Countdown Medaram Jathara
Medaram,( Jaishankar Bhupalpally Dist, Telangana, January 29: The countdown has
begun for the Asia's biggest tribal festival - Sammakka- Saralamma jathara in
the lush green thick forests of Eturnagaram in Jaishankar Bhupalpally
district.
This year the idol of tribal folk Goddess Sarlamma in the form of Kumkum Bharani(sindhur casket)is brought her temple at Kannepalli, two kms away after the lunar eclipse on January 31st, with all tribal frenzy and fanfare for installation at the raised platform in Medaram called Gadde, signaling the commencement of the festival.
This year the idol of tribal folk Goddess Sarlamma in the form of Kumkum Bharani(sindhur casket)is brought her temple at Kannepalli, two kms away after the lunar eclipse on January 31st, with all tribal frenzy and fanfare for installation at the raised platform in Medaram called Gadde, signaling the commencement of the festival.
The event on February 1st the arrival
of Sammakka, the tribal folk goddess and also the mother of Saralamma, marks
the all-important moment.As the rhythm of tribal drumbeat rises steadily, tens
of thousands of tribals and devotees wait in intoxicated anticipation as tribal
Koya priests venture into the sacred groves of Chilakala gutta, about a km away
from Medaram to locate and bring her in form of another Kumkum Bharani (Sindhur
casket). The firing of several rounds of a rifle in the air by the senior police
official marks the arrival of Sammakka from the sacred grove.Thereafter
the dam of devotion bursts with the high tide of piety and belief with
devotees. For the next two days wherein the folk goddesses are placed at the
Gadde, devotees surge ahead to touch the sacred precincts of Sammakka and
Sarakka for the next two days.
Legends say that after darshan of the folk deities and their offerings of jaggery, liquor and chicken the tribals make merry till the departure of their beloved Sammakka and Saralamma once again into the forest after two days. The government has banned culling of the birds and also offering of liquor at the Gadde site. But the tribal offering in form of Eduru-Kodi(just flying the bird tied to a rope)is allowed and there is no ban on consumption of liquor which is sold in 38 wine shops specially put up at the jathara site. The tribals also continue their traditional practice of offering jaggery (they call it Bangaram), liquor and also meat to please their Goddess. Later they also drink, cook meat savories and make merry at the jatara venue before returning to their places.
This was the moment they had waited for, enduring back-breaking travel in bullock carts, cooking and sleeping in the open and standing in long queues. Soon, turmeric, vermillion, jaggery and coconuts, quintals of them, filled the altar as the devout paid their obeisance to Samakka and Sarakka, the tribal goddesses.
The tribal and non-tribal devotees plunge into revelries after darshan of folk mother-daughter duo who disappeared into the forest after a pitched bloody battle with the army of the Kakatiya ruler Pratap Rudra 1000 year ago.According to tribal folklore, both would come out of forest once in 2 years to inspire the tribals to fight the corrupt rulers and also protect the trees.
Sine 1998 the tribal fest has been given state festival status and is assured of national status now. It attracted all hues of tribals from central Indian states of Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Odisha, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. Since the formation of Telangana, the state government has given priority to tribal welfare measures and also the Sammakka -Saralamma festival.Over Rs.160 crore was allocated for infrastructure in 2016 and this year it has granted Rs.80.65 crore.
From chopper rides to Wi-Fi services, mobile toilets, huge parking lots, traffic snarls, crowd counting cameras, frenzied tribal dances, the tribal feast of non-veg and veggie goodies the Medaram jatara is all set to be both an adventurous and also thrilling experience in 2018
From water for Jampanna vagu, creation of parking lots, bus station over 60 acres, luxury tents for tribal and forest lovers, Girijan museum, a Harita hotel and a tribal open amphitheater, and selfie cum photo and video contest to highlight tribal culture and customs, Government has spared no efforts to engage all tourists, devotees, and adventure lovers. 'Twenty lakh water sachets are readied for free distribution at Jahara" says RV Karnan, in charge District collector supervising the Jathara.
The tourism department has also organized links to all places of tourist and spiritual interest with a special focus on places to see in the periphery - Bogatha waterfalls, Ramappa temple, water sports at Laknavaram lake, wildlife sanctuary at Tadvai and Pandava gutta for rock climbing lovers.
Nearly 10,000 police are deployed with 200 CCTV cameras for the general surveillance, and 20 CCTV cameras covering the national highway 163 from Gudeppadu to Pasra to avoid the traffic snarls.The officials are using the Nextgen technology and cyber tools for providing adequate security, basic amenities like drinking water, accommodation, parking lots and display of folk artifacts and tribal culture to enthrall the devotees.
