Devotees throng Medaram ahead of Sammakka-Sarakka Maha Jatara

Mulugu, Jan 16: The Medaram Sammakka-Sarakka Jatara, the world’s largest tribal festival, is currently seeing a massive surge in devotees ahead of the official “Maha Jatara” date. Thousands of devotees from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Maharashtra are arriving daily to offer “Bangaram” (jaggery) and perform traditional rituals before the peak rush.  Heavy traffic is already reported on the Pasra-Medaram route; police are currently managing vehicle flow to prevent gridlock. State ministers and officials are conducting active inspections of the development works at the temple premises to ensure readiness for the expected three crore devotees. The temple is scheduled to be closed on Wednesday, January 21, as part of pre-Jatara rituals. It will reopen on January 19 for general darshan. 

The Maha Jatara will officially take place from January 28 to January 31, 2026. ‘My Medaram’ WhatsApp Bot: Devotees can now access route updates, medical camp locations, and traffic info by messaging 7658912300. For real-time updates and live feeds, follow the official handle: @Medaramjathara on X (Twitter). Reports indicate high demand for local rentals, with unusual incidents like farmers renting out mango trees for camping space being highlighted in local news.