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Manda Melige Panduga held marking Medaram Jatara
The prologue to the historic Sammakka Saralamma Jatara has begun here on Wednesday. The Jatara proceedings began with the tribal priests celebrating ‘Manda Melige Panduga’ a ritual wherein the premises of Sammakka temple at Medaram and Saralamma temple at Kannepalli are cleansed.
Medaram (Warangal): The prologue to the historic Sammakka Saralamma Jatara has begun here on Wednesday. The Jatara proceedings began with the tribal priests celebrating ‘Manda Melige Panduga’ a ritual wherein the premises of Sammakka temple at Medaram and Saralamma temple at Kannepalli are cleansed.
Priests of Siddaboina and Chanda lineage performed the rituals at Sammakka temple at Medaram while priests of Kaka family have performed the rituals at Saralamma temple at Kannepalli, situated at four kilometres distance from Medaram. Similar event has taken place at Sammakka’s husband Pagididdaraju Temple at Punugondla village of Kothaguda mandal in the district on the day.
Priests of Penuka family performed the rituals here. At Medaram, the Jatara main priest Kokkera Krishnaiah led the priests from the residence of priest Siddaboina Muninder and went to Sammakka temple along with pooja material. They cleaned and decorated the temple. Similarly at Kannepalli, Krishnaiah led the priests of Kaka family and performed the cleansing rituals.
They raised arches decorating them with mango leaves and hanged a hen to keep out the evil spirits. The rituals continued during late night hours and the priests taken up night vigil at Sammakka Saralamma Gaddelu after performing special prayers at the place. The festivities herald the beginning of the Jatara, informed the priest Krishnaiah.
‘We invite our daughters to our homes and they remain here until the Jatara is over. All women would observe fast from Wednesday and continue it till the Vanapravesham of the deity Sammakka is over,’ he added. It might be noted that main Jatara is scheduled to begin on February 17 with the arrival of the deity Saralamma from Kannepalli village and installed at the Gaddelu.
The deity Sammakka would be brought by tribal priests after secret prayers at Chilkalgutta hillock, two kilometers away from Medaram. The main and auspicious event of the Jatara would be on February 19, on which both the deities would adorn the ‘Gaddelu’. On February 20, the Vanapravesham would take place wherein the deities would be taken back by to their respective places the tribal priests marking the conclusion of the Jatara.
According to Jatara Executive Officer T Ramesh Babu, so far about 25 to 30 lakh devotees have already visited Medaram to offer prayers to the deities Sammakka and Saralamma.