The police are also using four drone cameras for the crowd management and Variable message sign (VMS) also known as the matrix signs area to locate missing persons, especially children at the jatara. “For the first time, we are installing 15 crowd counting cameras for headcount as a part of the crowd management, six of them fixed at the Gaddelu,” said SP Bhupallay R Bhaskaran.
Legend
The biennial event showcases the tribals’ love for forests and trees and their determined struggle to fight for the protection of their habitats. The Sammakka -Saralamma jatara is an expression of independence of tribals for forests and their pitched battle with the mighty Kakatiya King Pratap Rudra in which the tribal queen and her family were put to the sword. It is also a saga of their survival.
About 1.2 crore tribals of all hues -Gonda, Konda Doras, Koyas and Gutti Koyas of Chhatisgarh and non-tribals come to pay respects and redeem their vows to Goddess Sammakka and Sarlamma.The rituals are performed by the priests of the Chanda clan of Koya tribe to which Sammakka belonged to.
Though the goddess (Sammakka-Saralamma) belonged to Koya community, they have a good following among all sects of Telangana and also other central Indian states of Maharashtra, Chhatisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Jharkhand.Tribals come on bullock carts, tractors, jeeps and many of them by walk to reach Medaram for the festival. Same way non-tribals of AP, Telangana and Maharashtra etc come in buses, lorries, and camp at parking lots for the duration of the Jathara.
Sri Karnan says that the government and police are there only to protect the devotees and provide infrastructure .'Everything is managed by tribal priests and tribal elders.We are only facilitating the S S Jathara with the provision of jaggery, chicken, and water in adequate quantity to meet the huge demands ' he adds.The occasion is also utilized to spread awareness n tribal welfare initiatives of the Telangana government with posters and displays.
RV Karnan said that selfie-photo-video contest was organized to spread awareness about the jathara and govt facilitation.Cash prizes worth above Three lakhs for best entries which would be utilized for tribal welfare campaigns and the is open to both photographers and also general public to click selfies of the interesting spots of the colorful, devotional and humanely interesting scenes from January 30- February 4.
Other highlights of the Jathara are as below
Legends say that after darshan of the folk deities and their offerings of jaggery, liquor and chicken the tribals make merry till the departure of their beloved Sammakka and Saralamma once again into the forest after two days. The government has banned culling of the birds and also offering of liquor at the Gadde site. But the tribal offering in form of Eduru-Kodi(just flying the bird tied to a rope)is allowed and there is no ban on consumption of liquor which is sold in 38 wine shops specially put up at the jathara site. The tribals also continue their traditional practice of offering jaggery (they call it Bangaram), liquor and also meat to please their Goddess. Later they also drink, cook meat savories and make merry at the jatara venue before returning to their places.
This was the moment they had waited for, enduring back-breaking travel in bullock carts, cooking and sleeping in the open and standing in long queues. Soon, turmeric, vermillion, jaggery and coconuts, quintals of them, filled the altar as the devout paid their obeisance to Samakka and Sarakka, the tribal goddesses.
The tribal and non-tribal devotees plunge into revelries after darshan of folk mother-daughter duo who disappeared into the forest after a pitched bloody battle with the army of the Kakatiya ruler Pratap Rudra 1000 year ago.According to tribal folklore, both would come out of forest once in 2 years to inspire the tribals to fight the corrupt rulers and also protect the trees.
Sine 1998 the tribal fest has been given state festival status and is assured of national status now. It attracted all hues of tribals from central Indian states of Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Odisha, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. Since the formation of Telangana, the state government has given priority to tribal welfare measures and also the Sammakka -Saralamma festival.Over Rs.160 crore was allocated for infrastructure in 2016 and this year it has granted Rs.80.65 crore.
From chopper rides to Wi-Fi services, mobile toilets, huge parking lots, traffic snarls, crowd counting cameras, frenzied tribal dances, the tribal feast of non-veg and veggie goodies the Medaram jatara is all set to be both an adventurous and also thrilling experience in 2018
From water for Jampanna vagu, creation of parking lots, bus station over 60 acres, luxury tents for tribal and forest lovers, Girijan museum, a Harita hotel and a tribal open amphitheater, and selfie cum photo and video contest to highlight tribal culture and customs, Government has spared no efforts to engage all tourists, devotees, and adventure lovers. 'Twenty lakh water sachets are readied for free distribution at Jahara" says RV Karnan, in charge District collector supervising the Jathara.
