MEDARAM (WARANGAL DIST):As lakhs of people watched on with fervour, and amidst the dance of ‘Shivasattis’, Goddess Sammakka was brought to the ‘Gaddelu’ (platforms) around 8 pm on Thursday.
Around 6 pm, the Koya priests led by head priest Yemally Mahesh climbed down from Chilakalagutta hillock carrying the Goddess in the form of a casket of vermillion. Collector Vakati Karuna welcomed the Goddess and rural SP Ambar Kishor Jha fired three rounds into the air honouring the Goddess.
Though the devotees’ entry near Chilakalagutta was barred, hundreds of pilgrims, particularly Shivasattis, swarmed the fence around Chilakalagutta.
The 2-km road that leads to the Gaddelu was jammed with devotees and even some of them had climbed up trees to catch a glimpse of the Goddess. Endowments minister Indrakaran Reddy, collector Vakati Karuna, Mulugu ASP Vishwajit Kampati and several other officials were present at Chilakalagutta when the Goddess descended from the hillock.
With her installation on the Gaddelu, the main event in the historic Jatara kicked off.
Lakhs of people witnessed the arrival of Sammakka with emotional fervour. Not only tribals, but also non-tribals danced in trance as the whole atmosphere was charged with devotion.
Tribal youths, particularly the members of Tudum Debba, an Adivasi association, along with armed police guarded the priests during the procession.
Earlier, devotees took holy dip in the nearby Jampanna Vagu before their arrival at Gaddelu.
Speaker S Madhusudana Chary, Deputy CM K Srihari and others offered prayers.