New Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended greetings on the start of the tribal festival, Sammakka-Sarakka Medaram Jathara, in Telangana on Wednesday.

"Greetings on the start of the Sammakka-Sarakka Medaram Jathara, one of the largest tribal festivals, and a vibrant manifestation of the enduring spirit of our cultural heritage," the Prime Minister said in a post on X.

"This Jathara is a great fusion of devotion, tradition and community spirit. We bow to Sammakka-Sarakka and recall the spirit of unity and valour they personify," he said.

Sammakka Saralamma Jathara is the time for the largest tribal religious congregation in the world, held every two years (biennually), with approximately ten million people converging on the place, over a period of four days, which is 90km from Warangal city.

Sammakka Saralamma Jathara or Medaram Jathara is a tribal festival honoring the goddesses celebrated in Telangana. It is a state festival of the Government of Telangana.

The Jathara begins at Medaram in Tadvai Mandal in Mulugu district.

It commemorates the fight of a mother and daughter, Sammakka and Saralamma, with the reigning rulers against an unjust law.

It is believed that after the Kumbha Mela, the Medaram Jathara attracts the largest number of devotees in the country.

The state government has allocated Rs 105 crores arrangements of the festival. Lakhs of devotees are expected to attend the Sammakka-Saralamma Jatara to be held from February 21 to 24. The state government has arranged for 6000 special buses for the fair. Constant surveillance with thousands of policemen at the site has also been ensured

An estimated 10 million people gathered in 2012. It is celebrated in Medaram during the time the goddesses of the tribals are believed to visit them. During the festival, deities are brought from the forest to a spot for 10-12 days. More than one crore devotees offer prayers and gift "bangaram", which is pure jaggery to the deities. The festival is also known for witnessing one of the largest people gatherings in the world.

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Medaram is a remote place in the Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary, a part of Dandakaranya, the largest surviving forest belt in the Mulugu district.