Medaram Maha Jathara to Begin in Telangana on Jan 28

From the rhythmic beats of traditional drums to colourfully decorated bullock carts, the tribal festival has already set Adivasi families in motion. Carrying offerings and fulfilling age-old vows, devotees have begun trekking from their homes through the heart of the Dandakaranya forests to seek the blessings of the warrior tribal goddesses Sammakka and Saralamma.

Hamlets, villages and towns along the Medaram route are witnessing a surge of devotional activity, with pilgrims offering prayers at shrines such as Komurvaelli Mallanna, Vemulawada Rajanna and Inavolu Mallanna. Families are busy preparing bangaram (jaggery), the traditional offering to the goddesses, reinforcing a centuries-old tradition of collective worship and community feasting.

The Jatara will formally unfold with the arrival of Goddess Saralamma from Kannepalli to the Gaddelu on Wednesday, January 28. The most awaited moment will be on Thursday, January 29, when Goddess Sammakka arrives from Chilakala Gutta, marked by traditional three-gun salutes by the police, as the Sammakka–Saralamma Jatara is recognised as a state festival.

On January 30, festivities will reach their peak as millions take the holy dip in the Jampanna Vagu and offer jaggery to the deities. The Jatara will conclude on January 31 with Vana Pravesham, when the goddesses are ceremonially believed to return to their forest abodes.

With nearly three crore devotees expected to attend the Jatara, the Telangana government has put in place a tightly coordinated and large-scale management system. The entire Medaram area has been divided into eight administrative zones and 42 sectors, each placed under the supervision of a district-level officer to enable swift, decentralised decision-making.

A total of 42,027 personnel from 21 government departments have been deployed, including officials from the police, revenue, health and sanitation wings. To strengthen ground-level coordination and ensure smoother crowd movement, around 2,000 Adivasi youth have been engaged as volunteers, assisting devotees and regulating crowds in ritual and temple zones.

Traffic management remains one of the biggest challenges, given the expected influx of millions of vehicles. Officials said road-related issues at 525 identified points have been rectified to prevent congestion. To accommodate vehicles, about 1,418 acres have been cleared to create 42 dedicated parking zones across the region.

To ensure uninterrupted communication, 60 mobile towers — 27 permanent and 33 temporary — have been installed. In addition, a dedicated VHF communication network with 450 sets has been put in place for officials coordinating security, traffic and emergency response.

The Mission Bhagiratha department has arranged a round-the-clock supply of purified drinking water through 5,482 newly installed taps. For women devotees taking the traditional holy dip in the Jampanna Vagu, 119 dedicated dressing rooms have been constructed. Continuous chlorination is being carried out to maintain water quality and hygiene.

Sanitation arrangements have been significantly scaled up, with 5,700 toilets installed across 285 blocks. A workforce of 5,000 sanitation workers has been deployed in shifts, supported by 18 mechanical sweeping machines, 12 JCBs and 40 Swachh Autos to ensure effective waste management.

To facilitate national and international media coverage, a high-tech media centre has been set up at the TTD Kalyana Mandapam, equipped with 200 Mbps high-speed internet, 20 advanced workstations and dedicated photo and video transmission facilities, enabling real-time coverage of the Maha Jatara across the globe.

Officials said all arrangements are in place to ensure the smooth, safe and spiritually fulfilling conduct of one of the largest tribal congregations in the world.