Declare Medaram Jathara A National Festival, Telangana Asks Centre

The Telangana government has urged the Union government to declare the Sammakka-Saralamma Jathara in Medaram a national festival.

Telangana ministers Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, Danasari Anasuya (Seethakka) and Adluri Laxman Kumar today submitted a formal representation to Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Jual Oram and Union Minister for Coal and Mines Kishan Reddy during the union ministers' visit to the Sammakka-Saralamma temple in Mulugu, seeking national festival status for the Medaram Jathara.

Later, addressing the media at the Medaram temple, Srinivas Reddy expressed confidence that the long-pending demand would be fulfilled following the visit of the Union ministers. He described the Sammakka-Saralamma Jathara as a symbol of tribal self-respect, and said that it stood on par with the Kumbh Mela in terms of scale and significance.

He also said that this was the second Sammakka-Saralamma Jathara being held after the formation of the Congress government in Telangana the government had accorded top priority to the historic tribal festival and had undertaken several permanent development works to provide better facilities for the devotees.

He thanked the officials and the staff of the various departments involved for their dedicated efforts in ensuring the smooth conduct of the Maha Jathara, and expressed gratitude to the media for disseminating information to the public.

Panchayat Raj, Rural Development and Women & Child Welfare Minister Seethakka said that temple development works and the construction of essential infrastructure were completed within a short span of 90 days. She thanked the district Collector, its superintendent of police, officials from the police, revenue and other departments, the personnel deployed from other districts, and the media for their coordinated efforts for the peaceful progression of the jathara.

Minister Adluri Laxman Kumar said that infrastructure works, including the reconstruction of the Gaddelu, were completed within the stipulated time, and that all the necessary arrangements were made to ensure that pilgrims faced no inconvenience. He said that a representation was submitted to Jual Oram seeking the declaration of the Sammakka-Saralamma Jathara as a national festival and enhanced financial assistance from the Centre for its conduct.