With a significant surge of pilgrims, an atmosphere of heightened spiritual fervour and devotion pervaded the forest areas of Medaram tribal shrine and its surrounding villages in Mulugu on Wednesday. The huge rush of devotees for Medaram Jatararesulted in tightly packed queues. Devotees flocked to Medaram from various parts of the country to have the darshan of tribal deities, Sammakka and Saralamma, during the biennial Jatara that formally commenced on Wednesday.
Jampanna, a revered figure, adorned his designated Gadde (sacred platform) at the tribal shrine at 8:31 pm on Tuesday. Subsequently, devotees began streaming towards the sacred platforms from the early hours of Wednesday, while numerous others eagerly awaited the arrival of Saralamma, marking the official commencement of the Jatara.
Officials said that Saralamma, the daughter of Sammakka, is scheduled to be brought to the platform by Koya priests around 9 pm on Wednesday, following a procession starting at 6 pm from Kannepally village, approximately three kilometers away from Medaram. Pagididdaraju from Punugondla and Govindarajulu from Kondai will also be brought to the shrine by the time of arrival of Saralamma.
In preparation for the arrival of the forest deities, the shrine premises were adorned with intricate decorations. Floral arrangements at the main gate, featuring various blooms, captivated the attention of devotees. Sanitation crews aided by Koya youth volunteers are on the job of clearing offerings, such as jaggery and coconuts, to prevent the accumulation of waste.
Meanwhile, police personnel are closely monitoring crowd and managing vehicular traffic. They cautioned the devotees against thefts. Staff from various government department were actively involved in serving the deities at Gaddelu.
As a devotee, Mallaiyagiri Raju, from Peddapalli district experienced breathing difficulties while waiting in the queue line. He was rushed to a local makeshift hospital for medical aid.
Furthermore, an RTC bus from the Mancherial depot, carrying 50 passengers to Medaram, was involved in a collision with a coal-laden lorry in the Medipally forest area of Jayashankar Bhupalpally district on Wednesday. While the lorry driver sustained severe injuries, the bus driver and several passengers suffered minor injuries.