The tourism department has also organized links to all places of tourist and spiritual interest with a special focus on places to see in the periphery - Bogatha waterfalls, Ramappa temple, water sports at Laknavaram lake, wildlife sanctuary at Tadvai and Pandava gutta for rock climbing lovers.
Nearly 10,000 police are deployed with 200 CCTV cameras for the general surveillance, and 20 CCTV cameras covering the national highway 163 from Gudeppadu to Pasra to avoid the traffic snarls.The officials are using the Nextgen technology and cyber tools for providing adequate security, basic amenities like drinking water, accommodation, parking lots and display of folk artifacts and tribal culture to enthrall the devotees.
The police are also using four drone cameras for the crowd management and Variable message sign (VMS) also known as the matrix signs area to locate missing persons, especially children at the jatara. “For the first time, we are installing 15 crowd counting cameras for headcount as a part of the crowd management, six of them fixed at the Gaddelu,” said SP Bhupallay R Bhaskaran.
Legend
The biennial event showcases the tribals’ love for forests and trees and their determined struggle to fight for the protection of their habitats. The Sammakka -Saralamma jatara is an expression of independence of tribals for forests and their pitched battle with the mighty Kakatiya King Pratap Rudra in which the tribal queen and her family were put to the sword. It is also a saga of their survival.
About 1.2 crore tribals of all hues -Gonda, Konda Doras, Koyas and Gutti Koyas of Chhatisgarh and non-tribals come to pay respects and redeem their vows to Goddess Sammakka and Sarlamma.The rituals are performed by the priests of the Chanda clan of Koya tribe to which Sammakka belonged to.
Though the goddess (Sammakka-Saralamma) belonged to Koya community, they have a good following among all sects of Telangana and also other central Indian states of Maharashtra, Chhatisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Jharkhand.Tribals come on bullock carts, tractors, jeeps and many of them by walk to reach Medaram for the festival. Same way non-tribals of AP, Telangana and Maharashtra etc come in buses, lorries, and camp at parking lots for the duration of the Jathara.
Sri Karnan says that the government and police are there only to protect the devotees and provide infrastructure .'Everything is managed by tribal priests and tribal elders.We are only facilitating the S S Jathara with the provision of jaggery, chicken, and water in adequate quantity to meet the huge demands ' he adds.The occasion is also utilized to spread awareness n tribal welfare initiatives of the Telangana government with posters and displays.
RV Karnan said that selfie-photo-video contest was organized to spread awareness about the jathara and govt facilitation.Cash prizes worth above Three lakhs for best entries which would be utilized for tribal welfare campaigns and the is open to both photographers and also general public to click selfies of the interesting spots of the colorful, devotional and humanely interesting scenes from January 30- February 4.
Other highlights of the Jathara are as below
·
Girijan museum, an open-air amphitheater, Harita hotel and luxury tents
(50) managed by tribal youth and homestay at tribal homes.
·
Bamboo machans and an L shaped tribal walkthrough corridor display of
tribal lifestyles, customs, and traditions are a major attraction.
·
The two km long bathing ghats at Jampanna vagu with shower taps and
battery of 132 changing rooms after a holy dip.Water for the Vagu from
Laknavaram lake. 300 swimmers kept handy for emergencies.
·
9400 water shower taps, 480 hands bore wells and 8 overhead tanks.
·
25 lakh water bottles kept ready
·
150 transformers for uninterrupted power supply and over 500 power
staff.
·
Over 10,000 policemen led by SP, 300 cameras,command control @ ITDA
office.
·
Six Missing person centers.
·
Queue lines of 6.2 kms set up to channelize devotees
·
Mobile towers set up -20 BSNL,7 IDEA and 4 Airtel to facilitate
communication
·
RTC is running 4200 buses at its 60-acre spread bus station with 30
restrooms and 32 parking points.A/c buses from Hyderabad to Medaram and return
journey.
·
A 50-bed hospital is set up at TTD Kalyana Mandapam with 175 doctors and
500 paramedical staff. 56 medical camps set up.
·
Sanitary workers from Warangal to clean Medium -Sulabh complex.
·
12000 toilets -545 permanent, 9180 GI sheet,1200 temp,700 hired toilets.
·
38 sectors for the administration of garbage cleaning.
·
119 senior gazetted officials,12000 other staff roped in from five
districts.
·
700 NSS and NCC volunteers deployed.
·
Tribals preferred in the auction of liquor, chicken and jaggery outlets
at Medaram.
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