Mesrams reach Keslapur with holy water

he Mesrams reached the temple of Indradevi located in Indervelli mandal centre in the morning.

Adilabad: Members of the Mesram clan, who were fetching holy water in an ancient container from Godavari river, reached the Indervelli mandal centre as part of their annual important and religious affair, Nagoba Jatara, on Sunday.

The Mesrams reached the temple of Indradevi located in Indervelli mandal centre in the morning. They performed traditional prayers at the shrine and ceremoniously worshipped the deity. They then had a community lunch on the premises of the shrine. They were welcomed by members of the local Mesram clan.

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Later, they left for Keslapur village in Indervelli mandal in the evening. They will camp under sacred banayan trees by erecting make-shift tents for four days before celebrating the five-day long Nagoba Jatara slated to be held from February 9. The container of Ganga Jal will be placed on a branch of the banyan tree.

The Mesrams were carrying Ganga jal in a sacred Jhari, a 1,400-year-old brass container used for drawing the holy water from Godavari river at Hasthanamadugu on the outskirts of Kalamadagugu village in Jannaram mandal. They trekked for around 150 km to bring the water, covering many tribal villages during the course of the journey.

Nagoba Jata is the second largest fair after the biennial Sammakka-Saralamma Jatara celebrated at Medaram of Mulugu district. Tribals from not only several parts of Telangana, but neighboring Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha congregate at Keslapur and revere the serpentine god by offering special prayers.