Annual Gandhari Maisamma jatara begins at historic fort in Mancherial

The annual three-day Gandhari Maisamma jatara began at Gandhari Khilla in Mancherial on Saturday. Members of the Rodda clan of the Naikpod community are performing rituals and cultural programmes, with a Praja Darbar planned on the final day

Mancherial: The three-day-long annual Gandhari Maisamma jatara began at Gandhari Khilla on the outskirts of Bokkalagutta village on Saturday. It is an important religious and cultural event of members of the Rodda clan from the Naikpod community, a Scheduled Tribe.

The Roddas took wooden sculptures representing Sadar Bheemanna and other deities for a dip in the river and brought them to a temple on the outskirts of Bokkalagutta in a procession to commence the fair on Friday. They danced to drum beats and ceremoniously performed prayers at the sacred place. They stayed at the Bheemanna temple for a day.

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They then conducted Mahapuja to Maisamma and other deities. The deities were worshipped on the second day of the fair on Saturday night. Devotees were allowed to visit the deity from midnight onwards. Cultural programmes and dance shows such as Thappetagullu and Pillanagrovi by artistes of the Naikpod community were organised throughout the night.

Organisers said that a Praja Darbar or grievance redressal programme would be conducted to address the grievances of Adivasis on the final day of the fair on Sunday. Labour Minister G Vivek, Collector Kumar Deepak and leaders of the community are likely to attend the event. Tribals submit applications to officials seeking solutions to their problems.

Around one lakh aboriginal tribals from several parts of Telangana and neighbouring Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh are expected to congregate at the fort and offer special prayers to the deity.