In news– Recently, the Union government has approved sanction of Rs 2.5 crore for organising biennial ‘Sammakka-Saralamma’ fair at Medaram.
About Medaram Jathara(festival)-
- Sammakka Saralamma Jatara (also Sammakka Sarakka Jatara and Medaram Jatara) is a festival to honour the Hindu Tribal goddesses, celebrated every two years at Medaram Village state of Telangana, India.
- This Jathara has been declared as a State Festival during 1998.
- It commemorates the fight of a mother and daughter, Sammakka and Saralamma, with the reigning rulers against an unjust law.
- It is believed that after Kumbh Mela, the Medaram Jathara is the 2nd largest congregation of devotees in the country.
- This fair is said to be the largest repeating congregation of tribal communities in the world.
- Many tribal Devotees from different states of India (M.P, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Maharashtra, Karnataka and parts of Jharkhand)reach the festive place to celebrate the Jathara.
- People offer bangaram/gold (jaggery) of a quantity equal to their weight to the goddesses and take holy bath in Jampanna Vagu (stream).
- It is a festival with no vedic or brahmanic influence.
Source: The Hindu
