The biennial Sammakka-Sarakka jatara got underway here on Wednesday evening with the arrival of tribal deity Sarakka from Kannepalli village, six km from Medaram village.
A group of tribal priests huddled into the small temple in the village and offered prayers for over two hours before they finally came out carrying the deity – a bamboo pole wrapped with a red cloth and a casket of vermilion. As the priests came out, hundreds of devotees jostled and vied with each other to touch the priests while many women rolled on the ground with wet clothes wishing the priests to walk over them. Touching the priest carrying the deity is considered lucky by many devout.
However, the posse of police and rope parties kept the surging crowds at bay, allowing the priests to proceed towards Medaram. They virtually sprinted their way and waded through waist-deep waters of Jampanna rivulet before entering Medaram village.
Devotees who were having a holy dip before proceeding to the altar also rushed towards priests carrying Sarakka deity thus creating mild chaos.
The priests and policemen had a tough time reaching the venue as they had to avoid the crowd that were trying to get near and touch the priests. The procession that began around 7 pm reached the altar at Medaram village around 9 pm.
ITDA project officer V Chakradhar Rao and additional SP K Dakshinamurthy and other officials accompanied by the tribal priests from Kannepalli to Medaram as was the custom on behalf of the State.
The lanes and bylanes from surrounding villages leading to Medaram were packed to the full. People pushed their way towards the village and they were all herded into the barricades around the altar by the police and revenue officials on duty.
Mulugu district collector V Karnan and Superintendent of Police SSG Patil were seen moving all over the pathways leading to the altar in the village regulating and overseeing the swarming devotees.