UPSC Current Affairs
SAMMAKKA SARAKKA
Recently, the Union cabinet approved a tribal university for Telangana – the Sarakka Central Tribal University, which will come up in Mulugu district at a cost of Rs 889 crore. ABOUT SAMMAKKA SARAKKA: Sammakka is said to have been married to Pagididda Raju, a feudal chief of the Kakatiyas (a Deccan dynasty) who ruled the Warangal area. She had two daughters and one son – Sarakka or Saralamma, Nagulamma and Jampanna, respectively.
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Recently, the Union cabinet approved a tribal university for Telangana – the Sarakka Central Tribal University, which will come up in Mulugu district at a cost of Rs 889 crore. ABOUT SAMMAKKA SARAKKA: Sammakka is said to have been married to Pagididda Raju, a feudal chief of the Kakatiyas (a Deccan dynasty) who ruled the Warangal area. She had two daughters and one son – Sarakka or Saralamma, Nagulamma and Jampanna, respectively.
WHY IN NEWS ?
- Recently, the Union cabinet approved a tribal university for Telangana – the Sarakka Central Tribal University, which will come up in Mulugu district at a cost of Rs 889 crore.
ABOUT SAMMAKKA SARAKKA:
- Sammakka is said to have been married to Pagididda Raju, a feudal chief of the Kakatiyas (a Deccan dynasty) who ruled the Warangal area.
- She had two daughters and one son – Sarakka or Saralamma, Nagulamma and Jampanna, respectively.
- In the battle against the local rulers in protest against the taxes, Saralamma died, while Sammakka disappeared into the hills and the local tribals believed that she metamorphosed into a vermillion casket.
ABOUT FESTIVE CONGREGATION :
- Sammakka Saralamma Jathara or Medaram Jathara is a tribal festival of honouring the goddesses celebrated in the state of Telangana, India.
- Mulugu holds a biennial festival – the Sammakka Saralamma Jatara – which is considered among the largest gatherings of tribal people in the world.
- The event commemorates the battle of the 13th-century mother-daughter duo against the local rulers in protest against the imposition of taxes on the Koya people.
- The Jatara (yatra, or pilgrimage) begins at Medaram, and the rituals are conducted by the Koya priests, in accordance with their customs and traditions.
- Until 1955, about 2,000 people used to visit Medaram, mostly from the Koya tribe.
- But down the line, it has assumed the form of a large Hindu religious festival, so much so that it is believed that after Kumbha Mela, the Sammakka Saralamma Jatara attracts the largest number of devotees in the country.
- In 2008, nearly 80 lakh people are estimated to have attended the festival, which went up to a crore in 2012.
- Considering the footfall of the festival, the Samakka-Sarakka Jathara was declared a state festival in 1996.
- Until 1998, the only way to reach Medaram, where the festival is held, was on a bullock cart.
- But in 1998, the state government (the undivided Andhra Pradesh at the time) constructed a motorable road.
- The Ministry of Tourism, as a part of the Tribal Circuit under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme, sanctioned Rs. 75.88 crore for the integrated development of a tribal circuit of Mulugu-Laknavaram-Medavaram-Tadvai-Damaravi-Mallur-Bogatha Waterfalls where the temple of Sammakka-Sarakka is located.
SYLLABUS: PRELIMS ,CURRENT AFFAIRS
- Prelims: Key facts, institutions, locations and terminology in the article.
- Mains: Connect the topic with Polity & Governance.
- Revision: Use the article headings to prepare concise notes and answer-writing points.
Test your understanding
Questions from this article
Prelims practiceWith reference to SAMMAKKA SARAKKA, consider the following statements:
- Recently, the Union cabinet approved a tribal university for Telangana – the Sarakka Central Tribal University, which will come up in Mulugu district at a cost of Rs 889 crore.
- Sammakka is said to have been married to Pagididda Raju, a feudal chief of the Kakatiyas (a Deccan dynasty) who ruled the Warangal area.
- She had two daughters and one son – Sarakka or Saralamma, Nagulamma and Jampanna, respectively.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
View answer
Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3. All three statements are drawn from the article.
Mains practiceDiscuss the background, key issues and significance of SAMMAKKA SARAKKA for India.
Answer in 250 words.
View answer approach
- WHY IN NEWS ?
- ABOUT SAMMAKKA SARAKKA:
- ABOUT FESTIVE CONGREGATION :
Frequently asked questionsFrequently asked questions
Why is Sammakka Sarakka in the news?
Recently, the Union cabinet approved a tribal university for Telangana – the Sarakka Central Tribal University, which will come up in Mulugu district at a cost of Rs 889 crore. ABOUT SAMMAKKA SARAKKA: Sammakka is said to have been married to Pagididda Raju, a feudal chief of the Kakatiyas (a Deccan dynasty) who ruled the Warangal area.
What are the key facts about Sammakka Sarakka?
She had two daughters and one son – Sarakka or Saralamma, Nagulamma and Jampanna, respectively. In the battle against the local rulers in protest against the taxes, Saralamma died, while Sammakka disappeared into the hills and the local tribals believed that she metamorphosed into a vermillion casket. ABOUT FESTIVE CONGREGATION : Sammakka Saralamma Jathara or Medaram Jathara is a tribal festival of honouring the goddesses celebrated in the state of Telangana, India.
Why is Sammakka Sarakka important for UPSC preparation?
The topic connects current developments with Polity & Governance and is relevant for both objective revision and analytical answer writing.