All set for Nagoba jatara of Mesrams in Adilabad

Adilabad: The stage is set for celebrating the annual Nagoba jatara, an important religious and cultural affair of the Mesram clan, at Keslapur village in Indervelli mandal on Monday night. According to elders and priests of the Mesrams, Members of the clan would perform Mahapuja, followed by Satheek puja, to kick start the five-day long […]

Adilabad: The stage is set for celebrating the annual Nagoba jatara, an important religious and cultural affair of the Mesram clan, at Keslapur village in Indervelli mandal on Monday night.

According to elders and priests of the Mesrams, Members of the clan would perform Mahapuja, followed by Satheek puja, to kick start the five-day long event at 10 pm. They then conduct Persapen and Banpen puja on Wednesday. Bheting, the introduction of new daughters-in-law to the deity, Mandagajili puja and Betal Puja, etc are held as part of the fair.

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Half a dozen Raj Gond elders jump in the air reportedly after getting possessed by the Betal god. They exhibit their fighting prowess by rotating large sticks that represent the god. They later return to their native places after visiting a temple of Budum Dev at Shyampur village in Utnoor mandal, marking the conclusion of the fair.

Traditionally, the tribal clan uses pots and various utensils made of clay and molded by a family of potters at Sirikonda mandal centre in the rituals. They fetch water in the pots from a holy pond situated near the temple of Nagoba and consecrate Naivedyam or offering to the presiding deity by cooking it on these pots. They have been engaging Guggilla Swamy for making the pots and pans, diyas, etc.

The Mesrams had set off for fetching sacred Gangal jal from Godavari river at a spot called Hasthanamadugu on the outskirts of Kalamadugu village in Jannaram mandal of Mancherial district, from Keslapur village in Indervelli mandal on January 13. They drew the water from the river and arrived at Keslapur before camping under banyan trees near the shrine on Friday.

They brought holy water in Jhari, a 1,400-year-old brass container used for carrying the water. They covered 155 tribal villages during the course of the journey. They trekked for over 150 kilometres to fetch the water. They tied the container to a branch of a banyan tree a stone’s throw away from the Nagoba shrine. They use the water for cleansing the idols of the shrine and performing many other rituals.

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