In News
- Medaram Jathara Festival is being celebrated from 16th-19th February 2022.
About Medaram Jatara
- It is a tribal festival of honouring the goddesses Sammakka and Saralamma celebrated in the state of Telangana, India.
- The Jathara was designated as a State Festival in 1996, owing to the festival’s popularity and auspicious importance.
- It commemorates the fight of a mother and daughter, Sammakka and Saralamma, with the reigning rulers against an unjust law.
- It is celebrated once in two years in the month of “Magha” (February) on the full moon day.
- It is the second-largest fair of India, after the Kumbh Mela, celebrated by the second-largest Tribal Community of Telangana- the Koya tribe for four days.
- It is a festival with no vedic or Brahmanic influence.
- At present, the Jathara festival is biennially celebrated and organized by the Koyas in collaboration with the Tribal Welfare Department, Government of Telangana.
Governments initiatives
- The Ministry of Tribal Affairs’ continuous support of this festival aims to generate awareness and a harmonious bond between the visitors and the Tribal communities of Telangana.
- It assists the tribals to preserve their unique Tribal Traditions, Culture and Heritage and promote their tribal History on a global scale. It is also an embodiment of the spirit of Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat.
Source: PIB
