Sarakka Central Tribal University approved for Telangana: The figures of Sammakka-Sarakka, their significance

Source: The post is based on the article “Sarakka Central Tribal University approved for Telangana: The figures of Sammakka-Sarakka, their significance” published in “Indian Express” on 7th October 2023

What is the News?

The Union Cabinet has approved the Sarakka Central Tribal University which will come up in Mulugu district,Telangana.

Why has Sarakka Central Tribal University been approved for Telangana?

The Tribal University was a commitment made by the Central government as a part of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.

The Act led to the split of the erstwhile state of Andhra Pradesh into Telangana and the residuary Andhra Pradesh state, as an outcome of the Telangana movement.

Under the Act, both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana would get support to establish a tribal university each.

Who was Sammakka and Sarakka?

Sammakka is said to have been married to Pagididda Raju, a feudal chief of the Kakatiyas(a Deccan dynasty) who ruled the Warangal area.

She had two daughters and one son – Sarakka or Saralamma, Nagulamma and Jampanna, respectively.

In the 13th-century, in a battle against the local rulers in protest against the imposition of taxes, Saralamma died while Sammakka disappeared into the hills.

The local (Koya) tribals believed that she (Sammakka) metamorphosed into a vermillion casket.

What is Sammakka Saralamma Jatara?

Sammakka Saralamma Jatara is a tribal festival celebrated in the state of Telangana.The Jatra begins at Medaram in Mulugu district.

The festival commemorates the battle of the mother-daughter duo against the imposition of taxes on the Koya people.

Over the period, the festival has assumed so much importance that it is believed that after Kumbh Mela, the Sammakka Saralamma Jatara attracts the largest number of devotees in the country.

The Samakka-Sarakka Jatara was also declared as a state festival in 1996.

The festival also sees regular participation by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, as much as by the state government of Telangana.