The Sammakka Saralamma carnival in Medaram, Mulugu district, ended after four days with the deities returning to their temples. Tribal priests took the deity Saralamma to her temple in Kannepalli, while Mother Sammakka was taken to Chilukalagutta hillock, bidding farewell to devotees with drumbeats.
The tribal priests also took deities Pagididda Raju and Govindaraju to their respective temples. The number of devotees at the jatara surpassed 1.35 crore by mid-Saturday, highlighting Medaramjatara as one of the world’s largest tribal gatherings. The devotee rush is expected to continue till Wednesday, albeit with less intensity.
Telangana Legislative Council Speaker Gaddam Prasad and other dignitaries paid their respects to the tribal deities at Medaram. Notable figures like Dharmapuri MLA Adluri Laxman Kumar, MLC Balmuri Venkat, High Court Judges Haripriya and Revathi, and DIG K Srinivas Reddy also visited the festival. Mulugu district collector Ila Tripathi commended the efforts of the rescue team from Singareni Collieries, as well as the staff from health, police, endowments, and revenue departments for their services during the jatara.