Religious fervour peaks as Sammakka is brought down from Chilakalagutta hillock at Medaram

Tens of thousands of devotees thronged the stretch from Chilakagutta hillock to the tribal shrine on Thursday (January 29) evening to witness the arrival of mother Sammakka, brought in the form of a vermilion casket by a team of Koya priests from the hillock. Led by Chief Priest Kokkera Krishnaiah, the priests descended from Chilakalagutta around 6.55 p.m. after performing traditional secret rituals in accordance with Koya tribal customs.

Mulugu Superintendent of Police Sudhir R. Kekan firing rounds into the air at Chilakalagutta in Medaram before bringing Goddess Sammakka to the shrine on Thursday night.
| Photo Credit:
NAGARA GOPAL

Devotees jostled for a glimpse of the procession as it moved towards the Medaram tribal shrine after Mulugu Superintendent of Police Sudhir R. Kekan fired a few rounds into the air from an AK-47 assault rifle as a mark of respect to the tribal deity as part of a long-standing tradition followed since 1996. The priestly team comprised Kokkera Krishnaiah, Mallyala Satyam, Siddaboina Muninder, Siddaboina Bokkanna, Kommu Swami and Kommu Janardhan, all of whom covered their faces with sacred red cloth as per tradition.

Koya priests led by Kokkera Krishnaiah are bringing presiding deity Sammakka in the form of casket of vermilion from a secret place at Chilakalagutta near Medaram on Thursday.
| Photo Credit:
NAGARA GOPAL

Ministers Danasari Anasuya Seethakka and Adluri Laxman Kumar, District Collector T.S. Divakara, other senior officials and volunteers were present during the event, which is considered one of the most significant moments of the four-day biennial Sammakka–Saralamma Maha Jatara that commenced on Wednesday (January 28, 2026) with the arrival of Saralamma at the shrine.

Along the 2.5-km stretch leading to the shrine, many devotees, particularly youths, climbed trees to get a clear view of the procession. Officials said Goddess Sammakka is expected to be installed on the Gadde (sacred platform) at the renovated shrine, an event regarded as the pinnacle of the Jatara, at around midnight. It is estimated that at least one crore devotees will have darshan of Sammakka along with Padigiddaraju, Saralamma and Govindaraju who were already installed on the Gaddelu.

The arrival of Sammakka triggered scenes of heightened religious fervour, with devotees welcoming the deity along the route from Chilakalagutta to the altar by drawing rangoli, lighting lamps, offering animal sacrifices, and participating in tribal songs, drumbeats, dances and chants. ‘Shivasattis’ were dancing in trance to the drumbeats as the procession was moving ahead.

“Shivasatti’’ arriving for the darshan of tribal deities at the Sammakka-Saralamma shrine at Medaram on Thursday.
| Photo Credit:
NAGARA GOPAL

The shrine premises continued to witness heavy crowds, with pilgrims, tribals and non-tribals, arriving from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and other parts of the country. All roads leading to Medaram remained choked with vehicular traffic due to the steady inflow of devotees.

Pilgrims offered prayers to the tribal deities through traditional rituals, including Bangaram (jaggery) offerings and animal sacrifices, seeking welfare for their families. The atmosphere remained festive, marked by traditional dances by tribal women and the sounds of horns and trumpets along the approach roads, adding to the religious fervour at Medaram.