The biennial Sammakka-Sarakka Jatara got off to a start on a religious note and gaiety in various parts of the integrated Karimnagar district, where parallel jataras are being held on a par with Medaram Jatara, on Wednesday.
The devotees started arriving in large numbers at the jatara venues to offer prayers at the altars where the tribal goddesses would be placed during the four-day festival. Women in their best attires and swathed in turmeric paste carrying blocks of jaggery, an offering to the deities, participated in the jatara.
Rekurthi on the outskirts, which was recently merged with Municipal Corporation of Karimnagar, turned into a beehive of activity. The devotees took a holy dip in the Kakatiya Canal waters and participated in the rituals, praying to the deities by breaking coconuts and offering jaggery at the altar.
The traders have set up stalls selling jaggery at the jatara venue, for devotees who offer jaggery equal to their weight (Thulabaram). Incidentally, the jaggery price increased considerably. Instead of ₹ 42 per kg, it has gone up to ₹ 60 per kg. Similarly, the prices of coconut also skyrocketed to ₹ 30 a piece.
There were brisk sales of fowls and sheep, which are sacrificial offering to the deities. Vendors of toys, balloons, and food stalls also had a good businesss. The Karimnagar district police made unprecedented security arrangements by deploying additional police forces and installed CCTV cameras. Besides, drone camera surveillance was also pressed into service.
The district medical and health officials set up a medical camp at the venue and MCK officials deployed the sanitation staff for round-the-clock cleanliness. The Vasudeva Hospital in association with Lions Club International and IMA also opened a medical camp to provide medical assistance to the devotees.
Similarly, the mini-Medaram Jataras started on a religious note in Godavarikhani, Peddapalli, Kalwa Srirampur, Odela, Sultanabad, Jagtial, Dharmapuri, Dharmaram, Manakondur, Shankarpatnam, Huzurabad, Jammikunta, and other mandals. In a total of more 50 mini-jataras are being held in the integrated Karimnagar district.