Sammakka Saralamma Jathara | 22 Feb 2024

Recently, the Prime Minister of India extended greetings at the start of the largest tribal festival, Sammakka Saralamma Jathara or Medaram Jathara

Medaram Jathara (primarily celebrated by the Koya tribe) is the largest tribal religious congregation in the world, held biennually, with approximately 10 million people converging on the place, over four days in the month of 'Magha' (February) on the full moon day in Medaram.
- Medaram is a remote place in the Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary, Telangana.
Medaram Jathara commemorates the bravery of Sammakka and Saralamma, tribal goddesses who fought against injustice.
- It is a festival with no Vedic or Brahmanic influence.
Folklore:
- Sammakka, found as a newborn amidst tigers, grew up to become a tribal chief and married Pagididda Raju (Kakatiya feudatory chief), she had two daughters, Sarakka and Nagulamma, and a son named Jampanna.
During the Jathara people offer bangaram (gold) in the form of jaggery of a quantity equal to their weight to the goddesses and take holy baths in the Jampanna Vagu (stream).
Jampanna Vagu, a tributary of River Godavari, named after tribal warrior Jampanna, runs red with his blood from battle against the Kakatiya Army. Tribals bathe here to honour his sacrifice and gain courage.