The entire Chittoor town and surrounding villages are gearing up for the famous Ganga Jatara, scheduled for May 17 and 18. The "chatimpu" (traditional announcement) will be made on May 10. In 2020 and 2021, the denizens missed the grand gala due to the COVID pandemic, while the rituals were performed with a limited presence of the hereditary elders and priests.
This mass festival has a history of over 150 years. Unlike regular jataras elsewhere in the district, Chittoor Jatara has a unique feature. There is no temple to the Goddess Gangamma, but her idol made of clay and turmeric would be installed on the busy Bazar Street every year. After Jatara, the idol would be immersed in the nearby Kattamanchi Tank.
The highlight is that close to two lakh people from all over Chittoor district and neighbouring States of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka reach Chittoor to take part in the jatara at the invitation of their relatives here. The tradition continues to be in the vogue since the British Raj.
The festivities will see active participation of youth converging at the Bazaar Street junction to witness the consecration of the clay idol of the goddess.
Hereditary "dharmakartha" and former MLA C.K. Jayachandra Reddy alias C.K. Babu will initiate the pujas. During the two days, the public wears various attires (veshams) as part of their vow. Thousands of sheep and poultry birds would be sacrificed at the adjoining Ponniyamma Temple and half a dozen more temples of Goddess Shakti in and on the outskirts of Chittoor town. Thousands of women take part in lighting ghee lamps at these respective temples.
Speaking to the media, Mr. Babu said that after a lull of two years, the people of Chittoor were eagerly waiting for the jatara this year.
Meanwhile, the police said that an elaborate bandobast arrangement would be made for the event. Several rowdy-sheeters and those who faced the Preventive Detention Act under various charges would be bound over in the coming days.
Babu likely to enter politics
Interestingly, Mr. Babu’s during the press meet hinted that he would be getting back to join active politics after the Ganga Jatara.
The former Congress MLA, who reigned over Chittoor for three decades, stayed away from the contest in 2014 during the Samaikhyandra movement, but joined the YSR Congress Party, and supported the party candidate in Chittoor, who had lost to the Telugu Desam Party candidate.
In November 2017, Mr. Babu joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in the presence of Mr. Amit Shah during his visit to Bengaluru. However, in the 2019 Assembly elections, Mr. Babu sailed with the Telugu Desam Party. After the party’s rout, he was not seen in active politics.
