With millions of pilgrims awaiting the arrival of the tribal deities near the Sammakka-Saralamma tribal temple in Medaram and surrounding villages, preparations are in full swing for the biennial mega jatara. Sanitation workers, along with Koya priests, cleaned the sacred platforms, known as Ammavari Gaddelu, on Tuesday, removing the accumulated offerings such as jaggery, broken coconuts and other puja materials. Subsequently, the priests adorned the platforms with flowers, readying them for the arrival of Pagididdaraju and other deities.
The Penka clan priests of Koya community, who performed a special puja at the Pagididdaraju temple in Punugondla village, Mahabubabad district, on Tuesday afternoon, embarked on a ceremonial procession through the forest areas of Eturngaram wildlife sanctuary to Medaram on foot; they will reach their destination at night. It is through this ritual that Pagididdaraju, Sammakka’s husband, is ceremoniously brought to Medaram.
At the same time, Jampanna, Sammakka’s son, is also brought from Kannepalli village near Medaram. The main ceremony of the jatara kicks off when Pagididdaraju is symbolically adorned as the groom following the Shanti Pujakrama and both the deities are ceremoniously installed on the platforms on Tuesday night.
The highlight of the event takes place on Wednesday (February 21) with the arrival of Saralamma, Sammakka’s daughter, onto the platform. Meanwhile, official homage to Sammakka is paid with gunfire by the Mulugu police from Chilakagutta hillock, approximately two km from the Gaddelu, adding to the spectacle.
Necessary arrangements have been made for the smooth conduct of the Mega Jatara. A significant workforce, comprising 16,000 government staff from various departments, 14,000 police personnel and 4,000 sanitation workers, has been deployed for jatara duties. Nodal Officer and Collector Ila Tripathi said arrangements had been made at a cost of ₹105 crore.
To accommodate the influx of devotees, 8,400 makeshift toilets have been erected, and 200 expert swimmers are stationed at Jampannavagu rivulet, where pilgrims traditionally take a holy dip. Water from the Laknavaram Lake was released into the rivulet from February 14 to 16, ensuring a sufficient depth of three feet for the pilgrims’ convenience. To manage the crowd, 300 CCTV cameras and 300 LED screens have been set up at Medaram.
