ARANGAL/MULUGU: During the biennial Medaram Jatara, better known as the Sammakka-Saralamma Jatara, jaggery takes centre stage as the main offering. This festival has prompted the Warangal city market to stock up on white jaggery or ‘Bangaram’ to offer to the presiding deities at the Medaram village.
Anticipating a surge in demand during the festival, jaggery traders are importing large quantities from neighbouring states like Karnataka and Maharashtra, causing a drop in jaggery prices in the market.
However, traders are exploiting devotees by charging exorbitant prices. As per the wholesale market rate, A-grade jaggery is being sold at Rs 65 per kg, Rs 52 per kg for B-grade, and Rs 45 per kg for C-grade. However, traders in Medaram are charging a staggering Rs 90 per kg. They claim that high auction deposits imposed by the local administration have forced them to increase the price.
In the erstwhile Warangal district, wholesale markets and retailers are well-prepared for the season, equipped with weighing machines to fulfil the tradition of devotees offering jaggery equal to their weight, known as ‘thulabharam’, as a fulfilment of their vows.
Madarapu Sada Shivudu, owner of Sudarshan Trading Company in Warangal, said that this season jaggery was sold at unbelievable prices following the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Despite inflation, jaggery remained affordable due to large quantities sourced from various parts of other states to meet the increased demand, he said.
“The biennial festival has become an important season for jaggery sales. The traders in the neighbouring districts had already started purchasing a stock of jaggery from wholesalers and transporting it to their locality. The business will pick up in the next month,” added Shivudu.
After being offered to the deities, the jaggery would be distributed to devotees as prasadam of Sammakka-Saralamma. With lakhs of people making this offering, there will be a huge demand for jaggery. Meanwhile, the traders are planning to open special counters to sell jaggery during the Jatara.
The committee members of tribal priests have scheduled the Sammakka Saralamma Jatara for February 21 to 24.