Hanumakonda, Feb 5: Following the grand conclusion of the biennial Sammakka-Saralamma Maha Jatara, the monumental task of counting hundi collections has officially commenced at the TTD Kalyana Mandapam in Hanamkonda. Under heavy police escort and strict CCTV surveillance, authorities shifted 827 hundi boxes from the Medaram forest shrine to the counting center to begin the assessment of offerings made during the four-day tribal festival.
With an estimated 2.5 crore devotees having visited the forest hamlet between January 28 and January 31, the Endowment Department has deployed a dedicated team of over 100 staff members and volunteers to manage the process. Given the sheer volume of cash, gold, and silver offerings, officials anticipate that the counting will take at least 15 days to complete. The logistics involved are massive, with the boxes having been transported via RTC Cargo to ensure all offerings were secured immediately after the festival’s conclusion.
Initial reports suggest that the 2026 collections are poised to shatter previous records, reflecting the unprecedented footfall seen this year. While many devotees traditionally offer their weight in jaggery—locally referred to as “Bangaram”—the hundi boxes specifically capture the financial contributions and precious metals dropped at the sacred platforms. This surge in revenue is a testament to the growing scale of the “Kumbh Mela of the South,” which draws pilgrims from across Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Chhattisgarh.
Minister Seethakka, who oversaw the festival’s arrangements, has lauded the event as a historic success. The Medaram Jatara remains a unique cultural phenomenon, eschewing permanent temple structures in favor of celebrating the bravery of tribal mothers Sammakka and Saralamma through Koya tribal rituals. Once the counting concludes in late February, the State Government will release a final official statement on the total revenue, which will be utilized for the further development of the shrine and surrounding tribal regions.
