sammakka sarakka jatara-tribal festival
Sammakka Sarakka jatara is India's largest tribal festival of honouring the goddesses celebrated in Medaram in Tadvai Mandal in Warangal district Telangana state of India.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 Kumbha Mela the Medaram Jatara attracts largest number of devotees in the country.Jatara helds once in two years during Magha purnima.Medaram is a remote place in the Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary, a part of Dandakaranya, the largest surviving forest in the Deccan.
This time chief minister of Telangana K. Chandrasekhar Rao has announced Rs.101 crore for the conduct of the festival in Warangal district.
Under the surveillance of TS Cabinet Ministers Indrakaran Reddy (Endowments) and Chandulal (Tourism & Tribal Welfare).Officials drawn from the Panchayat Raj, Health, Police, Roads & Buildings, Irrigation and others, gave detailed reports on the various works taken up in providing amenities such as drinking water, bathing ghats, sanitation, parking for vehicles, etc.
For this jatara many pilgrims to come from States of Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.
sammakka sarakka jatara dates
17 Feb 2016 Goddess Saralamma will arrive to Platform (Gadde)
18 Feb2016 Goddess Sammakka will arrive to Platform (Gadde)
19 Feb 2016 Devotees offer naivedyam or other offerings like Bangaram
(bellam – jaggery)
20 Feb 2016 Last day of Sammkka Sarakka Jathara.Goddess Sammakkar
and Saralamma will return back in to forest.
How to reach sammakka sarakka jatara
Distance from Hyderabad : around 250 Kms.
Distance from Warangal/Hanmakonda : around 105 Kms.
Distance from Chennai Warangal 730 km
Distance from Nagpur Warangal 450 km
Distance from Vijayawada Warangal 237 km
Distance from Visakhapatnam Warangal 520 Km
Distance from Nizamabad Warangal 232 Km
Distance from Tirupathi Warangal 652 Km
Distance from Warangal Medaram 90 Km
Airport : Warangal (99kms) is the nearest Airport. RGIA (Shamshabad) is 262 kms is another major Airport.
Buses from Hyderabad, Warangal, Khajipet and Janagam runs most frequently. From Hyderabad for every 20 minutes buses runs from Uppal, MGBS(Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station),jubli bus station Jagadgiri Gutta, Bora Banda,kukatpally,patancheru. TSRTC providing 3,605
buses for sammakka sarakka jatar,also providing online reservation for Medaram Sammakka Sarakka Jatara.Transport Minister Mahender Reddy said 29 region-specific queues would be provided at the bus stand at Medaram. To regulate traffic, 29 mobile parties would be constituted and 150 officers, 350 supervisors, 8,000 drivers and conductors and 700 other staff members be drafted for festival duty.Women, the aged, physically challenged and children can easily board the bus due to the low floor height. Each bus has a seating capacity of 45. The buses are fitted with three CC cameras and 130 mm front windscreen glasses.
History of sammakka sarakka jatara
There are many legends about the miraculous powers of samakka and According to a tribal story, about 6-7 centuries(700 years)ago in the 13th century, that some of the tribal leaders who went for a hunting found a new born girl sammakka with a glorious brightness plyaing with lions and tigers.
She was taken to their habitation and adopted by tribal leader(koya dora),brought up as a chief tain She later became the saviour of the tribals of the region Sammakka was married to Pagididda Raju a feudatory tribal chief of Kakatiyas who ruled the country of Andhra from Warangal(orugallu capital city ) City between 1000 AD and 1380 AD.She was blessed with 2 daughters and one son namely Sarakka, Nagulamma and Jampanna.
After sometime, there was a severe drought that lasted for four consecutive years in villages and as a result the mighty Godavari River dried up.Hence pagididde Raju didn’t pay tribute to King Pratapa Rudra. In turn king Pratapa rudra sent his army to subdue the tribals and collect the tribute.The war under the command of Lieutenant Yugandarudu.
The war was fought between tribal chief pagidde Raju and Kakatiya army on the banks of “Sampenga Vagu” (Jampanna Vagu). The Koya army fought valiantly but could not with stand the well equipped Kakatiya army.Kakatiya army having a large number of elephantine forces. Thousands of tribal heads were chopped and the blood flew like river from the battle ground, and mixed with Sampenga Vagu (a water passageway). The water in the Sampenga Vagu was contaminated with blood. In this battle, all the tribal and non-tribal people participated against Kakatiya forces.Though fought valiantly Pagididda Raju, his daughters Sarakka, Nagulamma, son in law Govinda Raju lost (husband of Sarakka) lives in the battle. Later Jampanna also dies in Sampenga Vagu after renamed Sampenga vagu as Jampanna Vagu in the memory of his heroic fight against well trained Kakatiya army.Believing that a dip in the Jampanna vagu heals all the diseases, people in large numbers vied with each other to make their way towards the rivulet.
