Biggest Tribal Fair Medaram Jatara celebrated with traditional fervour and zeal

What is the News?

Sammakka Saralamma Jatara has concluded after being celebrated with traditional fervour and zeal.

What is Sammakka Saralamma Jatara?

Sammakka Saralamma Jatara is also known as Medaram Jatara.

Reason for conducting: The festival honours the fight of a mother and daughter, Sammakka and Saralamma, with the reigning rulers against an unjust law.

Celebrated in: It is a tribal festival celebrated in the state of Telangana. 

Significance: The festival was declared as a State Festival in 1996. It is also Asia’s largest tribal festival.

Celebrated by: Koya Tribe in collaboration with the Tribal Welfare Department, Government of Telangana. 

Celebrations: The Jatra begins at Medaram in Tadvai Mandal in Warangal district. (Medaram is a remote place in the Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary, a part of Dandakaranya, the largest surviving forest belt in the region).

During the festival, people offer bangaram/gold (jaggery) of a quantity equal to their weight to the goddesses and take a holy bath in Jampanna Vagu, a tributary to River Godavari.

Traditional music songs are played in the background while performing the rituals. The beats are played with cymbals, Doll, Akkum, bison horn blowing instruments called Thootha Kommu and others.

Source: This post is based on the article “Biggest Tribal Fair Medaram Jatara celebrated with traditional fervour and zeal” published in PIB on 21st February 2022.