Medaram Jathara in Mulugu District of Telangana State - How to Reach & Timings: Sammakka Saralamma Jatara, also called Medaram Jatara, is a tribal festival that is held in the Indian state of Telangana to honour the goddesses. The Jatra begins at Medaram in Tadvai Mandal in the Mulugu district. It remembers how a mother and daughter, Sammakka and Saralamma, fought against an unfair law with the help of the rulers. People think the Medaram jatara brings in the most devotees in the country after the Kumbha Mela. In 2012, there were about 10 million people there. It is celebrated in Medaram at the time when the tribal people believe their goddesses will come to visit them. Medaram is in the Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary, part of Dandakaranya, Mulugu's largest remaining forest belt. It is a remote place.

Medaram Jathara

Medaram Jathara in Mulugu District


There are many stories about how sammakka can do amazing things. A tribal report says that about 6-7 hundred years ago, in the 13th century, some tribal leaders who went hunting found a young girl named Sammakka playing with tigers while giving off a tremendous amount of light. She was brought to their home. The head of the tribe took her in and raised her as a chief. (She later saved the tribal people in the area.) She was married to Pagididda Raju, a feudal tribal chief of Kakatiyas (who ruled the country of Andhra from Warangal City between 1000 AD and 1380 AD). She was lucky enough to have two daughters and a son. Their names were Sarakka, Nagulamma, and Jampanna.

Ritual:


Sammakka Saralamma Jathara is when the largest religious gathering of tribal people in the world takes place. It happens every two years; over four days, about ten million people gather 90 km from Warangal city. The State Festival of Telangana is the Sammakka Saralamma Jathara. Tribal devotees from M.P, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and parts of Jharkhand travel to the festival site to celebrate the Jathara. People give the goddesses bangaram (jaggery) equal to their weight and take a holy bath in Jampanna Vagu (stream). It is a festival with nothing to do with the Vedas or the Brahmans.

A bullock cart was the only way to get to Medaram until 1998. In 1998, the state government made the festival that had been going on for a thousand years official and built a road that cars could drive on. In 2008, it was thought that about 8 million people went to the festival. And in recent years, about 10 million people have met in the Jathara. People from all over the world are said to come to this fair more than any other. During the festival, the Warangal highway traffic jam can last up to 60 km. In 2012, about 1 billion people went to the biggest tribal festival in the world.

 

Jampanna Vagu:

River Godavari gets water from Jampanna vagu. According to history, Jampanna is the tribal warrior and the son of the tribal goddess Sammakka. The Jampanna vagu was named after him because he died in a battle against the Kakatiyan Army. The Jampanna vagu is still red from the blood of the Jampanna (Scientifically, the water's red colour is attributed to the soil composition). Tribal people believe that taking a holy dip in Jampanna Vagu's red water reminds them of their gods' sacrifices to save them and gives them courage. On top of Jampanna Vagu is a bridge called the Jampanna Vagu bridge.

 

Timings of Sammakka Saralamma Jatara Temple


Monday to Sunday – Morning Hours – 06:00 am to 12:00 pm
Monday to Sunday – Evening Hours – 05:00 pm to 08:00 pm
Monday to Sunday – Temple Closing Timings – 12:00 pm to 05:00 pm


How to reach Medaram Jathara in Mulugu District


By Train: 

There are trains from Hyderabad to Medaram. You can go to Kazipet or Warangal. There are trains from Hyderabad to Warangal. From Warangal to Medaram, there are many buses, and it takes 93 km to get to Medaram. 

By Road: 

Passengers On the Occasion of Medaram Jathara, dear Passengers, from Hyderabad Mahatma Gandhi bus stand (MGBS) to Medaram, you can take buses directly from Uppal to Medaram. There are many buses that go to Medaram, which is 240 km away. It can take up to 6 hours to get there at the most. From Chhattisgarh, you can take a bus to Medaram, which takes 14 hours. It takes 17 hours to get to Medaram from Maharashtra by bus. From Maharashtra, you can take a bus to Medaram, which takes 12 hours.

Medaram Jathara in Mulugu District