Andhra Pradesh - Khammam   

National fest status for Medaram Jatara sought

KHAMMAM: Chanda Lingaiah Dora, chairman and convener of the ‘Mannesima Rastra Sadhana Samiti’ (MRSS) on Saturday demanded the Centre and the State to accord the status of ‘national tribal festival’ or the tribal Kumbh mela to the ‘Sammakka Saarakka Jatara’ held once in two years at Medaram in Warangal district and make arrangements for it accordingly. In a statement issued here, he took strong exception to what he called, the Telangana JAC claim for considering it the Telangana festival. Its importance cannot be restricted to a region, he added.

The Jatara had been drawing huge crowds, mainly from the tribal dominated regions of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Chattisgarh and Orissa.

It was considered to be the second largest religious gathering in the country after the Maha kumbh.

Over one crore people were expected to take part in the Jatara this time. The importance of the Jatara owed very much to the tribal ethos and history and it should not be allowed to dilute for political reasons. Mr. Lingaiah Dora, who claimed to be one of the hereditary priests of the Goddesses of Sammakka and Sarakka, wanted the administration to ensure the tribal rituals of the festival – such as weighing of the devotees against Jaggary – to continue without any deviation. He said the Manneseema Rastra Sadhana Samiti would release its literature on the banks of the Jampanna Vagu during the festival.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

TDP leaders voice concern over crop loss
National fest status for Medaram Jatara sought
Nandi Nataka Utsavalu at Khammam from Jan. 30

Copyright © 2010, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu