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Amid a three-layer information cover, Mother Sammakka, brought successful the signifier of a vermillion casket by a squad of Koya priests from the Chilakalagattu hillock, was ceremonially placed connected her Gadde (sacred platform) astatine the Medaram tribal shrine astatine 9.45 p.m connected Thursday (January 29). Her accomplishment marked 1 of the astir important moments of the four-day biennial Sammakka–Saralamma Maha Jatara, which began connected Wednesday (January 28).
The shrine premises continued to witnesser dense crowds, with pilgrims arriving from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and different parts of the country.
Pilgrims offered prayers to the tribal deities done accepted rituals, including Bangaram (jaggery) offerings and carnal sacrifices, seeking payment of their families. The ambiance remained festive, marked by accepted dances by tribal women and the sounds of horns and trumpets on the attack roads, adding to the spiritual fervour astatine Medaram.
Earlier, tens of thousands of devotees thronged the agelong from Chilakagutta hillock to tribal shrine astatine Thursday (January 29). Led by main clergyman Kokkera Krishnaiah, the priests descended from Chilakalagutta astir 6.55 p.m. aft performing accepted concealed rituals successful accordance with Koya tribal customs.
Mulugu Superintendent of Police Sudhir R. Kekan on firing rounds into the aerial astatine Chilakalagutta successful Medaram earlier bringing Goddess Sammakka to the shrine connected Thursday night. | Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL
Devotees jostled for a glimpse of the procession arsenic it moved towards the Medaram tribal shrine aft Mulugu Superintendent of Police (SP) Sudhir R. Kekan fired a fewer rounds from an AK-47 battle firearm into the aerial arsenic a people of respect to the tribal deity arsenic portion of a long-standing contented followed since 1996. The priestly squad comprised Kokkera Krishnaiah, Mallyala Satyam, Siddaboina Muninder, Siddaboina Bokkanna, Kommu Swami and Kommu Janardhan, each of whom covered their faces with ineffable reddish cloth arsenic per tradition.
Koya priests, led by Kokkera Krishnaiah, bringing the presiding deity Sammakka successful the signifier of casket of vermillion from Chilakalagutta adjacent Medaram connected Thursday. | Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL
Ministers Danasari Anasuya Seethakka and Adluri Laxman Kumar, District Collector T.S. Divakara, different elder officials and volunteers were contiguous during the event.
Along the 2.5-km agelong starring to the shrine, galore devotees, peculiarly youths, climbed trees to get a wide presumption of the procession. It is estimated that astatine slightest 1 crore devotees volition person darshan of Sammakka on with Pagididdaraju, Saralamma and Govindaraju who were already placed connected the Gadde.
The accomplishment of Sammakka triggered scenes of heightened spiritual fervour, with devotees welcoming the deity on the way from Chilakalagutta to the altar by drafting rangoli, lighting lamps, offering carnal sacrifices, and participating successful tribal songs, drumbeats, dances and chants.
