Tribals throng Keslapur in Telangana’s Adilabad for Nagoba Jatara

Around 50,000 tribals from several parts of Telangana and neighbouring Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and other parts of the country congregate at Keslapur village

Adilabad: Droves of tribals continued to visit Nagoba temple as part of the ongoing seven-day-long Nagoba Jatara, an important religious and cultural affair of members of the Mesram clan at Keslapur village in Indervelli mandal on Saturday.

Around 50,000 tribals from several parts of Telangana and neighbouring Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and other parts of the country congregated at Keslapur village.

---

They visited the temple and performed special prayers by forming serpentine queue lines from early morning to midnight. They arrived at the sacred place using different means of transit.

Meanwhile, the Mesram clan performed various rituals on the premises of the temple. They worshipped Betal Puja and Mandagajling Puja. Half a dozen Raj Gond elders jumped in the air, reportedly after getting possessed by the Betal god.

They exhibited their fighting prowess by rotating large sticks that represent the god. They vacated Keslapur and left for Shyampur village in Utnoor mandal. They would revere Budumdevata at Shyampur on Sunday before returning to homes, ending the fair on Monday.

The ceremony of Bheting, a formal introduction of new daughters-in-law to the deity, was a special attraction on the first day of the fair, which began on January 28.

About 100 women from the families of the clan participated in the event. The ceremony makes them eligible to offer prayers at the temple. The women would later be given clay pots from their elders as part of the ritual.

Nagoba Jatara sees the second largest congregation of tribals from several parts of Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh after the biennial Sammakka-Saralamma jatara at Medaram of Mulugu district.