This year, the preparation began 15 days in advance, with the local population skyrocketing from 3,000 to over a lakh in a few weeks.
Warangal: The quiet forest landscape of Medaram has transformed into a bustling mega-city ahead of the biennial Sammakka-Saralamma Maha Jathara.
With millions of devotees expected to arrive from distant regions to worship the forest goddesses, both merchants and local residents have set up a massive network of temporary shelters and luxury tent cities to accommodate the crowd.
The stretch from Jampanna Vagu to the RTC bus station is now a sea of tents, resembling a well-planned township.
Historically, the Medaram Jathara sees devotees camping under trees and cooking in the open forest.
However, by now, the pilgrimage has put on an urban face. Merchants have rented land by the square yard from locals to erect thousands of tents.
This year, the preparation began 15 days in advance, with the local population skyrocketing from 3,000 to over a lakh in a few weeks.
As ground space becomes a premium, many devotees are opting for creative housing solutions. Many are taking rooftop spaces of existing buildings, on rent, to ensure their families stay away from the ground-level congestion.
Ch Raju, a devotee who travelled to the shrine with his family of six including his two children from Mahabubabad, shared his experience of securing a spot with the Deccan Chronicle.
“With the arrival of massive crowds, finding a comfortable place is a challenge. I have hired a space on the rooftop of a building for `6,000 for a three-day stay. We have set up our own temporary shelter using tarpaulins and bamboo sticks. It allows my family to stay together and rest properly after our darshan,” he said.
To cater to the varying needs of pilgrims, organisers have introduced a wide spectrum of housing options. Luxury tent cities are equipped with modern amenities, with prices ranging from `5,000 to `10,000 per day, based on the facilities provided.
In budget shelters, thousands of temporary rooms are built using bamboo mats (tadakalu) and colourful cloth pieces used in function halls; and green mats are being rented for Rs.1,500 to Rs.2,500 per day.
Many of these rentals now provide essential services such as hot water, mobile charging points and ready-to-eat food items to serve the tech-savvy generation of pilgrims.
For the people of Medaram and its surrounding villages like Reddygudem, Narlapur, Chintal Cross and Yelabaka, the festival is a primary source of economic survival.
Mahipal, a resident of Narlapur, told Deccan Chronicle that the Medaram Maha Jathara that occurs once every two years provides locals with a means of livelihood. They set up temporary rooms to ensure devotees can rest comfortably. They treat every visitor like a member of their own family, and charge only the minimum rates – unlike for the luxury tent cities, he said.
The surge in visitors has also caused a commercial boom. Temporary restaurants, water kiosks and fast-food centers along with various other shops have surfaced across the festival grounds.
Despite the commercialization, the focus remains on ensuring that families visiting the goddesses can find a safe environment, marking a significant evolution from the traditional forest pilgrimage of the past.
