The otherwise desolate tiny remote village, Medaram, has suddenly transformed itself into a vibrant town with people arriving in buses and private vehicles from different parts of the State. They are all on a pilgrimage to pay homage to the tribal deities -- Sammakka and Sarakka -- who sacrificed their lives fighting the Kakatiya army eight centuries ago.
The quaint village, with a population of 500, spread over just two square kilometres, has become home to lakhs of people who are all camping on every inch of space around the venue. Many raised small tents with tarpaulin sheets amidst bamboo groves, while others stay put in open air braving the chilly weather.
Hardly anybody ventures into this place on normal days due to its remoteness. Now, there were new transformers supplying uninterrupted power supply, hundreds of toilets and hundreds of water taps. There is a sprawling RTC bus stand too, besides mobile ATMs of Telangana Grameena Bank as well.
Fearing stampede like situation, it was said about 20 lakh devotees visited the altar of Sammakka and Sarakka during the past two months. But during the main event from February 5 to 8, on any given day, there could be five to ten lakh people camping around Medaram village, while many of them leave the place after having darshan of the deities. The tribal jatara, described as one of the biggest human congregations in the country, is celebrated once in two years. The tribals from Karnataka, Chattisgarh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and AP make a beeline to Medaram seeking blessings of deities.
