MULUGU: Thousands of devotees waited in a serpentine queue that stretched close to four kms and extended up to Kannepally village from where the tribal priests brought goddess Saralamma’s idol, in the form of kumkum bharani (vermilion casket) to Medaram marking the beginning of Sammakka Saralamma Jatara on Wednesday.
The procession began around 7 pm after the tribal priests and their family members invoked goddesses and performed rituals at Saralmma temple. Chief priest Kaka Saraiah, his face covered in red colour cloth, carrying the deity to the altar in Medaram while devotees prostrated along the route from Kannepally to the venue of jatara, which was decorated with colourful garlands of flowers and mango leaves. As the deity was brought the altar, devotees danced amidst drum beats and blowing of traditional horns.
As many as 482 police personnel were deployed at the venue to escort the deities and thus ensure the safety and security of both priests and devotees.Earlier in the day, the tribal priests brought Pagididdaraju, husband of goddess Sammakka, from Punugondla in Mahabubabad and Govindaraju, husband of Saralamma, from Kondai village of Eturnagaram and Nagulamma, sister of Sammakka, to the altar.
When Saralamma was brought to the altar, thousands of devotees took a holy dip at the Jampanna Vagu before proceeding to the Sammakka Sarakka shrine to offer bangaram (jaggery) to the deities.Mulugu Collector S Krishna Aditya and Superintendent of Police Sangram Singh G Patil supervised the security measures to avoid any untoward incidents. Government Chief Whip D Vinay Bhaskar, Mulugu MLA Danasari Anasuya alias Seethakka, Manthini MLA Duddilla Sridhar Babu and Polavaram (Andhra Pradesh) MLA Tellam Bala Raju offered prayers to Sammakka and Sarlamma deities on the first day of jatara.