The eight-century-old tribal festival Sammakka Sarakka jathara being held in the small Medaram village has witnessed a lot of changes over the decades.
The eight-century-old tribal festival Sammakka Sarakka jathara being held in the small Medaram village has witnessed a lot of changes over the decades.
In the days of yonder, most people used to walk for miles while many others took bullock carts, travelling for days through the thick jungles to reach the venue.
They used to come from Chattisgarh, Maharashtra, Khammam, Bhadrachalam and many other tribal habitations all along the river Godavari.
They used to camp near the jathara site for a week or even more ahead of the jathara, erecting temporary sheds using tarpaulin sheets or bamboo cut from the jungles, to pay their obeisances to the tribal goddesses during the festival period.
As the crowds began swelling, the state government eventually started pitching in to make arrangements for the devotees.
All the developments over the years mean that now the devotees can reach by any means - even helicopters - to reach this small remote hamlet bursting at its seams once every two years during the jathara.
The chopper rides to Medaram began in 2010 from the Mamnoor airport in Warangal. The Turbo Aviation Company first arranged helicopter trips charging Rs 6,000 for a return trip. But it did not click as expected.
Another attempt was made to arrange helicopters for the devotees in 2014 and 2016, which again proved futile.
Now the Telangana tourism department, in collaboration with a private company named Thumby Aviation, has started offering services from the Arts College grounds in Hanamkonda to Medaram village, starting this year.
It is charging Rs 19,999 for return trips, and Rs 3,700 per person for an aerial view.
As many as 1.25 crore people are expected to visit the jathara this year. The TSRTC expects to transport nearly 30 lakh people through the 4,000 buses it has dedicated for the event, and many of the rest are expected to arrive by 3.5 lakh private vehicles.
The improved road network, provision of drinking water and sanitation facilities among other amenities are motivating more people to take part in the spectacular event.