'Medaram Maha Jathara' Tribal Festival Begins In Telangana, Massive Turnout Expected
For the first time, AI is being used for the safety and security of devotees during the four-day mega tribal festival.
Published : January 28, 2026 at 1:33 PM IST
Hyderabad: India's largest tribal festival, the 'Maha Jathara' of goddesses Sammakka and Saralamma, began at Medaram in Telangana's Mulugu district on January 28 and will continue till January 31. An estimated one crore tribals and other devotees will arrive here from across the country during the four-day festival.
The state government has made elaborate arrangements for this grand festival, which takes place every two years. It has spent Rs 251 crore on reconstructing the goddesses' shrine complex and providing necessary facilities for the devotees.
On the first day of the Medaram Maha Jathara on Wednesday, goddess Saralamma, whom devotees worship as the moon of Kannepalli, will arrive. First, priests will perform rituals according to tribal traditions at the Saralamma temple in Kannepalli, three kilometres from Medaram village. Afterward, Saralamma will be brought from the Jampanna stream and seated on the pedestal.
Her father, Pagididdaraju, has already set out on foot from Punugondla in Gangaram mandal of Mahabubabad district to Medaram. Tribal deity, Govinda Raju, considered as the son-in-law of Sammakka and husband of Saralamma, will be brought from Kondai in Eturnagaram mandal. All the deities will be seated on pedestals.
The most crucial event of the festival is the arrival of forest goddess Sammakka, who will be brought from Chilukala Gutta near Medaram on Thursday, under the leadership of Kokkera Krishnaiah. As Samakka, in the form of a vermilion box, is brought in, SP Sudheer Ramnath Kekan will fire shots into the air as a mark of respect. Samakka will then be installed on the platform.
On Friday, devotees will traditionally offer gold equivalent to their weight. The festival concludes on Saturday with the deities' return to the forest.
Vehicles are already lining up from all corners of the state with thousands of devotees arriving every day to offer prayers in advance. The festival will formally commence tomorrow evening with the arrival of Saralamma, Pagididda Raju, and Govinda Raju, marking the beginning of the sacred celebrations.
Maha Jathara AI Innovations
This year, the Medaram Maha Jathara has become a showcase of technology with police used Artificial Intelligence (AI) to provide numerous facilities. Technology for tracking lost children is being used for the first time.
For the convenience of devotees, government has launched an official website, a mobile application and a WhatsApp chatbot. Also, a safety module has been installed in the App that includes sending SOS alerts during emergencies and for registering complaints.
Massive arrangements have been made with the coordination of 21 departments, including Roads and Buildings, Panchayat Raj, Irrigation, Electricity, Tribal Welfare, Endowments, Police, RTC, Medical, and Fire Services.
Devotees started arriving in Medaram a month ago and it is estimated that approximately five million visitors from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and several other states have reached here so far. On weekends alone, nearly 8 to 10 lakh devotees are visiting the sacred site. Devotees are taking holy dips in the Jampanna Vagu and offering gold equivalent to their body weight or height, a unique and deeply rooted tradition of the Jathara. By the time the goddesses arrive at the altars, entire villages are expected to descend upon Medaram.
A total of 42,027 officials and staff from 21 departments have been deployed for festival duties, along with 2,000 tribal youth volunteers. For effective crowd management, Medaram has been divided into eight administrative zones and 42 sectors. Each zone is monitored by a district-level officer, while each sector is supervised by a Mandal-level officer. Control rooms have been set up at key locations including the temple premises, platforms, Jampanna Vagu, RTC bus stand, Oorattam, Shivaram Sagar, Narlapur, and Padigapur. Missing persons camps and emergency response teams are functioning round the clock.
To ensure uninterrupted communication, 27 permanent mobile towers, 33 mobile towers, and 450 VHF sets have been installed. To reduce traffic congestion, 42 parking areas covering 1,418 acres have been developed under the supervision of the Forest and Tribal Welfare departments.
Drinking water arrangements have been made under Mission Bhagiratha, with installation of 5,482 water taps. For devotees bathing in Jampanna Vagu, 119 dressing rooms have been set up, and water will be chlorinated regularly.
A total of 5,700 toilets in 285 blocks, along with mobile toilets, have been arranged. To ensure uninterrupted power supply, 196 transformers, 911 electricity poles, and 65.75 kilometres of power lines have been installed, with 350 personnel on duty.
Around 4,000 special buses are being operated while 5,000 health personnel have been deployed to provide medical services. With elaborate arrangements in place, Medaram is all set to witness one of the grandest spiritual gatherings in the world.
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