Nagoba Jatara, second largest congregation of tribals in Telangana, begins on a grand note in Adilabad

The five-day Nagoba Jatara, Telangana’s second largest tribal congregation, began at Keslapur in Adilabad with traditional rituals led by the Mesram clan. Collector Rajarshi Shah and SP Akhil Mahajan were felicitated as thousands gathered to celebrate culture, devotion and community

Adilabad: The annual Nagoba Jatara, a five-day-long important religious and cultural affair of members of the Mesram clan, began on a grand note at Keslapur village in Indervelli mandal on Sunday evening.

Under the guidance of priests and elders, the Mesrams, clad in white attire, ceremoniously performed traditional rituals such as Mahapuja and Satheek Puja on the premises of the Nagoba temple, closing the gates of the shrine between 10 pm and 11.30 pm. They performed special prayers and revered the serpent god with devotion.

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The Mesrams then felicitated Collector Rajarshi Shah and SP Akhil Mahajan for extending support to the tribals in celebrating festivals. Rajarshi advised the tribals to carry forward their distinctive culture and traditions. Artists played traditional musical instruments — Kalikom, Pepre, Thudum and Dol — filling the air with spiritual exuberance.

Earlier in the day, women of the clan prepared anthills using clay on the temple premises. They fetched water from a holy pond in clay pots and used it in rituals and preparing dishes. The shrine was cleansed with sacred Ganga jal drawn from the Godavari river in Mancherial district.

Praja Darbar on Jan 22
According to the Mesrams, Persapen and Bankapen Puja will be performed on Tuesday, while Praja Darbar, a grievance redressal, will be held on January 22. Betal Puja and Mandagajling Puja are scheduled for January 23.

Nagoba Jatara is the second largest congregation of tribals from Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh after the biennial Sammakka-Saralamma Jatara at Medaram in Mulugu.