Mesram Raj Gonds on last leg of their journey

Journey coming to an end: Mesram Raj Gonds praying at the Goddess Inderaai temple at Indervelli in Adilabad district on Sunday.

The Mesram Raj Gonds, who had set out to fetch holy water from river Godavari for performing rituals during the ensuing Nagoba jatara, reached Indervelli mandal headquarters on Sunday on the last leg of their journey. They were given a traditional reception by Mesram clan Pardhan bards on the outskirts of the village before leading the caravan to Goddess Inderaai temple for performing the deity’s puja.

The Raj Gonds and Pardhans reached the large banyan tree on the outskirts of Keslapur village in the same mandal on Sunday night and would camp there for the next four days. On January 26, they would reach the Nagoba temple for the puja of the serpent god.

The chief priest, also called

Kathoda , of the clan, Mesram Hanmanth Rao, who carried the sacred Jhari — a water container made of brass believed to be 1,400 years old — was part of the bullock cart caravan. Women carried naivedyam for Inderaai and Nagoba in bamboo baskets.

The Raj Gonds also performed puja of the newly-built koneru or water tank replacing the old well from which they drew holy water used during rituals at the Nagoba jatara.

The night under the banyan tree was musical with the Pardhan bards singing the Nagoba Bhidi —mythological songs connected with the serpent god.