Medaram Jatra

- February 5, 2020


Illustration: Rajib Das

Medaram is a remote place in the Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary, a part of Dandakaranya. It is the largest surviving forest belt in the Mulugu. The Medaram Jatara is a tribal festival in honour of Hindu goddesses, commemorating the brave fight put up by a tribal queen and her daughter, Sammakka and Saralamma, against the Kakatiya kings who forced their tribes to pay unjust taxes. The Jatara witnesses one of the largest gatherings of people in India after the Kumbha Mela. As a part of the celebrations, people offer jaggery equal to their weight to the goddess and take holy baths in the nearby Jampanna Vagu stream.

The four-day celebrations of Medaram Jatara start on February 5th in the state of Telangana.   

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The Sons of Rama

The story of Rama and Sita was first set down by the sage Valmiki in his epic poem 'Ramayana.' Rama was the eldest son of Dasharatha, the king of Ayodhya, who had three wives - Kaushalya, Kaikeyi and Sumitra. Rama was the son of Kaushalya, Bharata of Kaikeyi and Laxmana and Shatrughna of Sumitra. The four princes grew up to be brave and valiant. Rama won the hand of Sita, the daughter of King Janaka. Dasharatha wanted to crown Rama as the king but Kaikeyi objected. Using boons granted to her by Dasharatha earlier, she had Rama banished to the forest. Sita and Laxmana decided to follow Rama. While in the forest, a Rakshasi, Shoorpanakha, accosted Laxmana but had her nose cut off by him. In revenge, her brother Ravana, king of Lanka, carried Sita away. Rama and Laxmana set out to look for her and with the help of an army of monkeys, defeated Ravana. On returning Ayodhya after fourteen years of exile, Rama banished Sita because of the suspicions of his subjects. In the ashrama of sage Valmiki, she gave birth to her twin sons, Luv and Kush.

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