MULUGU: Four new altars made of high-quality stone will be installed for the four tribal deities, Sammakka, Saralamma, Pagididdiraju and Govindaraju, at Medaram on December 4.
As part of the state government’s Rs 150 crore development plan for the temple, the new platforms are being installed in place of the existing ones at a cost of Rs 58 crore.
They will be placed in a single row to facilitate smoother darshan for up to 10,000 pilgrims at a time during the jatara.
Inspecting the ongoing development at Medaram on Monday, Mulugu District Collector Divakara TS directed officials to speed up the work on the new altars for the inauguration.
The biennial Sammakka-Saralamma Jatara, considered Asia’s biggest fair, will be organised between 28 January and 31 January 2026. More than one crore pilgrims from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra visit the shrine during the jatara.
Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, Panchayat Raj Minister Danasari Anasuya and Endowment Minister Konda Surekha will participate in the installation ceremony of the new altars.
The ministers, who visited Medaram twice last month to oversee speedy completion of development works, cautioned the contractors against any delay.
According to the Sammakka-Saralamma Medaram Pujarula Sangam members, special tribal rituals will be conducted during the installation.