Prelims: Culture (festivals-tribes)
Keywords to be focused – Koya Tribe, Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary
Mains: General Studies I– Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India.
Key Facts 🗝️
- Medaram Jatara is the second-largest fair/festival of India. (Kumbh-Mela is largest festival in India)
- It is celebrated by the second-largest Tribal Community of Telangana, the Koya tribe.
- It was declared a State Festival in 1998.
- Ministry of Tribal Affairs grants various funds for activities related to the festival.
- Sammakka and saralamma are revered for their revolt against 12th century kakatiya dynasty levy taxes during drought period.
About
- Medaram Jatara is known as Sammakka Saralamma Jatara festival
- It is a tribal festival honoring the fight of a mother and daughter, Sammakka and Saralamma, with the reigning rulers against an unjust law.
- It is celebrated in the state of Telangana. It begins at Medaram in Tadvai Mandal in Warangal district.
- Medaram is a place in the Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary, a part of Dandakaranya, the largest surviving forest belt in the region.
- It is celebrated once in two years in the month of “Magha” (February) on the full moon day, last time celebrated in 2022
- People offer bangaram/gold (jaggery) of a quantity equal to their weight to the goddesses and take holy bath in river Jampanna Vagu, a tributary to River Godavari.
Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary
- It is a part of the Dandakaranya forests of Mulugu district, Telangana.
- Godavari River passes through the sanctuary.
- It is inhabited by the Koya tribes.
Koya Tribe –
- Largest adivasi tribe of Telangana and listed as Scheduled Tribe in Telangana.
- Habitat: Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, Godavari river is their main lifeline for socio-eco survival.
- They are settled agriculturist , grow jowar, bajra and millets
- Language : Koya dialect
