Revanth demands Central funds for Medaram jatara

Hyderabad: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Tuesday demanded the Union government to allocate funds for the Sammakka Saralamma temple and biennial Medaram maha jatara. He also sought national festival status for the tribal festival.

Addressing a public meeting after unveiling designs for the redevelopment of Sammakka-Saralamma Gaddalu (platforms), the Chief Minister said the expansion works would be completed before the Maha Jatara scheduled from January 28 to 31 next year. The Rs 236-crore development plan includes expansion of temple premises, darshan facilities for 10,000 devotees at one go, better facilities for devotees and pilgrims.

Revanth Reddy questioned the Centre for not extending support to India's biggest tribal jatara at the famous Sammakka Saralamma temple in Mulugu district in the state.

The Centre, which released thousands of crores of funds to Kumbh Mela in Uttar Pradesh, is showing a step-motherly attitude towards popular Medaram jatara, the Chief Minister alleged.

The CM also lambasted the previous BRS government for discriminating against the Medaram temple during its 10-year rule. “It is not only my responsibility but also an emotional moment to visit the temple and announce plans for developing the sanctum sanctorum. With the blessing of the deities - Sammakka Saralamma, I embarked on padayatra from the famous temple on February 6, 2023, to dethrone the previous government,” he recalled. Highlighting the welfare and development programmes taken up for the tribal community by his government, the Chief Minister said that the government sanctioned additional Indiramma houses in ITDA areas.

“The tribal communities are considered as the original inhabitants of this country”, the CM said, adding, “The government invited the local tribal people and priests as partners in the temple development. Getting this opportunity to develop the Sammakka Sarakkala Gadde and reconstruct the premises, is a blessing for me and Minister Seethakka,” he said.

Revanth Reddy instructed the officials to construct the new structures using stone which would forever remain as evidence of history. The works should be completed before the start of the Maha jatara to avoid any inconvenience to crores of devotees who would visit the place, he added.