• Source:IANS
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Sammakka-Sarakka Jatara, one of the largest tribal fairs in India, began on Wednesday in Telangana's Mulugu district. The tribal festival started with the customary arrival of tribal Goddess Sarakka's image from Kannepally village, which was placed on a platform in Medaram, along with other idols.

The four-day event, also known as Sammakka Sarakka Medaram Jatara, attracts millions of devotees who worship the tribal deities Sammakka and Sarakka. The festival stands second on the list of India's largest religious gatherings, followed by Kumbh Mela. 

The devotees perform various rituals such as taking a holy dip in Jampanna vagu, offering jaggery to the deities, and sleeping on the path for the priests to walk over them as they considered it to be a good omen. The priests also wade through the stream avoiding the bridge as is their tradition.

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The festival is held once in two years in the Mulugu district of Telangana, where tribals from different states and languages gather to celebrate the valour of Sammakka and Sarakka, who died fighting against the Kakatiya Empire in the 13th century. This year, about 2 crore devotees from various states from the tribal belt including Telangana, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka are expected to participate in the festival.

The tribal priests bring the deities from different locations to Medaram, where they are adorned on the altar for one day on Thursday, which is considered the most auspicious day for the devotees. 

The state government has allocated Rs 110 crore for the conduct of the grand event. Various departments have made elaborate arrangements. Police and revenue departments have installed 700 CCTV cameras and deployed 14,000 police personnel. Police have also made arrangements for parking of 10 lakh vehicles at 40 places around the village, reported news agency IANS.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished the tribal community and all those who will be participating in Sammakka-Sarakka Medaram. PM Modi in a post on X said that the festival is a symbol of tribal culture and identity, as well as a combination of devotion, tradition and community spirit.