Sammakka-Saralamma Jatara Is Symbol of Telangana’s Identity-Deputy CM

Devotees began arriving from Saturday midnight, braving long queues to offer prayers to the tribal goddesses. As per tradition, pilgrims took holy dips in the Jampanna Vagu before proceeding to the altars. The entire area was filled with spiritual fervour as thousands of families gathered to fulfil their vows. In view of the heavy rush, police deployed additional forces to regulate queues and ensure public safety.

The surge in visitors led to severe traffic congestion, particularly at toll plazas on routes leading to Medaram. Long queues of vehicles were reported at toll gates from morning till afternoon. Despite Medaram being Asia’s largest tribal festival, the state government has not announced any toll exemption so far. Several devotees expressed dissatisfaction over delays and toll charges, urging the government to waive fees until the conclusion of the jatara to facilitate smoother travel for the lakhs expected to attend.

District officials closely monitored the situation as momentum built up ahead of the Maha Jatara. While basic amenities and drinking water arrangements were in place, managing vehicular movement on narrow forest roads and easing congestion at toll points remained key challenges.

Meanwhile, a team of state ministers led by Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka visited Medaram to review preparations for the Sammakka-Saralamma Maha Jatara. Ministers Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, D. Sridhar Babu, Seethakka, Konda Surekha and Adluri Laxman Kumar accompanied him. The team inspected ongoing temple development works and held a review meeting with officials to ensure smooth arrangements for the millions of devotees expected.

Addressing the gathering, Bhatti described the Medaram Jatara as the “heartbeat of Telangana” and a symbol of the state’s self-respect. He said the government is spending ₹260 crore this year to showcase the cultural grandeur of the tribal festival globally, with ₹150 crore allocated for festival arrangements and ₹110 crore for permanent temple constructions.

Bhatti said the present government is investing substantially more than the previous administration to ensure a world-class experience for devotees. For medical emergencies, a 50-bed hospital, 30 peripheral health camps and 30 ‘108’ ambulances have been arranged. He directed officials to complete all pending works by January 15.

IT minister Sridhar Babu said advanced crowd management systems would be deployed to prevent stampedes. He said police have deployed 13,000 personnel, along with 48 CCTV cameras and 20 drones, for security. To facilitate pilgrim movement, the RTC is operating 3,600 buses from 51 locations, with nearly 20 lakh passengers expected during the festival period.