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Sammakka Sarakka Jatara

By ManaPSC

Medaram Sammakka Sarakka Jatara History and its Importance:

Sammakka Saralamma Jatara or Medaram Jatara is a tribal festival of honouring the goddesses celebrated in the
state of Telangana, India.The Jatra begins at Medaram in Tadvai Mandal in Warangal district.It commemorates the
fight of a mother and daughter, Sammakka and Saralamma, with the reigning rulers against an unjust law. It is
believed that after Kumbha Mela, the Medaram jatara attracts the largest number of devotees in the country. An
estimated 10 million people gathered in 2012
It is celebrated in Medaram during the time the goddesses of the tribals is believed to visit them. Medaram is a
remote place in the Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary, a part of Dandakaranya, the largest surviving forest belt in the
Deccan.

There are many legends about the miraculous powers of sammakka .According to a tribal story, about 6-7 centuries
ago,that is in the 13th century, some tribal leaders who went for a hunting found a new born girl (Sammakka) emitting
enormous light playing amidst tigers. She was taken to their habitation . The head of the tribe adopted her and
brought up as a chief tain (She later became the saviour of the tribals of the region) she was married to Pagididda
Raju a feudatory tribal chief of Kakatiyas(who ruled the country of Andhra from Warangal City between 1000 AD and
1380 AD).She was blessed with 2 daughters and one son namely Sarakka, Nagulamma and Jampanna respectively.
After sometime, there was a severe drought that lasted for years and as a result the mighty Godavari River dried up.
pagedde Raju didnt pay tribute to King Pratapa Rudra. In turn king Pratapa rudra sent his army to subdue the tribals
and collect the tribute. Then a War was fought between tribal chief pagidde Raju and Kakatiya army on the banks of
Sampenga Vagu (Jampanna Vagu). The Koya army fought valiantly but could not with stand the well equipped
Kakatiya army. Though fought valiantly Pagididda Raju, his daughters Sarakka, Nagulamma, son in law Govinda
Raju lost (husband of Sarakka) lives in the battle. Later Jampanna also dies in Sampenga Vagu (after renamed as
Jampanna Vagu in the memory of his heroic fight against well trained Kakatiya army). .
Upon hearing this news Sammakka also enters war and fights and causes lot of damage to kakatiya army. Surprised
by her Bravery And Valour the Kakatiya Prime Minister visited war ravaged Koya kingdom with proposal of peace and
offered Sammakka a place in the emperors harem as the chief queen. Samakka turned down the offer and resolved
to continue the fight to avenge the dead. The battle continued and Sammakka was seriously wounded . Samakka
told her people that as long as they remembered her, she would protect them. Then, she cursed the Kaktiya dynasty
to perish And with that wounded body proceeded towards Chilakala gutta and disappeared in the forest. The
grieving Koyas searched for their queen all they found were a red ochre box(a container of vermilion), her bangles
and the pug marks of a huge full grown tigress, exactly the same place where she was found as a infant by the
koyas. The Kakatiya dynasty came to an end very soon. Since then the Koyas, Waddaras and other Indian tribes
and castes have been holding festivals in memory of Sammakka and Sarakka regularly .

Historical significance of the place Dandakaranya

This is the place whereLord Sri Rama along with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana made their abode for a while
during their 14-year exile in the forest. It is here that Lakshmana cut off the ears and nose of Surpanakha, sister of

Emperor Ravana of Sri Lanka.It is here that Rama killed maricha and destroyed 14-thousand strong infantry of
Khara, Dushana and Trisira. History behind the Dandakaranya forest: Ikshvaku was the ruler of the kingdom that
extended from Vindhya Mountains to Himalaya Mountains. He had hundred sons, among them Danda (danDa) on
whose name this uninhabitable forest was called as dandakaranya. (Uttara Ramayana).

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The dates of the Jatara are expected to be from February 17,2016 to February 20,2016

Source : Medaram.com , Medaram.org, Wikipedia .

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