Temple

Sammakka Saralamma Jathara: The World’s Largest Tribal Festival of Faith and Resilience - by Pradhana ArchakuluChandha Raghupathi Rao

Listen as Chandha Raghupathi Rao, the Samakka Pradhana Archakulu, shares the story of the Sammakka Saralamma Jathara in Medaram, Telangana. Held every two years, this remarkable tribal festival honors the goddesses Sammakka and Saralamma, drawing millions who come to offer jaggery and prayers in a powerful tribute to courage and devotion.

Description

The Sammakka Saralamma Jathara is a significant tribal festival held in Telangana, India. This event honors the goddesses Sammakka and Saralamma, commemorating their resistance against an unjust law. The festival takes place in Medaram, within the Tadvai Mandal of Mulugu district, a remote area in the Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary, part of the vast Dandakaranya forest.

The Jathara, held every two years, is one of the largest tribal gatherings globally, attracting around ten million people.

During the Jatara, the deities are ceremoniously brought from the forest to a designated spot for 10–12 days. Devotees gather to offer prayers and gifts of pure jaggery, known as 'bangaram.' The air is filled with divine chants as thousands of buses arrive, bringing pilgrims from far and wide.

The Sammakka Saralamma Temple, dedicated to two heroic women, Sammakka and Saralamma, stands as a symbol of courage and community resilience. People revere these women, who became martyrs in battle, as deities. The legend tells of a Koya tribal troop discovering a little girl, Sammakka, playing with a tigress. Her bravery inspired the troop's leader to adopt her. Sammakka later married Pagididda Raju, a Kakatiya chief and had a daughter, Sarakka. Both women courageously opposed the Kakatiya kings' oppressive tax policies and lost their lives in the struggle. The Koya community built this temple in their honor, and their legacy is celebrated annually in the Sammakka Saralamma Jatara, one of the world's largest tribal festivals.

Dandakaranya, the region where the temple is located, is historically significant, as it is believed to be the place where Lord Sri Rama, his consort Sita, and his brother Lakshmana stayed during their 14-year exile. The area holds significant spiritual importance for many devotees.

To be updated