Sammakka-Saralamma jatara remembers sacrifice of mom-daughter

Warangal : The Sammakka-Saralamma jatara, a biennial tribal festival, marks the sacrifice by Sammakka and Saralamma — a mother-daughter duo – against the powerful Kakatiya rulers’ unjust tax law. The four-day tribal festival begins at Medaram in Jayashankar Bhupalapalli district and attracts millions of people. This year, the jatara is celebrated from January 31 to February 3.

According to a tribal legend, about seven centuries ago, the Koya tribals found a little girl playing with tigers while passing through the Dandakaranya forest. The tribal chief adopted her and named her Sammakka.

She married Pagididda Raju, headman of a neighbouring village, and begot three children –Jampanna, Nagulamma and Saaralamma. The Koyas were under the tutelage of the Kakatiyas, who ruled Central India from Warangal City between 1000 AD and 1380 AD. 

During a severe drought that lasted years, the mighty Godavari dried up and the Koyas fell  on hard times. Though the Kakatiya rulers’ insisted on them paying the tax, it was beyond the means of the Koyas. Kakatiya Emperor Pratapa Rudra sent forces to teach the Koyas a lesson. This was resisted by the Koyas. In the bitter war, most of the Koya chieftains lost. 

Samakka resolved to continue the fight to avenge the dead and was wounded. Samakka told her people that as long as they remembered her, she would protect them. Then, she cursed the Kakatiya dynasty and disappeared into the forest.

Legends say that the tribals searched for their queen and found a red ochre box, containing her bangles, and the pug-mark of a tigress. Since then, the Koyas, Waddaras and other tribes and non-tribals have been holding feasts in memory of Sammakka and Saralamma.

Sammakka-Saralamma jatara is held in over 100 tribal locations in Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.