MULUGU: With Sammakka-Saralamma Jatara scheduled to begin on Wednesday, Medaram village in Mulugu district has turned into a beehive of activity. Thousands of devotees who started arriving at Medaram since a month have erected temporary tents at the venue. Known as Telangana’s Kumbh Mela, the tribal jatara attracts people from across the country, with most of them from the neighbouring Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra States.
According to tribal priests, the jatara would begin with the arrival of tribal deity Saralamma from Kannepally, which is two kilometres from Medaram village.
On February 6, the deity Sammakka arrives at Medaram from Chilakalagutta hillocks and the next day (Friday), which is considered auspicious, the devotees would arrive in large numbers to offer prayers to the deities. On February 8, the tribal priests would take the deities back to their respective places, thus marking the conclusion of the jatara. The district administration has made elaborate arrangements for the peaceful conduct of the jatara.
CS reviews arrangements
The State government has made all the arrangements for Medaram jatara, which would commence on Wednesday. A day ahead of the jatara, Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar held a tele-conference with the officials concerned at BRKR Bhavan on Tuesday. He directed them to be alert and provide necessary help to the devotees.
The inter-sectoral teams which are formed to oversee the arrangements for the jatara should meet every day and coordinate among themselves for the smooth conduct of the jatara, the Chief Secretary said.
He said officers should be deployed at the toll gates to ensure free flow of traffic.
DGP M Mahender Reddy, senior IAS officials Vikas Raj, Rajat Kumar, Sunil Sharma and others were present.