Sammakka–Sarakka Jatara or Medaram Jatara
1. Important Facts
- Location: Medaram village, Mulugu district (erstwhile Warangal), Telangana
- Deities: Tribal goddesses Sammakka (mother) and Sarakka / Saralamma (daughter) — worshipped as bamboo sticks smeared with turmeric and vermilion.
- Community: Koya (Gond) tribe.
- Period of origin: Believed to date back to the 12th century CE (Kakatiya era).
- Festival cycle: Held biennially (once every two years) during Magha Sudha Pournami (January – February).
- Medaram Jatara is the second-largest fair of India, after the Kumbh Mela, celebrated by the second-largest Tribal Community of Telangana– the Koya tribe for four days.
2. Historic-Cultural Significance
- Anti-tax legend: Sammakka and Sarakka led an armed protest against Kakatiya rulers who tried to extract heavy taxes from the Koya tribes. They became martyrs, and the shrine commemorates their sacrifice.
- Scale: Often described as the largest tribal congregation in the world; attendance crosses 10 million (1 crore+) devotees in four days.
- Offerings: Devotees present “Bangaram” (lumps of pure jaggery) equal to their body weight, symbolising gold.
- Eco-spiritual practice: Deities are brought from the reserved forest only for the festival; no permanent stone idol or sanctum exists.
- Associated sites:
- Chilukalagutta hill – starting point of Sammakka procession.
- Kanneboyina Palli – origin of Sarakka procession.
- Jampanna Vagu stream – ritual bath for devotees; named after Jampanna, Sammakka’s warrior son.
- Link with epic literature: Medaram lies within the larger Dandakaranya zone, where the Ramayana situates part of Rama’s exile.
