Medaram Jatara 2022 from Feb 16 to 19; Asia’s biggest tribal fair all set to enliven forest heartland of Telangana’s Mulugu district

The biennial mega four-day jatara of Medaram Sammakka-Saralamma is scheduled to be celebrated from February 16 to 19, 2022. Asia’s biggest and the only tribal fair devoted to pay tribute to local warriors who made supreme sacrifices defending the rights of aboriginal tribal people. People across Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Odisha, Maharashtra and other places travel all the way to Medaram, a tiny village located in Telangana’s tribal heartland of Mulugu district, erstwhile composite Warangal district.

The previous Jatara in February 2020 saw around 1.5 crore people from all around the country and this time the number is estimated to go up to 20 million (2 crore), according to officials.

Reviewing the arrangements at the site, Tribal Welfare Minister Satyavati Rathod said elaborate arrangements are in place and the government machinary is all prepared to conduct the Medaram Jatara smoothly.

Story of Medaram Jatara

The tribal fair, equivalant in size to that of Kumbh Mela in north India, is celebrated by people of all hues in and around Telangana, to commemorate a tribal revolt led by Sammakka and Saralamma, a mother-daughter duo, against levy of taxes on tribal people during drought conditions by the then Kakatiya rulers in the 12th century.

The jatara epitomises the courage displayed by the mother-daughter duo, along with other family members, in the struggle against a despotic regime determined to collecting taxes from the people of Medaram during turbulent times caused by severe drought. The sacred site in Medaram and its surrounding Jampanna vagu, named after tribal martyr Jampanna, son of Sammakka, comes alive with lakhs of devotees during the four-day jatara.

Non-tribals equally worship Medaram deities

Originally celebrated by tribals of the reqion to commemorated their warriors, the Jatara evolved over the time into a general festivity and more and more non-tribals started flocking to Medaram during the jatara.

Sammakka and Saralamma are revered by devotees as tribal goddesses, and they make offerings to propitiate them to bestow health and wealth. All the rituals at the jatara site are conducted in tune with tribal traditions under the aegis of tribal priests.

Legend has it that in the 12th century, a tribal chieftain Medaraju of ‘Polavasa’ region (erstwhile Karimnagar district) found a baby in a forest during a hunting spree. He named her Sammakka, brought her up and got her married to Pagidigidda Raju, a tribal leader of Medaram, who was a feudatory of Kakatiya rulers. Sammakka had three children Nagulamma, Saralamma and Jampanna.

As the then Kakatiya king insisted on payment of taxes by people of Medaram despite drought, Pagidigidda Raju refused to obey his diktat. Enraged over this, the king declared a war on Medaram and deployed a large contingent of his army.

Undeterred by the military might of the Kakatiya rulers, Sammakka and her husband joined the battle. Even after the death of her husband, daughter and son in the battle, Sammakka continued the fight and suffered grievous injuries. She vanished into Chilakalagutta hillock nearby and the locals found a container of vermillion on the hillock. They believed Sammakka had turned into a goddess to protect them with her divinity.

Ever since, the Koya tribal people congregated at the site every two years, to commemorate the sacrifices their leaders and in the course of centure thereafter the Jatara gained huge significance evan among the non-tribals who believe that the deity grants their wishes unfailingly. They, in return for the favors done by the goddesses, offer jaggery equalant to their weight. The jatara witnesses the traditions and heritage of the Koya tribal people.

The traditional devotees, mostly women go into a trance around the Gadde, proclaiming to be possessed by the goddess and others revere them during the Punakam which lasts for a few minutes. The sacrifice of cocks and goats, folk songs accompanies by pulsating traditional drum beats are witnessed throughout night and day during the four-day jatara.

Challenge ahead for govt machinery  

The question is- what will be the impact of such a huge human congregation when the COVID-19 is raising its head once again? Really a tough task ahead for the health and home departments to ensure strict implementation of the COVID-19 safety norms during the four-day jatara.

The Tribal Welfare Minister Satyavati Rathod said the government machinary will ensure the strict implementation of Covid restrictions and the devotees will be provided masks free of cost. The Telangana government sanctioned Rs 75 crore for the conduct of the jatara, Rathod said, adding that a huge number of people are expected to visit the place from other parts of the country and overseas this year.