Adilabad: Nagoba Jatara ends on a colourful note
Adilabad: The five-day long Nagoba jatara, an important religious and cultural affair of members of the Mesram clan, concluded at Keslapur village in Indervelli mandal on Friday.
The Mesrams traditionally worshipped Betal deity on the premises of the shrine and left the holy place by bullock cart at Keslapur village in mandal as part of the conclusion of the fair touted to be the second largest congregation of tribals after the biannual Sammakka-Saralamma jatara in Mulugu district.
Chief of the clan Mesaram Venkatrao lit a lamp and formally inaugurated the ritual of worshipping the deity. Half a dozen Raj Gond elders jumped in the air reportedly after getting possessed by Betal god. They exhibited their fighting prowess by rotating large sticks that represent the god. Pradhan Mesram Tukdoji and Dadarao explained the legend behind Betal puja to male and female Mesrams separately.
Women cleansed the feet of elders of the clan near Gowad, a holy structure near the shrine. Men and women danced to folk songs and music played by traditional instruments. The tribal families met with each other by their make-shift tents. They exchanged pleasantries. They were visibly happy to congregate at the shrine and for successfully worshiping Nagoba in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic.
The Mesrams would visit Budum Dev temple at Shyampur village in Utnoor by bullock as part of the fair. The members of the clan would revere Budum Dev, another deity before returning to their native places and ending their month-long pilgrimage. Head of the clan Mesram Venkat Rao, priest or Katoda Mesram Hanumantha Rao, pradhan Mesram Tukdoji, Tirupati and many others were present.
During the five days, around 50,000 devotees belonging to several parts of Telangana and neighboring Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh visited the temple and performed prayers.
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