Telangana excise department crack down 'black jaggery mafia'

Jaggery is in huge demand during the jatara as it is a custom to offer bangaram (gold, here jaggery) to goddesses Sammakka-Saralamma.

Update: 2018-01-20 21:11 GMT
Jaggery is in huge demand during the jatara as it is a custom to offer jaggery to goddesses Sammakka-Saralamma.

Hyderabad: The excise department is gearing up to check the “black jaggery mafia” ahead of the Medaram Jatara.

Jaggery is in huge demand during the jatara as it is a custom to offer bangaram (gold, here jaggery) to goddesses Sammakka-Saralamma. Devotees offered jaggery equivalent to their weight if their wishes are fulfilled.

However, the government imposed a ban on the sale of jaggery in 2015 to check manufacture of illicit liquor (gudumba), in which black jaggery was the main ingredient.

But, the ban was lifted recently in view of jatara, which could be exploited by black jaggery mafia. Though the Jatara was scheduled from January 31 to February 3, it already started witnessing lakhs of devotees arriving at Medaram. On Friday alone, over 2 lakh devotees visited Medaram and offered jaggery to the goddesses. With expectations of over 1 crore devotees turning up this time, the demand for jaggery was bound to go up.

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