Medaram Sammaka & Saraka Jathara

About Medaram

Seven centuries ago, the tribals went in to deep forest for hunting. They have seen a child secured by cruel tigers and lions, with glorious presence, at the glorious light. The tribal’s elders (Koya doralu) lifted the child in manger to the village. Since the presence of the child, in the village there has been lot of prosperity and happiness in the village. The tribal elders felt that, their god Kondadevara (Kondadevara is a tribal god) has arrived to them as the child. In very ritual movement they named her as "Sammakka". Sammakka rowed on tigers and lions. She also is granting the wishes to child bearing couples. She cured so many persons suffering form chronic decease. Granting wishes held her popularity spread through out. The region as Sammakka reached her juvenile stage. She was married to Pagididda Raju, the ruler of Medaram village. The couple was very happy and people praised them as token of their relation. They were blessed with son and two daughters named Jampanna, Saralamma and Nagulamma. During this period Prathaparudra belonging Kakatiya dynasty was ruling capital city as "Orugallu" now it is known as Warangal. Pagididda Raju was being a subordinate king of Kakatiya dynasty and ruling the Medaram village in his province. There occurred a caviar famine for four years. In the same period, people became shuttered, because take of famine. The people were not a situation to pay their taxes. So Pagididda Raju refused to pay tax to the Kakatiya emperor. It was not agreeable to the king and decided to wage war under the lieutenant Yugandarudu. The tribal warriors having self-respect decided to prepare to war. The tribal warriors were not afraid of enemy forces having equines and elephantine forces. They attacked the Kakatiyans by shouting war crises. Thousands of heads were chopped like coconuts. The blood flew like river, and mixed with Sampenga Vagu the passageway. The water was adulterated with blood. In this battle, there was no difference like tribal or non-tribal among the people participated in war. The skilled tribal warriors were killed by Kakatiya strength. In this scared battle, Sammakka’s husband Pagididda Raju, Son in Law Govindaraju laid their victorious lives. Jampanna having self-respect ashamed and sacrificed him self, by jumping in to "Sampenga Vagu" Hence it is called as Jampanna Vagu. By hearing shocking news of her loved once (Husband, Son in Law, many tribal warriors), Sammakka didn’t gave up her courage. Having breast plate (Daalu) and sword she attacked the enemy forces. Showing her divine powers she shattered and terrorized. The Kakatiyans are almost confidante of victory. But they surprised by the divine combat of Sammakka. As Sammakka was at the peak of guts, suddenly a little boy came behind and back stroked Sammakka. Sammakka was turned behind raises her sword to kill the back stroker, and she realize that it was a little boy and she stops. She leaves the child by not killing him, with mercy. Then the Sammakka tied the wound with cloth and fled away on a horse from battlefield thinking of "If her blood drops on the land, the land will become barren and gives no fruit ". She fled away towards east of the Medaram village and disappeared. After the battle, the tribals searched for Sammakka in forest. They found a Kumkum Barinay (Hindus kept their thilak in a small box) at a snake hole in the shade of a Naga vruksham (Tree called Naga vruksham). Tribals felt that their goddess Sammakka has found as Kumkum Barinay. Once in two years on the day of "Magha shuddha Purnima" the tribal women celebrate a festival, where they got the Kumkum Barinay. As this festival become very popular and many tribal are coming to the place. That is why the tribal elders cut off the Naga vruksham and make it has symbol of Sammakka, build it in a platform. (Gadde) They also build another Platform (Gadde) for Sammakka’s daughter Saralamma. They worship "Deyyala Madugu thinking as Jampanna". Some pilgrims see a snake in the hole of Ippa chettu (Ippa Tree), which is besides the Sammakka’s platform and believe that it was Sammakka’s husband Pagididda Raju. People believe that Goddesses Sammakka, Saralamma fulfill their desires with their divine and miraculous powers. Issueless Couples visit to pray the goddess to bless them with children. Many a pilgrim pay their promises made to goddess during the Jathara, by offering Jaggery, calf, coconuts and donations in cash etc. Pilgrims bath in the Jampanna stream to get purified and absolve from sins. History of sammaka The undeterred resolve, honesty, uprightness and courage of two Girijan women, Sammakka and Saralamma, pitted against the might of cruel kind, symbolizing in short the spirit of the girijans in the face of odds, forms the sprit of the bi-annual Sammakka Saralamma jathara held in forests of Medaram in Eturnagaram mandal in Warangal district. This is the biggest Girijan festival held here. Medaram is a small village in the forest. Here Sammakka Jathara is celebrated once in two years on a very large - scale for three days before Magha Purnima Sammakka is a tribal goddess and the patrons and the priests are Koyas (A caste in tribals). All the tribals of Mulugu area and the thousands of other Hindus congregate there during the celebrations. There is no permanent idol of the deity. A 50-acre forest expanse would be used for the purpose, which is situated 110 km from the Warangal district headquarters on the banks of river. The jathara begins on Magha shuddha Purnima and continues for four days. Offerings are made to the goddesses with jaggery. About four lakh devotees worshipped the deities in the 1996 jathara. Though the State government realized the importance in 1952, it did not take any concrete measures to popularize it till 1982. A Koya tribal boy, who gets a vision before the festival, roams about in the forest for a week without food and sleep and finally brings the goddess in the farm of vermilion caskets. One representing the main duty Sammakka and the other her daughter Sarakka both tied to a piece of bamboo. This is installed on an earthen platform raised under a tree. Animals are sacrificed and vows are redeemed, intoxicants are widely used. Hundreds of people who are often possessed by the goddess come there dancing ecstatically throughout their journey. The special offering to the deity is jaggery, which collects, in huge piles. Those who fulfill vows offer jaggery equal to their weight and jaggery is distributed as prasadam. More than 2lakh of people congregate every day. They came in motorized vehicles, bullock carts, on foot in thousands causing an unprecedented traffic jam from Medaram whose tail could be traced 26 km away towards Warangal. Men and women attired in their best and many swathed in turmeric turned up for the jathara. For tribal youth, it was a no-holds-barred celebration. They reached the Sammakka Sarakka "gaddhelu'' (platform) dancing to the tune of drums with gay abandon while elderly people tried their best to have darshan. A large number of tribal men and women behaved as if "possessed'' by the tribal goddesses. People believe that Goddesses Sammakka, Saralamma fulfill their desires with their divine and miraculous powers. Issueless Couples visit to pray the goddess to bless them with children. Many pilgrim pay their promises made to goddess during the Jathara, by offering Jaggery, calf's, coconuts and donations in cash etc. Pilgrim bath in the Jampanna stream to get purified and absolve from sins.

