Mesrams on return journey to Keslapur after drawing sacred water in Mancherial

Members of the Mesram clan completed a 150-km padayatra to collect sacred water from the Godavari river for the Nagoba Jatara at Keslapur. The five-day tribal congregation will begin on January 18, drawing lakhs of devotees.

Mancherial: Members of the Mesram clan are on their return journey to Keslapur in Adilabad district after drawing sacred gangajal from the Godavari river at Hasthanamadugu near Kalamadugu village in Jannaram mandal.

On January 1, around 100 Mesrams set out on an arduous 150-km padayatra to collect the holy water to be used for rituals during the five-day Nagoba Jatara at Keslapur, scheduled to begin on January 18. The group reached Hasthanamadugu on Wednesday morning, where they worshipped the river goddess, performed traditional rituals and collected the water before beginning their return journey.

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The Mesrams traversed dense forests and hilly terrain across Narnoor, Lingapur and Dasturabad mandals to reach Hasthanamadugu. As per tradition, the holy water was collected in a jhari, a 1,400-year-old brass vessel used exclusively for this purpose. The water will be used to cleanse idols and perform various rituals during the jatara.

The clan members are expected to reach Indervelli mandal headquarters on January 14, where they will offer special prayers at the Indrayidevi temple. From the same night, they will begin camping under banyan trees at Keslapur. The Mahapuja, marking the formal commencement of Nagoba Jatara, will be performed on the night of January 18.

Nagoba Jatara is a five-day annual religious congregation of the Mesram clan and is considered the second largest tribal gathering after the biennial Sammakka Saralamma jatara at Medaram in Mulugu district.

Nearly two lakh tribals from Telangana as well as neighbouring Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha are expected to gather at Keslapur to worship the serpentine deity.