Mesrams gather holy water, meant for Nagoba Jatara, from Godavari

The Mesrams gathered the water in a sacred container Jhari after worshipping the river goddess and performing certain traditional rituals.

Adilabad: As part of the annual Nagoba Jatara, members of Mesram clan collected holy water or Ganga jal, meant for performing ritual from Godavari river at a spot called Hasthanamadugu near Kalamadugu village in Jannaram mandal on Sunday.

The Mesrams gathered the water in a sacred container Jhari after worshipping the river goddess and performing certain traditional rituals. They will clean idols and perform various rituals using the water at the time of their important religious and cultural five-day long fair slated to be held at Keslapur village in Indervelly mandal on February 9. They arrived in Jannaram mandal on Saturday.

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About 150 Mesrams set off to fetch holy water or Ganga Jal from Godavari river, at Keslapur village in Indervelli mandal on January 22 evening. They reached Kalamadugu by walking barefoot for about 75 kilometers crossing forests and hilly areas in Narnoor, Lingapur and Dasturabad mandals. They will arrive at Indervelli mandal centre on February 5.

The Mesrams have already initiated the fair by conducting publicity by a bullock cart and placing an order to mold clay pots meant the rituals of the affair. About two lakh aboriginal tribals from several parts of not only Telangana, but neighboring Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha make a beeline to Keslapur and worship the serpentine god.

Meanwhile, the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA)-Utnoor is making elaborate arrangements for the smooth conduct of the fair. Project Officer Chahat Bajpai convened a meeting and reviewed the progress of the arrangements at Keslapur recently.