Sammakka-Saralakka jatra concludes

Warangal, Jan 30: The rush of pilgrims at Medaram jathara recedes as the Sammakka-Saralakka deities return to their respective abodes on Saturday, final day of the tribal festival.Those who reached the ‘Gaddi’ (altar) moved ahead in the serpentine queues since the flow of pilgrims has come down, said district collector N Sridhar.Meanwhile, a majority of devotees were on the return journey as the fleet of RTC buses began leaving the forests which left a trail of pink dust that suffocated the pilgrims for breath.

Superintendent of Police Shah Nawaz Quasim heaved a sigh of relief at the smooth passage of the festival. “We left no stone unturned, planning endlessly well ahead of the jathara. It is amazing to see the large number of pilgrims coming here into this thick forest to pray. The faith of people is tremendous,” he pointed out.The entire Gaddi was filled with jaggery as it rained for the past few days. The devotees experienced difficulty in moving ahead as they were crowded in their lines due to barricading.