Mesrams gather water from Godavari in Mancherial

They will use the water to cleanse idols of Nagoba temple and to perform ancient rituals during the annual five-day long Nagoba Jatara slated for January 21.

Mancherial: Members of the Mesram clan gathered water from Godavari river in a sacred container at a spot called Hasthanamadugu Kalamadugu village in Jannaram mandal on Tuesday. They will use the water to cleanse idols of Nagoba temple and to perform ancient rituals during the annual five-day long Nagoba Jatara at Keslapur village in Indervelli mandal slated for January 21.

About 150 members of the Mesram clan, clad in white, arrived at the river and performed traditional rituals to worship the river deity under the supervision of priests Daderao and Kosu. They are likely to halt either at Udumpur or Birsaipet villages in Utnoor mandal during the course of their return journey to Keslapur village in Indervelli mandal on Tuesday night.

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Mesrams began the journey to collect water in a 1,400-year-old sacred brass container from Keslapur on January 1. They will reach Keslapur on January 17, as per their schedule. They would walk barefoot for 130 kilometres, staying in tents at nights and accepting hospitality of locals of tribal habitations.

The Mesrams have already initiated the fair by conducting publicity by a bullock cart and placing an order to mold clay pots to be used during the rituals of the affair. The Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA)-Utnoor is making elaborate arrangements for the smooth conduct of the fair.

Nagoba Jatara is an important religious and cultural affair of members belonging to the Mesram clan. It sees the largest congregation of tribals after the biennial Sammakka-Saralamma Jatara at Medaram village in Mulugu district. Ethnic tribes belonging to several parts of not only Telangana, but Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and other States take part in the fair and worship the serpentine god.