Adilabad: The Medaram Jatara fever gripped the entire coal belt spread over the erstwhile Adilabad as also the Khammam districts.
Families of coal mine workers and employees worship adivasi warriors Sammakka and Saralamma who had attained martyrdom in their fight against the Kakatiya rulers. The two are revered by adivasis as goddesses.
The local jataras are mini-jatakas running parallel to the main jatara in Medaram. Most of these mini-jataras are held in the coal belt areas of Singareni.
Congress leaders are extending help to the devotees at local Sammakka Saralamma jataras in the coal belt areas in Adilabad and Khammam regions.
Notably, the Singareni management introduced the mini-Sammakka Saralamma jataras in the coal belt areas to reduce the absence of coal mine workers in their workplaces for several days. They, along with their families, used to go to Medaram for darshan of Sammakka Saralamma and participate in the jatara at Medaram in erstwhile Warangal district.
Many Singareni workers and their families go to Medaram even now, availing the additional road connectivity and transportation.
During this period, coal production was largely affected due to the absence of many workers. Hence Singareni coal mines encouraged the mini-jatakas locally.
Due to poor road connectivity and lack of vehicle transportation to Medaram, devotees used to go to Medaram on bullock carts and this took many days to reach Medaram and for the return journey. The mini-medium jataras are held at various places in the Bhadradri-Kothagudem district.
Mini-Medaram jataras gained popularity with the patronage from local people and political leaders. Local MLAs, other elected representatives and district officials visit these mini-jatakas, offer ‘mokkulu’ and seek the blessing of Sammakka and Saralamma.
Sridhar of Mancherial noted that the Singareni management spent funds to develop the infrastructure at the mini-jatakas within the coal belt areas where most of the workers families reside, like Srirampur, Mandamari, Rebbena, Goleti, Mancherial, Bellampalli, CC Naspur, Ramakrishnapur in the erstwhile Adilabad district.
Some of the local devotees also organised mini-jatakas. The Singareni management encouraged mini-jataras in the Yellandu and Kothagudem areas where coal mines are