Chiru juggernaut overruns Naik’s fort

PRP founder-president Chiranjeevi’s Praja Ankita Yatra, which ended in Telangana today, received overwhelming response in the Dornakal Assembly constituency which is represented by Tribal Welfare Minister DS Redya Naik. The PRP leaders are happy that youth and women, in large numbers, attended Chiranjeevi’s road shows in the Banjara-dominated constituency.The Dornakal constituency has its own significance. Redya Naik has won five times consecutively from the constituency which is a General seat. Neither the TDP nor the TRS has any influence on the people in the segment.Chiranjeevi participated in road shows at Kuravi and Maripeda where women gave a rousing welcome to him, all along. PRP observer Siddharthat Goud said they had apprehensions over the turnout as the road show was scheduled for the afternoon. ``We wondered if people would leave their work in the middle and come on to the roads. But, in contrast to our fears, there was a huge turnout wherever Chiranjeevi went,’’ he said.Chiranjeevi said special prayers at Kuravi Veerabhadra Swamy temple. Later, he participated in a road show at Maripeda bungalow.After covering 450 km in the district, he proceeded to Khammam in the evening.Except at Narsampet, where people threw eggs at him, the megastar encountered no hostile reception anywhere in the district. Not only in Hanamkonda and Warangal, he held road shows till late in the night even in forest areas like Pasra Govindraopet and Tadwai.

Like Obama, I will make history in AP: Chiranjeevi

Actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi has claimed that the vote for change that marked the outcome of the US presidential elections will be repeated in Andhra Pradesh assembly elections scheduled early next year.

Chiranjeevi, whose campaign is focussed on change and social justice, told gatherings during his roadshow in Khammam district that the people in the state were "disillusioned" with successive governments and were yearning for change and ushering in a new political culture.

"Like Americans, who created history by voting overwhelmingly in favour of change and social justice, our people will repeat the same message," the actor said on the concluding day of his second leg of mass contact programme covering Karimnagar, Warangal and Khammamcts in Telangana region.

Like Barack Obama who mesmerised Americans with his promise of change, the matinee idol of Telugu cinema has been emphasising that he will herald a change.

"I have no personal agenda. The people's agenda is my agenda. The people want change, a change that will lead to a positive political culture and improvement in their living standard", he said.

Chiranjeevi faces hostile reception in Warangal

For the first time after his foray into politics, Chiranjeevi on Tuesday faced hostile reception at a village near Warangal when eggs were thrown at him but the actor-turned-politician was unfazed.

Three persons, said to be activists of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), were detained by police for allegedly hurling eggs at the megastar at Narsampet during his road show in the Telangana districts of Andhra Pradesh.

Chiranjeevi asserted that he was unfazed by the incident and nothing can deter him from moving on his path.

"I thank those who have thrown eggs. Incidents like this will not affect me. I will keep moving," he said. Chiranjeevi has been conducting road shows in the Telangana region since October 30 drawing huge crowds.

Though the Praja Rajyam Party founder said his party would support any move by the Centre for creation of Telangana state, the TRS, heading the statehood cause, has been insisting that he should give more clarity on his stand.

At some places during his tour, TRS activists waving their party flags tried to stop the actor's convoy.

Chiranjeevi has covered Karimnagar and Warangal districts and would move on to Khammam district, where the tour would conclude with a public meeting at Bhadrachalam.


http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080071318

TRS shutdown hits life in Telangana

The shutdown in large parts of Andhra Pradesh called by the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) to press its demand for a separate state evoked total response in some districts and partial in some others Saturday, affecting normal life. Dozens of buses of state-owned Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) were damaged as the TRS activists resorted to violence at several places.

