Be it a software engineer or a multi-millionaire, one has to entertain the public by donning greasepaint, collect alms and offer the proceedings to village deity Sattemma Talli. The belief that the goddess won’t accept one’s own money, but the assortment of alms, is prompting people to don different getups to entertain the public.
As a result, the biennial folk festival Sattemma Thalli Jatara at Koppavaram village of Anaparthi mandal in East Godavari district becomes the cynosure of all eyes. Though the festival lasts for three days, it is the last day that attracts crowds from faraway places.
While residents of this tiny verdant village and the surroundings make it a point to participate in the festival to fulfil their vows, many turn up only to get entertained. Creativity will be at its peak, as those who switch over to new roles have no dearth of money. From costumes to accessories and cosmetics, there is no compromise. Generally, men prefer to dress up as women and vice-versa, while the kids evince interest in donning the roles of mythological characters or their favourite film stars.
“When we have an unfulfilled desire, we pray to Sattemma Talli during the jatara. For sure, she will answer our prayers before the next round of the festival. In return, we have to collect alms from the public and offer it to the goddess,” explains K. Anilkumar Reddy, a native of Gollala Mamidada village, who settled down in California in the U.S. as software engineer. He visited the festival in Lord Rama’s attire to collect alms, as he says his prayer of having children got fulfilled.
Folk festivals in general are annual affairs and are celebrated in the night with illumination, bursting of crackers and beating of drums.
This biennial festival, however, is quite different from them. The celebrations are in broad daylight, where the rich and the poor are treated alike, as it is difficult to establish the identity of those who are in their temporary roles.
Some devotees even formed into groups and performed comedy skits in their new avatars to entertain the public.
“There is nothing to feel inferior or getting humiliated. It is part of appeasing the goddess, who is kind-hearted,” observes Padala Ramesh Reddy, a native of Ramavaram and a software engineer from Germany.
