Devotees’ Count Reaches 1.5 Crore on Third Day of Medaram Maha Jatara
An unprecedented 50 lakh people attended the Maha Jatara on Friday alone.
Warangal:On the auspicious Friday when all four tribal deities Sammakka, Saralamma, Pagididdha Raju and Govinda Raju sat on their sacred altars, Medaram forest transformed into a massive ocean of humanity, with a record-breaking surge in devotees.
Official estimates suggest that the total footfalls during the jatara have crossed 1.5 crore, far exceeding the initial figure of 1 crore projected by the state administration. An unprecedented 50 lakh people attended the Maha Jatara on Friday alone.
The atmosphere remained electric with Sammako, Sarakko chants echoing through the woods. Thousands of Shiva Sathulu went into the traditional trance, while pilgrims from Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh offered diverse tributes, including tonnes of jaggery matching the weight of devotees, sarees, blouse pieces, bangles, coconuts and odi biyyam (sacred rice).
The Jampanna Vagu saw a continuous flow of people taking holy dips before approaching the altars.
The arrival of top constitutional heads highlighted the importance of the biennial fair. Telangana Governor Jishnu Dev Verma, international diplomats, state ministers, MLAs, and top government officials reached Medaram using helicopters and sought blessings of the tribal goddesses.
The VIPs offered Bangaram (Jaggery) at the altars and commended the tribal priests for preserving the centuries’ old traditions. The administration ensured tight security and smooth passage for these dignitaries amidst the massive crowd.
The festival enters its final phase on Saturday, with the presiding deities returning to the forest, marking the Vana Pravesham.
According to tribal customs, priests will perform the concluding rituals before sending the deities back to their original abodes on Saturday, the fourth day of Maha Jatara.
Sammakka will return to the deep forests of Chilakalagutta, Sarakka will be escorted back to the temple in Kannepalli, Pagididdha Raju will return to Penukonda and Govinda Raju to Kondai.
These rituals will signify the official end of the biennial Maha Jatara, with the deities disappearing into the wild for another two years.
