ADILABAD: Padmalpuri Kako is one of the most sacred places for Adivasi tribes of the erstwhile Adilabad district, where they worship their deities with deep devotion. Other significant tribal shrines include the famous Nagoba temple at Keslapur in Adilabad and the Jangubai temple at Kota Parandoli in Komarambheem Asifabad district.
During Diwali, the Padmalpuri Kako temple, situated on the banks of the Godavari river near Gudirevu in Dandepalli mandal, Mancherial district, attracts thousands of devotees.
The Adivasi community celebrates for 15 days, a week before and a week after Diwali, with large gatherings, performances by Gussadi troupes and traditional rituals.
Padmalpuri Kako is regarded as the only Adivasi deity and temple of its kind in South India. Devotees not only from the Adilabad district but also from Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Maharashtra visit to perform special pujas in tune with their cultural traditions.
The Gussadi dance, an integral part of the Dandari festival, is performed with traditional instruments such as drums, tudum, tappal, parre, vette, and gumela.
The first dance is offered before the deity as a mark of reverence. Another important custom involves performing a special pooja for newly married women from the five Saga Gond tribes, following a holy dip in the Godavari and offering Naivedyam (sweet rice) to the goddess.
Adivasi Sena state president and Vangarguda village elder Kova Daulath Rao said that the rituals are part of an ancestral legacy, preserved with great devotion.
After the prayers and dances, 15 days of celebrations follow, with Gussadi and Dandari troupes visiting villages, performing traditional dances, and offering prayers for prosperity and good health.