Telangana's Medaram Jatra Fetches Huge Crowd On First Day, Sammakka To Arrive Today
Devotees were in tears when priests carried Sarlamma, a forest goddess, in a bamboo basket, walking over the devotees as part of the traditional ritual.
Published : January 29, 2026 at 3:46 PM IST
Medaram: The Telangana Kumbh Mela literally turned into a sea of devotees on Wednesday with the ceremonial arrival of Sarlamma, the forest goddess, on the first day of the Sammakka Saralamma Jatara in Medaram under Tadvai mandal in Mulugu district.
Lakhs of devotees and their families reached the site in bullock carts, buses and other means of transport to witness the historic ritual. Early in the morning, special prayers were offered to Sarlamma at the temple in Kannepalli, about 3.5 kilometres from Medaram. The rituals were conducted under the supervision of chief priest Kaka Sarayya. Women of the village decorated the temple courtyard with colourful rangoli designs, adding to the festive atmosphere.
Ministers Seethakka and Adluri Lakshman Kumar, Mulugu district collector Divakara, SP Sudheer Ramnath Kekan and senior officials reached Kannepalli to participate in the ceremony. At 7.40 pm, when Sarlamma was brought out of the Kannepalli temple, Shivashaktis went into a trance and swayed in devotion. As tribal devotees danced and blew traditional horns, ministers and officials welcomed the forest goddess with deep reverence and spiritual ecstasy.
Outside the temple, devotees fulfilled their vows by prostrating on the ground. Priests carried Sarlamma in a bamboo basket, walking over the devotees as part of the traditional ritual. The emotional sight moved devotees to tears as they raised chants praising the forest goddess.
From Kannepalli, the procession proceeded towards Medaram under a three-tier security. On the way, the priests crossed the Jampanna stream and reached the Sammakka temple premises. Pagididdaraju and Govindarajulu deities, along with their priests, were already present. After Sarlamma's arrival, special prayers were offered to the three deities before they were taken to the altars. A formal welcome ceremony was held, and the deities were installed on the altars after midnight. Lakhs of devotees competed to witness the sacred installation.
The arrival of Sammakka is scheduled for Thursday, with authorities expecting an even larger turnout of devotees.
Under the supervision of IG Chandrasekhar Reddy, about 13,000 police personnel were deployed for strict security. Nearly 40,000 personnel from 21 departments across 42 sectors were engaged in festival duties.
Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy interacted with traffic personnel deployed at Medaram through a high-frequency walkie-talkie from the secretariat in Hyderabad to instruct them to ensure smooth traffic movement and avoid inconvenience to devotees.
A massive turnout was witnessed on the very first day of the Jatara. Hundreds of RTC buses reached the terminus, spread across 50 acres, while the 1,462 acres earmarked for private vehicle parking were filled. Thousands of devotees took holy dips in the Jampanna stream, while long queues overflowed at the temple premises.
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