Tribals offer prayers at Nagoba temple

ADILABAD: Scores of tribals thronged the Keslapur Nagoba temple in Indervelli mandal of Adilabad district on Friday which marked the first day of the annual Nagoba Jatara. Considered the second largest tribal festival in the State, the Jatara is  an important annual religious affair for the Adivasis. 

As it is one of the most important festivals of Gonds in the erstwhile district, scores of people belonging to the tribe reached the temple on Friday and offered special prayers to the serpent god. Asifabad MLA Athram Sakku, Adilabad Collector Sikta Patnaik, Utnoor ITDA Project Officer Bavesh Mishra and District Superintendent of Police (SP) Vishnu S Warrier, along with hundreds of devotees, offered prayers at the temple. 

After the commencement of the celebrations, members of the Mesram clan conducted Bheting, during which they introduced their new daughters-in-law to the serpent god and the village elders, after which the women would be declared Mesrams.