Sammakka Saralamma Jatara Guide 2028
Witness the sacred gathering of approximately 1.3 crore pilgrims at the Medaram sacred forest shrine — a biennial festival of the Koya tribe, unchanged since the 13th century. (Also known as Sammakka Jatara · Sammakka Sarakka Jatara)
The Story of Sammakka & Saralamma
Sammakka Saralamma Jatara — also widely known as Sammakka Jatara, Sammakka Sarakka Jatara, or Medaram Jatara — is the largest tribal congregation in Asia and the second-largest religious gathering in India after the Kumbh Mela. Held biennially in Medaram, a remote village in the Eturnagaram forests of Mulugu district, Telangana, the festival honours Sammakka and her daughter Sarakka — warrior-goddesses of the Koya tribe.
According to Koya oral tradition, Sammakka was found as an infant among tigers by tribal hunters and raised by chieftain Medaraju. She married Pagididda Raju, and together they resisted the unjust taxation of the Kakatiya rulers in the 13th century. The ensuing battle claimed the lives of Sarakka, her brother Jampanna, and eventually Sammakka herself — whose divine disappearance on Chilukalagutta hill is the spiritual core of the Jatara.
Unlike most Indian festivals, the Jatara follows purely Koya animist tradition — no Vedic mantras, no Brahmin priests, no fire rituals. The ceremonies are conducted exclusively by hereditary Koya priests from three distinct lineages (Vaddes), preserving an unbroken 800-year tradition.
📍 Location
Medaram, Eturnagaram Mandal, Mulugu District, Telangana. ~100 km from Warangal, ~290 km from Hyderabad. Deep within the Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary forests.
📅 Dates
Past: Feb 2022, Feb 2024, Jan–Feb 2026
Next: February 2028 (exact dates TBA)
Held in Magha month on Sudha Pournami (full moon).
🎫 Entry & Offering
Entry: Completely free — no tickets required.
Traditional offering: Bangaram — jaggery equal to one's body weight, offered at the Gadde (sacred platform).
The 4-Day Ritual Sequence
Day 1 — Arrival of Sarakka
Sarakka's procession arrives from Kannepally village, led by the Kaka Vaddes (hereditary priests). Pagididda Raju arrives from Punugondla, Govinda Raju and Nagulamma from Kondayi. Traditional instruments — Doli drums, Akkum brass horns, and Thootha Kommu bison-horn trumpets — herald each arrival. The Gaddes (sacred platforms) are established.
Day 2 — Grand Arrival of Sammakka
The climactic moment: Sammakka's vermilion casket is retrieved from a bamboo grove atop Chilukalagutta hillock by tribal priests. According to legend, the spot is guarded by a tiger. The grand procession to the Medaram Gadde draws the largest crowds of the entire Jatara.
Day 3 — Most Auspicious Day
Both goddesses are enthroned simultaneously on their platforms — the most sacred moment. Pilgrims offer Bangaram (body-weight jaggery). Millions take the holy dip in Jampanna Vagu. Childless couples pray for blessings. Prasadam is taken home as sacred offering.
Day 4 — Return to the Forest
The deities are taken back to the forest by the Koya priests, accompanied by government officials. Sammakka's casket is returned to Chilukalagutta. The site becomes inaccessible to the public until the next Jatara in 2030.
The Koya Tribe
The Koya (also called Koyi or Koi) are a Scheduled Tribe of the Godavari river belt, spread across Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha. They are the sole ritual custodians of the Sammakka Saralamma Jatara — a role they have held for over 800 years.
While over 1.3 crore pilgrims attend the Jatara, only about 2% are Koya themselves. Yet all ritual authority remains exclusively with Koya priests from three hereditary lineages: the Kaka Vaddes (Sarakka's priests from Kannepally), Penka Vaddes (Pagididda Raju's priests from Punugondla), and Dubbagatta Vaddes (Govinda Raju and Nagulamma's priests from Kondayi).
Koya Tribe Deep-Dive →⚔️ Warrior Legend
Sammakka's family fought the mighty Kakatiya army to protect their people from unjust taxation. Their sacrifice transformed them from clan heroes into divine figures worshipped by millions.
🌳 Forest as Sacred Space
For the Koya, the Eturnagaram forest and Chilukalagutta hill are not just locations — they are the living abode of Sammakka. The forest IS the temple, the bamboo grove IS the sanctum.
🥁 Tribal Instruments
The Doli (drum), Akkum (brass horn), and Thootha Kommu (bison-horn trumpet) are the three sacred instruments that announce deity processions — unchanged for centuries.
Nearby Attractions
Plan Your Travel
Book early — accommodation near Medaram fills up months before the Jatara.