MULUGU: Devotees in large numbers have started arriving in Medaram village in the tribal-dominated Mulugu district ahead of the four-day Sammakka Saralamma jatara which is scheduled to begin from February 16. People from across the country, especially from Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Odisha have started arriving in state-run buses and private vehicles at the jatara venue. An estimated five lakh devotees have already visited Medaram during the last few days to pay their respects to the deities.
With the district administration expecting one crore devotees for the jatara, the officials are busy setting the stage to ensure foolproof arrangements for the fair. The Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation (TSTDC) has put up luxury tents with all modern amenities for VVIPS and VIPs and common tents for devotees at the venue.
Speaking to Express, TSTDC Warangal Eco-Tourism Manager Kalyanapu Suman said that luxury tents have been set up for VVIPs and VIPs visiting the jatara and common tents have been set up in two acres for other devotees at Haritha Medaram Hotel.“These tents can be booked online,” Suman said.The tents are available on hourly and daily basis.The AC tents are available at Rs 6,799 for 24 hours, non-AC tents at Rs 5,799 for 24 hours and Royal Cottage Darbari at Rs 20,000 per day.
Laknavaram lake closed for tourists till Feb 20
Mulugu: In view of the ongoing Medaram Jatara, the famous tourist destination Laknavaram lake will be closed for tourists till February 20, announced officials. One of the most sought after tourist destinations in the State, Laknavaram is known for the three hanging bridges, which connect three islands. With a huge rush of devotees to Medaram for the tribal festival, a large chunk of people also visit the lake. Owing to that, there are usually traffic jams on the road from Chalvai to Laknavaram. The same road also leads to Medaram, causing inconvenience to devotees. Additionally, several culverts leading upto the lake are also under repair. To address this, District Collector S Krishna Aditya issued orders to close it down until the festival concludes