Sammakka-Saralamma Jatara ends at Medaram
WARANGAL: The four-day, biennial Sammakka - Sarakka Jatara (from February 12 to 15) at Medaram village ended on a peaceful note on Saturday. The Jatara ended with the idols of the tribal deities of Sammakka, Sarakka, Padigidde Raju and Govinda Raju being taken back to the forest in a ritual called 'Vanapravesham' on Saturday evening.
After taking the deities to the forest, the tribal priests performed special rituals to mark the culmination of the Jatara. Lakhs of pilgrims participated in the closing ceremony.
Thousands of devotees thronged the special altars in the village -- where the idols of the deities had been kept during the Jatara -- even after their 'Vanapravesham' in the belief that their 'spirits' would be lingering there for a week to bless them.
District Collector G Kishan, who had camped in Medaram along with the district officials for four days to ensure orderly conduct of the Jatara, told newsmen there on Saturday that more than 1 crore devotees had visited Medaram during the Jatara. He appreciated the officials for the successful and peaceful conduct of the Jatara with good coordination among themselves.
He admitted that the pilgrims had faced some small problems during the Jatara and promised to take steps to avoid them during the next Jatara in 2016.
He said that the district administration had shot a documentary on the Medaram Jatara and added that it would help in solving the problems. Warangal Rural SP LKV Ranga Rao said that the arrival of a large number of vehicles in Medaram during the first two days of the Jatara had led to severe traffic problems.
He estimated that 80,000 vehicles - both the RTC buses and private vehicles - visited Medaram during the four-day Jatara. Endowment Assistant Commissioner D Rajeshwar said that his department officials would take up the counting of the Jatara hundi collections on Monday.
News Posted: 16 February, 2014
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