SSC
The Medaram Jatara, one of the largest tribal festivals in Asia, is celebrated by which tribe?
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Answer: Option A — Koya
Detailed Solution
The Medaram Jatara, also called the Sammakka Saralamma Jatara, is a tribal festival celebrated by the Koya tribe at Medaram village in the Mulugu district of Telangana. It is held once every two years, in the month of Magha (February), on the full moon day, and lasts for four days. It is considered one of the largest tribal gatherings in Asia, attracting crores of devotees.
The festival honours Sammakka and her daughter Saralamma (Sarakka), two tribal women who are worshipped as goddesses. According to legend, in the 13th century, the Kakatiya rulers of Warangal imposed heavy taxes on the Koya people during a time of drought. When the Koyas could not pay, the Kakatiya army attacked them. Sammakka, Saralamma and other members of their family fought bravely against the army to protect their people. Saralamma died in the battle, and Sammakka, after fighting bravely, disappeared into the forest on the Chilakalagutta hill, where only a casket of vermilion was found. The Koyas believe that she became a goddess, and they worship her and her daughter as protectors.
During the festival, the goddesses are brought from the forest to the gaddes (platforms) at Medaram in the form of vermilion caskets and bamboo poles, carried by the tribal priests amid great excitement. Devotees offer "bangaram", which is jaggery, to the goddesses, often in amounts equal to their own body weight. They bathe in the Jampanna Vagu stream before offering prayers. The Jatara has no idols and no Brahmin priests; the rituals are performed entirely by Koya priests, according to tribal traditions. The Government of Telangana has declared the Jatara a state festival.
The Koyas are a tribal community living in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha, mainly in the forests along the Godavari river.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Gond tribe celebrates festivals such as Keslapur Jatara and Gussadi (Dandari) in Telangana.
- ✗Bhil tribe celebrates the Bhagoria festival.
- ✗Santhal tribe celebrates Sohrai.
Quick tip
Remember: The Medaram Jatara = the Koya tribe, Telangana, the goddesses Sammakka and Saralamma, the biennial Magha full moon.
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Festivals & Fairs of India — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Festivals & Fairs of India, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the religious, harvest, tribal and cultural festivals of India, the fairs (melas) held across the country, and the states, communities and seasons linked to them. It also includes festivals listed by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage, such as Kumbh Mela and Durga Puja in Kolkata. Most questions ask which state celebrates a festival, which tribe it belongs to, or what event it marks. Harvest festivals are especially common: Pongal (Tamil Nadu), Onam (Kerala), Bihu (Assam), Lohri and Baisakhi (Punjab) and Nuakhai (Odisha). Fairs such as the Pushkar camel fair (Rajasthan) and the Sonepur cattle fair (Bihar) are also frequently tested. Revise festivals state by state. Practise the festivals and fairs questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.