By hearing this news Sammakka didn't give up her courage,also enters war having Daalu and fights and causes lot of damage to kakatiya army. Surprised by her Bravery And Valour the Kakatiya Prime Minister visited war ravaged Koya kingdom with proposal of peace and offered Sammakka a place in the emperor’s harem as the chief queen. Samakka turned down the offer and resolved to continue the fight to avenge the dead. The battle continued and Sammakka was seriously wounded.Suddenly a boy came from behind and back stroked Sammakka. Sammakka turned back and raised her sword to kill, but she realized that it was a kid and put the sword down. Sammakka forgave the child and tied the wound with a cloth and moved away from the village towards east as she was aware that if her blood falls on the village land, the land will become barren and gives no fruit.
Samakka told her people that as long as they remembered her, she would protect them.Then, she cursed the Kaktiya dynasty to perish And with that wounded body proceeded towards Chilakala gutta and disappeared in the forest.
After battle tribals(koyas) searched for their qeen sammakka in to forest.They found a red och re box(a container of vermilion-Kumkum Bharini), her bangles at a snake hole under the Naga Vruksham.Tribals(koyas) believed that, Sammakka was found as vermillion.Hence once in two years tribal s celebrates sammakka saralamma jatara on the day of Magha Shudha Poornima.
That is why the tribal elders cut off the Naga vruksham and make it has symbol of Sammakka, build it in a platform (Gadde).They also build another Platform (Gadde) for Sammakka’s daughter Saralamma. They worship "Deyyala Madugu thinking as Jampanna". Some pilgrims see a snake in the hole of Ippa chettu (Ippa Tree), which is besides the Sammakka’s platform and believe that it was Sammakka’s husband Pagididda Raju.
People believe that Goddesses Sammakka, Saralamma fulfill their desires with their divine and miraculous powers.Most of the people from various prats of the country visit the Medaram to get themselves blessed by goddess.
Many a pilgrim pay their promises made to goddess during the Medaram Jathara, by offering Jaggery(Bangaram), calf, coconuts and donations in cash etc. Pilgrims bath in the Jampanna stream to get purified and absolve from sins.
celebration of sammakka saralamma jatara:
A 50 acre forest would be used for the purpose of jatara,which is situated 110 km from the Warangal district headquarters on the banks of river. The jathara begins on Magha shuddha Purnima and continues for four days.
There is no permanent idol of the deity. It is said that a Koya boy who gets a vision before the festival, searches in the forest for a week without food and sleep and finally brings the goddesses in the farm of two vermilion caskets tied to a piece of bamboo, one representing the main deity Sammakka and the other her daughter Saarakka (Saaralamma). The festival begins in the month of Magha, on Suddha Pournami (full moon day) evening when Saaralamma would be traditionally brought from Kanneboyinapalle, a village in the forest, and installed on a gadde (platform), an earthen platform raised under a tree.
By next sunset,the main goddess Sammakka (in the form of a vermilion) will be brought from Chilukalagutta. There are two gaddes (platforms) Separately one for goddess "Sammakka" and other for goddess "Sarakka". They are represented by bamboo sticks smeared with turmeric and vermilion (Pasupu and Kunkuma). Since time immemorial, there is a huge tree standing on Sammakka gadde.
When the priests bring out the ochre box and other relics from a hidden forest location, there is great violent and noisy commotion or disturbance of a crowd with wildly excited or enthusiastic beating of drums, blowing of trumpets and full throated yells. It is said that during the festival a huge tiger prowls around peacefully.
check below video for sammakka saralamma story
Special Attractions:
- Experience the unique traditions and culture of tribal life
- The unique Telangana traditions
- 1.5 crore devotees in just 4 days
- The feel of fair watching so many devotees is a great feel of life.
- Tons and tons of Jaggery being offered to Goddess
Nearby Attractions:
- Gatamma Devalayam
- Jampanna Vagu
- Ramappa Temple, Palampet
- Laknavaram Lake
Location of Medaram:
- Medaram village is located amidst the Eturnagaram forest area of Warangal, Telangana.
- Tadvai forest area is located near to Medaram.
- Ramappa Temple is around 60 kms far from Medaram.
Distance to Medaram:
- Distance from Hanamkonda (Warangal) is 95 Kms.
- Distance from Hyderabad is 237 Kms
- Distance from Karimnagar is 166 Kms
Warangal to Medaram Route by Road:
Drive straight on Warangal road.Take right at Maruthi showroom at Molugu cross road. Drive ahead on Molugu-Tadvai road.
How to reach Medaram Public Transport:
- During normal times, many of buses ply from Hanamkonda bus stand to Medaram.
- During the Jathara time, special buses are arranged by state government. Special buses ply from all the districts of Telangana to Medaram.
Nearest Railway Station:
- Kazipet Junction Railway station is the major railway station near to Medaram.
- One can reach kazipet or Warangal by train. From Warangal, one can get plently of buses to Medaram.
Where to Stay (Medaram Sammakka Saralamma Jathara Accommodation):
- As Medaram is situated in forest area, construction of Hotels is prohibited in that area.
- There is Tourism guesthouse at Medaram which is mainly used by government officials.
- One can get comfortable accommodation at Hanamkonda/Warangal.
Useful Contact Numbers:
Warangal Police -100 :Very useful number during Jathara time. Warangal police takes the responsibility of security and safety of the devotees visitng Medaram. There are many kiosks arranged by Warangal Police on the way to Medaram which are very much accessible to all the devotees.
State Tourism Department – 040 – 23450444
Warangal Tourism: 0870-2459201
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