The far-flung tribal region of Medaram in Warangal district is now becoming sea of humanity due to the biennial tribal fair which will commence today. People are thronging the village for the past one week wherein thousands of people offered special prayers to the presiding deities Sammakka and Saralamma.
It is being said that one crore devotees are expected at the tribal festival in the next four days. Sammakka and Saralamma jatara, as the Medaram fair is popularly called, is the biggest tribal festival in Asia where the deities are worshipped symbolically in contrast to offering prayers to the idols of the goddesses.
Pagididda Raju, considered as the husband of Sammakka, and his nephew Govinda Raju commence their "journey" from Khammam district to Medaram carrying Pagididda Raju, who is decorated as the groom and is expected reach Medaram on Thursday before Sammakka is brought to this village from nearby forest.
Officials expect the biggest turnout of the festival on Friday. The highlight of the fair is the rare offering of jaggery to the deities. Devotees weigh themselves against jaggery cakes and offer them to the goddesses. Hundreds of tonnes of jaggery is sold during the festival while the jatara ends with the return of the deities to the forests on Saturday.
