Sammakka-Sarakka Jatara

Context

Sammakka-Sarakka Jatara, Asia’s biggest biennial tribal festival, is scheduled from February 21 to 24.

About

Type: Tribal Festival (State Festival of Telangana)
Conducted in: Medaram village by the committee of tribal priests.
Sammakka Saralamma Jathara or Medaram Jathara is a tribal festival of honouring the goddesses celebrated in the southern state of Telangana.

Medaram is a remote place in the Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary, a part of Dandakaranya, the largest surviving forest belt in the Mulugu

It commemorates the fight of a mother and daughter, Sammakka and Saralamma, with the reigning rulers against an unjust law.
It is celebrated by the second-largest Tribal Community of Telangana- the Koya tribe.

Koya Tribe

Koya is a tribal group found in southern India, especially Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Koyas are commonly referred to as Koi, Koyalu, Koyollu, KoyaDoralu, Dorala Sattam, etc.
Koyas call themselves "Koitur" in their dialect.
Koyas speaks Koya language, also known as Koya Basha, and is a member of the Dravidian language family.
The Koya are mainly settled cultivators and artisans, expertise in making bamboo furniture including mats for fencing, dustpans, and baskets.
They grow Jowar, Ragi, Bajra and other millets.

People offer bangaram/gold (jaggery) of a quantity equal to their weight to the goddesses and take holy bath in Jampanna Vagu (stream).
It is a festival with no vedic or brahmanic influence.
This fair is said to be the largest repeating congregation of tribal communities in the world.
It is held every two years (biennually).

Jampanna vagu

Jampanna vagu is a tributary to River Godavari. According to the history, Jampanna is the tribal warrior and the son of Tribal Goddess Sammakka.
The Jampanna vagu took his name as he died in a battle fighting against Kakatiyan Army in that stream.
The Jampanna vagu is still red in colour marked with the blood of Jampanna (Scientifically the red colour of the water is attributed to the soil composition).
Tribal's believe that taking a holy dip in the red water of Jampanna Vagu reminds them the sacrifice of their gods who save them and also induces courage into their souls.