Ponguleti: Medaram Jatara To Be Held on Grand Scale
State plans permanent tribal culture hub as Sammakka-Saralamma temple works near completion
Warangal: Revenue minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy on Sunday said the “people’s government” was committed to organising the Medaram Sammakka-Saralamma Jatara on an unprecedented scale, with the temple complex being developed as a permanent centre showcasing tribal culture and traditions through Adivasi sculptures.
Accompanied by panchayat raj minister Seethakka, MP Porika Balram Naik and Mulugu district collector T.S. Divakar, the minister visited the Sri Sammakka-Saralamma Temple at Medaram in Tadvai mandal of Mulugu district and conducted a comprehensive inspection of ongoing development works.
The team reviewed landscaping within the temple premises, construction of the main arch, beautification of the Haritha Hotel junction and levelling of the Jampanna Vagu bathing ghats. The minister also inaugurated the Indira Mahila Shakti Bamboo Chicken Canteen at Jampanna Vagu, aimed at empowering local women.
During a review meeting with officials and contractors, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy set a January 12 deadline for completion of all civil works, including temple pillars and queue line sheds. He warned that negligence would not be tolerated and directed officials to take strict action against private individuals attempting to encroach on public spaces for shops.
He further instructed officials to immediately install borewells and hand pumps to avert water shortages and ensure uninterrupted electricity supply round the clock from Sankranti until January 31. The minister announced that Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy would arrive in Medaram on January 20, stay overnight and formally inaugurate the renovated temple the following morning.
The renovation, being undertaken with high-quality stone designed to last over 200 years, is being treated as a prestigious project by the state government. Noting that the Sammakka-Saralamma Jatara is a globally respected tribal tradition that attracts crores of devotees from across the country, the minister said infrastructure, sanitation and crowd management had been prioritised to ensure a smooth pilgrimage following the Chief Minister’s inauguration.
Panchayat Raj Minister Seethakka said the Medaram Jatara was being organised on a scale never seen before. She added that the temple renovation was progressing as planned and that completing the stone temple in record time would ensure it stands as a symbol of tribal pride for the next two centuries.
