Sammakka Saralamma Jathara, also known as Medaram Sammakka Sarakka Jatara, is the largest tribal fair in the world. It is held once in two years with lot of gusto for 4 days during Magha Purnima. In 2012, Medaram Sammakka Sarakka Jathara dates are – Jatara starts on February 8 and ends on February 11. It is celebrated at Medaram village near Yeturu Nagaram of Warangal district in Andhra Pradesh.

Here are the full details of dates and schedule of Medaram Sammakka Saralamma Jatara 2012:

February 8, 2012 – Goddess Saralamma will arrive to Platform (Gadde).
February 9, 2012 – Goddess Sammakka will arrive to Platform (Gadde).
February 10, 2012 – Devotees offer naivedyam or other offerings like ‘Bangaram (bellam – jaggery).
February 11, 2012 – Last day of Sammkka Sarakka Jathara. Goddess Sammakkar and Saralamma will return back in to forest.

Medaram Jatara Interesting facts

• Nearly 80 lakh devotes visited Medaram Jatara in 2010. Officials are expecting the number to reach one crore in 2012.
• More than five lakh devotees utilized the services of APSRTC during 2012 Medaram jatara. There is a chance that this number will increase this year.

APSRTC is running nearly thousand special buses to Medaram in for Medaram Jatara. A bus leaves MGBS, Hyderabad for every 20 minutes to Medaram.

Accommodation at Medaram

Medaram Sammakka Saralamma jatara is a tribal festival held for every two years. In 2012 the Jatara begins on 8^th February. Pilgrims, who reach Medaram Jatara, first take bath in the Jampanna vagu and go for the darshan of Deities. Government is constructing bathing ghats at the Jampanna vagu. Devotees take Jaggery which is offered to the deities.

Pilgrims who go to Medaram Jatara can get accommodation at the surrounding villages of Medaram. Accommodation will also be available in nearby places like Tandvai, Warangal etc. Warangal has many good hotels and lodges with good facilities. Temporary dwellings come up around the village during the festival. Those who want to stay in Medaram should take blankets, torch lights, match boxes, stove, and all the cooking equipment along with them. Medical kit also should be carried as a precautionary measure. Since there will be heavy rush of devotees it is better to avoid wearing gold ornaments. Children should be taken great care as there is a chance for them to miss in the crowd.

Actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi is chalking out plans to set up a studio in the port city, Vizag. Recently, the Bhimili revenue authorities have conducted a survey to identify the land for Chiru’s proposed studio.

Although Chiranjeevi thought of setting up the studio in Hyderabad itself, after discussing with his coterie he has zeroed in on Vizag to make it a major hub for film shootings. Already, producer D Ramanaidu has established his film studio in Vizag. Sources say, “The Telangana issue has prompted Chiru to do so”.

According to the Govt. records, Over 40 percent of the income in the state is generated by Hyderabad and Andhra plays a huge role in the income generation. The people from Andhra has contributed a lot to the government revenue with their investments. However, due to the ongoing stir in the Telangana region the entire scenario has been changed. Apart from attracting the investments from outside, the Andhra people are showing keen interest in investing in their own region. The uncertainty prevailing in the state on the separate Telangana issue is prompting them to do so.

With Centre announcing the formation of Telangana is not possible without consensus, the TRS party leaders have no other option left with them other than waiting for the next General Elections in 2014. Their last hope of mid-term elections was shattered after Congress survived the trust vote in Assembly moved by the TDP.

However, the coming days seem to be fruitful for TRS party. According to the recent survey conducted by Nielsen-Marg, TRS would win in 70 – 80 Assembly constituencies out of the 119 seats and will also bag a good number of Parliament seats in Telangana region, if the elections are conducted any time soon. TRS will be deciding factor on who will form the next government?

The survey reports were handed over to TRS chief KCR and the party sources say their leader was pleased with the numbers. “KCR is waiting for the right moment to take charge. The government cannot be formed without his support if he has 70-80 MLAs in his fold, so that he will tighten the screws which might lead to the formation of T-state,” said a senior party leader.

That YSR Congress party has a secret understanding with the Telangana Rashtra Samithi has been the latest talk of the town, as both the parties desperately need the support of each other to decimate the Congress party in the state.

According to the reports emanating from the TRS camp, YSR Congress party president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy had a talk with TRS party president K Chandrasekhara Rao on the possible by-election in Parkal assembly constituency in Warangal district in the event of disqualification of the sitting MLA Konda Surekha.

At present, Parkal is the only constituency in Telangana where the YSR Congress party has a representation and all other MLAs in the Jagan camp belong to the Seemandhra region.

Jagan is of the view that if Surekha is able to win the seat, it would help the YSR Congress party to have a footing in the Telangana region, but her victory is not possible without the support of the TRS.

Sources said the TRS also might not have much objection to supporting Surekha in Parkal, but there should be an overall understanding with Jagan party in the next elections, so that the TRS could win more seats and mount pressure on the Centre on the Telangana issue.

Tarakarama Rao said that the TRS would attend the ensuing session of the legislative assembly on two agendas. It would demand release of TRS politburo member Cheruku Sudhakar who has been arrested under the Preventive Detention Act. Further, the TRS would demand a resolution in the assembly for the formation of separate Telangana on the lines of the Uttar Pradesh.

The TRS leader said that his party MLAs would stall the proceedings of the legislative assembly until these two demands are met.

Earlier, Tarakarama Rao released the picture of ‘Chalo Nizambad’ rally to be held on November 28 by Beedi workers.

Releasing a poster in this connection at Press Club at Somajiguda, Students’ JAC Chairman P Ravi and president Rajaram called upon the students to participate in large numbers in the programme and make it a grand success. They also called upon student leaders in various colleges across the region to burn the effigy of Congress party in front of their colleges on Thursday in protest against the Centre’s delay in making announcement on formation of Telangana state.

Talking to reporters after visiting the Secunderabad Railway Police Station, where he along with other leaders was summoned in connection with a case booked against him during Rail Roko agitation, Prof Kodandaram said that the Speaker’s decision was unfortunate. However, he asked the MPs not to get disheartened and continue the agitation for the statehood. He advised them to attend the ensuing winter session of the Parliament and raise the issue of separate Telangana.

Prof Kodandaram also demanded that Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu react on the recent statement of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh wherein he stated that Telangana could not be formed without consensus. He said if Naidu remains silent on the issue, then it would be assumed that he was against statehood for the Telangana region.

The TP-JAC chairman also welcomed the statement of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati who proposed to divide her State in four parts. He asked Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy to follow the suit and pass a resolution in the State Assembly for the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. He also demanded that Chandrababu Naidu support the Telangana resolution in the assembly.

They said they were prepared to face the elections, if need be. They would use the winter session of Parliament to convey their feelings to the Congress high command.

The MPs were understood to be discussing the possibility of setting a deadline, probably December 9, for the party high command to announce its stand and to address a letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi. In their over two-hour deliberations, the MPs opined that Dr. Singh’s statement had led to ‘anxiety’ and sent jitters among the people of the Telangana region.

Dr. Singh’s statement, coupled with the earlier remarks by All-India Congress Committee (AICC) spokesperson Rashid Alvi on the second States Reorganisation Commission had led people to believe that the Congress had betrayed them yet again.

“We will not allow Parliament to function until the Centre and the Congress high command announce their decision,” K. Keshava Rao, MP, said.

The MPs were, however, undecided over the course of action that should be adopted in this direction claiming it could not be finalised in advance. “Our action will be spontaneous based on the developments in Parliament,” Nizamabad MP Madhu Yashki said.