Sammakka Sarakka Jatara is observed in Magh month (February). This is a biannual festival and attracts millions of people and is the largest tribal festival in the world. Sammakka Saralamma Jatara 2024 dates are February 20 to February 24. The jatara is held at Medaram, which is around 90 km from Warangal in Telangana.
Tribal priests will bring the idol of Sammakka from
Chilkalguda hillocks, two km away from Medaram, and install
it at the altar in Medaram on February 20, 2024.
The next day, they bring the idol of Sarakka from Kannepally
village to be installed.
Two days later, the priest will take the Sammakka idol away.
Next day, the idol of Sarakka is taken away. With this, the jatara comes to an
end.
The biannual Sammakka Saralamma Jatara is observed for four days before full moon day or purnima of the Magh month.
The festival is basically dedicated to two tribal women - Sammakka and Saralamma. They were fierce warriors. Sammakka is the mother of Saralamma. Sammakka is believed to be of divine incarnation.
The gaddis or thrones of Sammakka, Sarakka, Pagid Siddiraju (husband of Sammakka) and Govindaraju (husband of Sarakka) are decorated with new clothes two weeks before the festival.
As per custom one of the Koya boys will receive a vision of the deity and will roam in the forest without food and sleep for a week before he brings the goddesses in the form of vermilion boxes which represent the main deity Sammakka and her daughter, Sarakka, both tied to a piece of bamboo.
A day before the festival begins, Sarakka’s vermilion box, decorated with peacock feathers, pots and bells, is brought from the neighboring village of Kannepalli.
On the main festival day of the jatara, Sammakka’s vermilion box, which is covered in vermilion and turmeric, is brought with a guard of honor by the police chief of Telangana, who fires three shots into the air to begin the jatara. (Source - Vicissitudes of the Goddess: Reconstructions of the Gramadevata in India By Sri Padma)
The main offerings during the jatara by devotees include jaggery equal to their weight. Animal sacrifice and worship of bamboo are part of the jatara. A large number of people dance to the drumbeat as if possessed by the deity. Some devotees shave their head in reverence to the goddess. Some offer cooked food. Some devotees also take bath in the Jampanna vagu here as it is believed that the water body has curative properties.