1. Key Facts
- Location: Medaram village, Mulugu district (formerly part of Warangal), Telangana
- Deities: Tribal goddesses Sammakka (mother) and Sarakka/Saralamma (daughter), venerated symbolically as bamboo poles coated with turmeric and vermilion
- Community: Koya (Gond) tribe
- Origins: Traced to the 12th century CE, during the Kakatiya period
- Festival Cycle: Celebrated once every two years during Magha Sudha Pournami (January–February)
- Scale: Medaram Jatara is India’s second-largest fair after the Kumbh Mela, observed over four days by the Koya tribe, the second-largest tribal community in Telangana
2. Historical and Cultural Significance
- Legend of Resistance: Sammakka and Sarakka are believed to have led an armed uprising against the Kakatiya rulers to oppose oppressive taxation on the Koya people. Their martyrdom is central to the festival’s commemorative ethos.
- Mass Participation: Regarded as the world’s largest tribal gathering, the Jatara attracts over 10 million (1 crore+) devotees within four days.
- Ritual Offerings: Devotees offer Bangaram—lumps of pure jaggery equal to their body weight—symbolising gold and gratitude.
- Eco-Spiritual Tradition: The deities are ceremonially brought from the surrounding reserved forests only during the festival; there are no permanent idols or stone temples.
- Associated Sacred Sites:
- Chilukalagutta Hill: Starting point of Sammakka’s procession
- Kanneboyina Palli: Origin of Sarakka’s procession
- Jampanna Vagu: Sacred stream where devotees bathe, named after Jampanna, Sammakka’s warrior son
- Mythological Context: Medaram lies within the broader Dandakaranya region, traditionally associated with episodes from the Ramayana, particularly Rama’s exile.