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| Sammakka Saralamma Jatara | |
|---|---|
 Sammakka Saralamma Jatara | |
| Official name | సమ్మక్క సారలమ్మ జాతర |
| Also called |
|
| Observed by | Koya tribes |
| Observances | Offering to the Goddesses Sammakka and Saralamma |
| Frequency | every 2 years |
Sammakka Saralamma Jatara (also Sammakka Sarakka Jatara and Medaram Jatara)[1] is a festival to honour the Hindu Tribal goddesses, celebrated in the state of Telangana, India. This Jatara is known for witnessing one of the largest human gatherings in the world. People offer Bellam (jaggery), locally called as Bangaram, to the deities. The Jatara begins at Medaram in Tadvai Mandala in Mulugu district. The rituals related to the Goddesses are entirely performed by the Koya Tribe priests, in accordance with Koya customs and traditions.
Until 1955, about 2,000 people used to visit Medaram, of whom the majority (1,500) belonged to the Koya tribe. But now a large number of non-Koya pilgrims (1.3 crore) visit Medaram and the Koya people comprise only 2% of the total worshippers.[2]
Medaram is a remote place in the Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary, a part of Dandakaranya, the largest surviving forest belt in the Deccan.
Once declared a national festival, the jatara can be considered for 'intangible cultural heritage of humanity' tag of UNESCO.[citation needed] The Jatara is celebrated during the time the goddesses (Sammakka and Saralamma) of the tribals are believed to visit them. It is believed that after Kumbha Mela, the Sammakka Saralamma Jatara attracts the largest number of devotes in the country.
- ^ "Telangana Tourism - Visit for all reasons & all seasons". Archived from the original on 27 August 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
- ^ "This little Telangana village hosts one of the biggest festivals: Sammakka Saralamma Jatara". The Hindu. TNN. 2 August 2017. Archived from the original on 16 February 2020. Retrieved 16 February 2020.