulugu District.
Jampanna Vagu is named after a tribal warrior Jampanna who is also the son of Goddess Samakka. Legend says Jampanna died in the stream while fighting the Kakatiya army. Locals believe that the red-colored stream symbolizes Jampanna's blood. However, the red color is attributed to the soil composition.
Several devotees take a dip in the stream when they attend the Jathara while believing that by doing so, courage is instilled in them.
How to get to Medaram?
Medaram is approximately 240 km from Hyderabad. As many as 3800 special buses are being run by TSRTC to take devotees to Medaram from different parts of the state. The nearest train station to Medaram is Warangal (90 km). Several TSRTC buses will be available at the Warangal bus station for Medaram.
Additionally, helicopter services have also been launched by the Tourism and Excise Minister V Srinivas Goud on Tuesday. The services have been launched from Hanumakonda. The services are also available from Karimnagar to Medaram (Rs 75000 per person), Hyderabad to Medaram (Rs 75,000 per person), and Mahabubnagar to Medaram (Rs 1 lakh per person). Each charter service is limited to five seats only.