The protesters set ablaze an APSRTC bus and a private vehicle and damaged about 50 buses to enforce the shutdown to protest the “failure of Congress MPs in the region to mount pressure on their party-led UPA government to concede the demand for separate Telangana state ahead of the confidence vote in parliament”.

The protest hit normal life and affected transport services. Shops, business establishments, cinema theatres and educational institutions remained closed.

The shutdown evoked partial response in state capital Hyderabad but was near total in Warangal, Karimnagar, Medak, Nizamabad and Adilabad. The shutdown was partial in Ranga Reddy, Mahabubnagar and Khammam.

In Godavarikhani in Karimnagar district, TRS workers set on fire an APSRTC bus. The protesters tried to set ablaze two buses in Warangal district.

Holding their pink party flag and raising slogans of ‘Jai Telangana’, the TRS activists were going around the towns to enforce the shutdown.

The TRS activists staged sit-ins outside bus stations early morning and did not allow the APSRTC personnel to ply the buses. The protesters damaged window panes and deflated bus tyres in several towns and villages.

They also staged road and rail blockades, affecting all forms of traffic. In Hyderabad, the police arrested 100 activists when they staged a sit-in at the busy RTC cross roads, bringing vehicular traffic to a halt.

The TRS activists have been organising protest demonstrations for the last three days. Educational institutions were closed Friday on a call given by the student wing of TRS while the party staged sit-ins outside the homes of Congress MPs to urge them to pressurise UPA to concede the demand for separate statehood to Telangana.

TRS, which has two members in the Lok Sabha, has decided to vote against UPA when the government faces a trust vote in parliament July 22. The decision came after UPA turned down its condition that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh give a categorical assurance on launching the process for formation of separate Telangana.

TRS has also decided to issue a whip to force suspended MP A. Narendra to vote against the Congress-led government.

Vowing revenge against the government for its ‘betrayal’ of Telangana people, TRS chief and MP K. Chandrasekhara Rao is trying to bring together other smaller parties to vote against the UPA. He is in Delhi to meet leaders of like-minded parties.

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/politics/trs-shutdown-hits-life-in-telangana_10073388.html

Dalit leaders boycott Ambedkar Jayanti

THE 118th birth anniversary celebrations of Dr B R Ambedkar passed off peacefully in all Telangana districts except Warangal wherein several Dalit organisations boycotted the programme organised under the aegis of the Social Welfare Department on Monday.

The organisations leaders faulted the officials for putting up last year’s banner at the venue just by changing the number 117 to 118. Angered over the disrespect to Baba Saheb, the Dalit leaders demanded suspension of SC Corporation executive director K Krishna Reddy and the Social Welfare DD. They resented the negligence of the officials in conducting the programme just as a formality without any importance.

The absence of ministers J Ratnakar Rao, Ponnala Laxmaiah and DS Redya Naik, who were supposed to attend the programme, also irked the Dalit leaders. District Collector B Janardhan Reddy intervened and tried to pacify the associations leaders by admitting of the fault but they walked out of the place adamantly.

However, the programme continued even without the presence of Dalit leaders. Hanamkonda MLA M Satyanarayana Reddy left the dais in the middle of the programme for attending Rama Navami celebrations. SC,ST Commission member Raja Rao Pratap was present.

Flying squads to monitor Rs 2-a-kg scheme: Collector

Special flying squads have been constituted to monitor proper supply and prevent illegal transport of rice being distributed under Rs 2-a-kg scheme, District Collector B Janardhan Reddy has said.

The Collector reviewed the implementation of subsidised scheme with higher officials here on Friday. He said the squads will work in the district and mandal levels. The district-level squad will comprise a police inspector, a tehsildar and an assistant civil supply officer while the mandal squad will have the mandal special officer as its team leader.

A tehsildar, a revenue inspector and an SI will be the team members. The forest and commercial tax officials have also been given powers to check illegal transport of rice meant for the scheme, the Collector said adding that there will regular checking at the marketing department check posts, forest and commercial tax check posts.

Rice being transported without proper documents will be considered illegal, he said and added that the vehicles shifting the rice will have banners. A special cell has been opened at the district headquarters to lodge complaints against illegal transport of rice.

Those having information can ring to 2511210, he said. The Collector asked the officials to take steps to ensure that rice under the scheme was supplied between 5 and 22 of every month.

He warned of severe action against those resorting to malpractices in supply of the rice. SP VC Sajjanar, Joint Collector K Srinivasa Raju, officials of the revenue, marketing, civil supplies and forest departments were also present.

Meanwhile, Joint Collector K Srinivasa Raju has said that 45 paddy procuring centres have been set up this Rabi and will be run by FCI, marketing and IKP at the mandal headquarters. The FCI will run five centres in Jangaon, Warangal, Enamamula, Kesamudram and Mahaboobabad.

The Civil Supplies Department will run seven centres in Cheryal, Illanda, Narsampet, Khanapur, Parkal, Mulug and Mulug Ghanapuram. The procuring will begin from the last week of this month, the joint collector added.