Jataras of Telangana:

Also known as Peddagattu Jatara or Durajpally Jatara, this extraordinary festival occurs in the Durajpally village of Suryapet district, in honor of Sri Lingamanthula Swamy, a local deity. It begins with the ceremonial arrival of Devarapette, a divine box carrying thirty idols. This event is then followed by the presentation of the idols to the devotees. Next, Yadavas from Khasimpet begin to decorate a gold pot on the temple’s Gopuram. Meanwhile, our neighbors from Suryapet bring in the grand procession the Makara Toranam.

A distinctive custom of this Jatara is the licking of prasadam like dogs, a sign of humility. The festival is conducted once every two years for four days and culminates in the Kesaram ritual. This is the second largest Jatara in Telangana, after the Sammakka-Sarakka Jatara.

Edupayala Jatara

At the Edupayala Vana Durga Bhavani Temple in Medak district, where the Manjeera River splits into seven streams, Edupayala Jatara is celebrated for three days during Mahashivaratri. It is also known as Garuda Ganda. This temple is a water temple, and devotees take a holy bath in what is called Papala Madugu. Papala Madugu is where the river closes to the temple is stuck with a rock, and that becomes the source of water for this temple.

The Jatara is unique in its colorfulness and the variety of forms that it takes—representatives from 18 different communities perform rituals in their respective traditions. And then the big, final event is Rathotsavam (chariot procession). They take the idol of the goddess out of the temple and parade it around in a chariot.

 

Kondagattu Jatara

Taking place at the Anjaneya Swamy Temple in Jagtial district, this Jatara is chiefly momentous because of the temple’s distinctive idol, which possesses Narasimha Swamy’s visage on one side, and Anjaneya Swamy’s on the other. Worshippers partake in a 40-day devotion period either before or during the time of the Jatara to maximize their chances of praying for the same. In addition to the unusual idol and the strange cave formations, the temple’s site is characterized by the perilous plummet of a nearby cliff, which cultivates the feeling that the temple is a hidden, sacred space.

Komaravelli Mallanna Jatara

This celebration honors Mallikarjuna Swamy (Mallanna) and takes place in Komaravelli village, Siddipet district, Telangana. It commences in the month of Magha and continues until the festival of Ugadi, with multiple rituals conducted by the Oggu Pujaris. Devotees visiting this site perform prayers under the auspices of the Gangireni tree and earnestly implore the resident deity at Volla Banda (Vallubanda) for blessings. They believe that Lord Mahadeva appeared as Mallanna to wed Balimedala Devi.

Kurumurthy Jatara

Kurumurthy Jatara, celebrated in Mahbubnagar district, is dedicated to Sri Venkateshwara Swamy. The temple, known as Telangana Tirupati, stands on seven hills (Edukondalu). A fascinating ritual involves the Madigas of Vaddeman village stitching Uddalu, which is offered to the deity, and receiving blessings for the same. The power of the Uddalu may extend even to the common man.

Manyamkonda Jatara

Commemorated in Manyamkonda, Mahbubnagar district, this annual festival venerates Sri Venkateshwara Swamy, also referred to as Poor Man’s Tirupati or Palamoor Tirupati. Unique features of this temple include an undug water tank and an unchiseled idol, as well as daily pujas performed with Jammi tree leaves.

Koravi Jatara

This festival, celebrated in Koravi village, Mahbubabad district, is dedicated to Sri Veera Bhadra Swamy. It happens to be the festival of Shivaratri, but the local community celebrates it in a grand way, dedicating the festival south of the river Godavari to the local deity Sri Veera Bhadra Swamy.

Bejjanki Jatara

Located in the Siddipet district, the Jatara is celebrated at the Laxmi Narayana Temple.The temple has been beautifully decorated for the Jatara with intricate carvings of not only the characters from the Samudra Manthan but also other deities, including the forms of Shiva, Krishna, and Vishnu seen in Rasa Nritya. The barely six-month-old temple has even more decorations of this nature in the works.

Velala Jatara

The Mahashivaratri festival, which is observed in Velala, Mancherial district, is dedicated to Gattu Mallanna. His temple stands on a hill not far from the flowing waters of the Godavari River.

Inavolu Mallanna Jatara

This festival, celebrated in the Warangal Urban district, honors Mallikarjuna Swamy, who was initially worshipped as Mailar. The festival commences with “Peddabandi,” which is a ritual performed by the Marneni Clan.

Tulja Bhavani Jatara

Conducted in Nalgonda district during Navaratri, this Jatara draws the Lambadi tribes, with the chief priest also being from the Lambadi community.

Nallakonda Jatara

This Jatara in Jagtial district is dedicated to Sri Narasimha Swamy. Legends say this hill was the site where Sri Maha Vishnu, in the form of Narasimha, stepped after defeating Hiranyakashyapa.

Ketaki Sangameshwara Swamy Jatara

The festival, which takes place from Magha Bahula Dashami to Phalguna Shudda Padyami, is thought to heal skin ailments for those who immerse themselves in the Amrutha Gundam. This temple, found in the Sangareddy district, contains deities of Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshwara.

Joginatha Jatara

This annual festival takes place in Jogipet, Sangareddy district, every March. It is celebrated in honor of the local goddess, Jogamma.

Siddulagutta Jatara

In the Nizamabad district, at Armoor Mandal, this Jatara honors Siddalingeshwara Swamy (Lord Shiva).

Maldakal Jatara

The festival is held in Maldakal, in the Jogulamba Gadwal district, to honor Venkateshwara Swamy (Timmappa). This festival is also known as Timmappa Jatara.

Kothakonda Jatara

This festival takes place in the Bhimadevarapalli Mandal of the Warangal Urban district and is dedicated to worshiping Kora Meesala Veera Bhadra Swamy. It is the tradition of the mustache offering to this particular deity that has its roots in the Kakatiya period.

Saleshwaram Jatara

This five-day celebration at the Saleshwaram Shiva Temple in the Nallamala Forest, Nagar Kurnool district, is also called Telangana’s Amarnath.

The festival is primarily conducted by the Chenchu tribe.

Rangapur Jatara

Taking place in the Nagar Kurnool district, this festival is centered in and around the Uma Maheshwara Temple, located in the Nallamala forest.

Gangamma Jatara

This Ugadi festival is celebrated by the Masanapalli Yadavas in the Bikkamalla village of Suryapet district. The festival is observed with the performing of lemur puja, a ritual where a devotee in the role of a lemur prays to the idol of the deity for allowing the village to partake in the good fortune of the upcoming year. After the puja, the villagers partake in the festival leftovers.